Cracked.com's Maxwell Yezpitelok opined that the storyline "completely undermined the intent of the character who had the simplest goal of any superhero ever" and that it felt like "the sort of bullshit premise that could have only come from the mind of a coke-fueled TV executive pitching a toy-friendly Punisher animated series where they don't actually show him killing people". Ethan Kaye of Topless Robot succinctly stated in regards to the volume, "Thank God we have Garth Ennis to give us back the Punisher who liked guns and bombs again". 4thletter's Gavin Jasper said, "Purgatory still doesn't get as much hate as it deserves.
Maxwell Yezpitelok from Cracked.com found the storyline problematic, stating it "completely undermined the character's simple goal" and that it felt like an absurd premise. Ethan Kaye of Topless Robot concurred, saying, "Thank God we have Garth Ennis to bring back the Punisher who enjoyed guns and bombs." Gavin Jasper from 4thletter added, "Purgatory still doesn't receive as much criticism as it should."