If the streets of Philly seem a bit quieter to you lately, it might have something to do with Philadelphia writer, Duane Swierczynski’s latest writing project where the author brings The Punisher, a.k.a. Frank Castle to Philadelphia.

Castle receives an anonymous tip that there may be a child trafficking ring somewhere in the city. The story begins with exactly what punisher fans want an immediate, violent murder-spree.

What the story lacks is a strong sense of an inspirational plot. We all know what is going to happen in this story. The plot lines of comic writers like Alan Moore and Mark Waid seem to be a skill level almost out of reach for Swiercynski’s.

By the fifth page, Castle has already killed seven guards, only four with fire-arms. It’s this immediate explosion of action that has come to be Swierczynski’s style. The way he just drops you into a story is as if you have just gotten to your seat in a movie theatre because the popcorn line was backed up and now you have to imagine what you missed.

“6 Hours to Kill” is the first installment of a five part series that will be “Frank Castle the Punisher, No. 66” however, this first issue really seems to sum up how the rest of the story will continue. The former City Paper editor, Swiercynski, should know that he may have some trouble selling the next four issues if he doesn’t add some intellect to the plot line.

After Castle kills seven guards he is captured by some kind of scientist who injects him with a poison. The scientist tells Castle that the only way he will give him the antidote is if he kills a named criminal. This is about the climax of issue one. However, it introduces the reader to what will inevitably turn out to be a bloody, tale-twisting comic.

What else could a comic fan ask for? A lot more.

An interesting aspect of the issue, however, is that it is the city of Philadelphia in which Castle spends his time mowing down the bad guys.

Readers will see such Philadelphia landmarks as Independence Hall and the Ben Franklin Park Way. The site of the city brings familiarity to readers in the Philadelphia area and an added touch of personality, being that it is a real city in the background.

Swierczynski has said one of his favorite things to do is take a walk around the city of brotherly love for an entire day and dream up the violence and horror that is the comic theme of most Punisher stories.

Most of Swierczynski’s work with the same template, or what painters would call the same pallet.

Stories like “Blonde,” “Murder at Wayne Manor: An Interactive Batman Myster” and several other Swierczynski pieces have that same immediate jump into the plot which will eventually twist and turn in every direction until readers give up on trying to figure out the ending before hand.

I recommend picking up “6 Hours to Kill,” number 66 in the “Frank Castle The Punisher” series if you’re into a light read that very likely will not require a lot of thinking. The story, so far, does not seem to have any hidden meanings. The obviously corrupt mayor of Swierczynski’s Philadelphia is not supposed to be a representation of Mayor Nutter. In fact, the author has said that the mayor in this story is supposed to be an anti-Nutter, which proves Swierczynski deep respect for the reformist mayor of Philadelphia.