The Punisher was always the most baffling success story in comics. I thought he was an interesting foe / ally for Spider-Man at the beginning as he provided a monolithic foil for the character, and worked quite well in Spidey's main title.
However that doesn't explain the fact that at one point he had four or five titles in the early 90s, not to mention annuals, spin-offs and "holiday specials", which were especially poor cash-ins. Very much a benchmark of the era, those books.
I was never going to sit through a movie that was guaranteed to showcase an even more soulless take on the character, especially with Lundgren etc. in the lead "role".
I agree. I thought he was fine as a supporting character, as in his early Amazing Spider-Man appearances. Over the long haul, generally one note.