What do you think?
Rate this book
SPIDER-MAN: THE MANY HOSTS OF CARNAGE
Serial killer Cletus Kasady isn't the only one to bond with Venom's sadistic offspring, Carnage! In fact, there's a whole host of hosts - and they're all here! First, Jonah's son John Jameson succumbs to the symbiote, until Ben Reilly offers a more tempting meal - becoming Spider-Carnage! But the cosmic Silver Surfer may prove the most appetizing host yet! Dr. Tanis Nieves takes a turn, then joins the fight against Kasady when he transforms a whole town into Carnage, U.S.A.! Even the Avengers fall prey to symbiosis - but who will be the Superior Carnage? Karl Malus? The Wizard? Or Norman Osborn, whose perverse partnership transforms him into the Red Goblin!
Collecting: Amazing Spider-Man (1963) 361, 410, 431; Spider-Man (1990) 67; Spectacular Spider-Man (1976) 233; Carnage (2010) 3; Carnage USA 1-5; Superior Carnage 3-5, Annual 1; Amazing Spider-Man (2015) 798-800
Collecting: Amazing Spider-Man (1963) 361, 410, 431; Spider-Man (1990) 67; Spectacular Spider-Man (1976) 233; Carnage (2010) 3; Carnage USA 1-5; Superior Carnage 3-5, Annual 1; Amazing Spider-Man (2015) 798-800
480 pages, Paperback
First published September 11, 2019
14 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
April 12, 2022
This was a good collection featuring a character I've followed since he was introduced. This volume does jump around a bit and in some cases you get pieces of the story rather than the complete storyline, but there are text pages to bring you up to speed so you don't find yourself lost going into each story.
There's a variety of story and art styles here. Carnage's first appearance is included, and he really was a dark character when he was introduced, probably the darkest character Spiderman had faced. Carnage would be Spiderman's Joker, I guess you could say.
Overall this was a good overview of the Carnage symbiote, although as you'll see in this collection, Carnage and Kletus Casady will be forever linked.
There's a variety of story and art styles here. Carnage's first appearance is included, and he really was a dark character when he was introduced, probably the darkest character Spiderman had faced. Carnage would be Spiderman's Joker, I guess you could say.
Overall this was a good overview of the Carnage symbiote, although as you'll see in this collection, Carnage and Kletus Casady will be forever linked.
August 31, 2020
TL;DR yes this collection is a helpful summary of some of the notable moments in Carnage history, but damn Cletus and his substitute killers have been abused and underwritten by the writers over the years. All over the friggin place with tone and characterisation - most writers didn’t have one damned idea what to do with him.
I’m loosely following the issue count in this collection of snippets from Carnage’s history, but going a little deeper since I’m reading not from a physical collection but the bounty that is Marvel Unlimited!
ASM 360-363: Bagley’s art even back when is great. And reading this first appearance of Carnage, i can’t imagine how Spidey or even Spidey+Venom have any shot at taking down a villain who’s so clearly their superior. Stories like this always feel like a bit of a letdown, cause there’s no way the hero has a chance and yet by some statistically improbably miracle, circumstances line up. Is that what we should be teaching our kids? I think Carnage is pretty unbeatable, and the rising threat from his entrance brings on a ton of tension. Thankfully, this arch-nemesis is a well Marvel went back to plenty.
Maximum Carnage (all 14 issues) was a prime example of the thinnest veneer of creativity over 1-dimensional characters, exhausting “plot” stretched 2-3 times the issues it could fill, and absolutely nothing to show in terms of new or advanced characters for all those words.
Web of Carnage event (1996):
by this point in my skipping trek through 90’s Spidey mythos I’ve completely lost the thread on who’s a clone of whom. Did they ever resolve who was the “real” PP? I have a feeling there was at least one switcheroo - “oh just kidding, you were a clone all along!” Or some other writers’ “can’t give a fuck to figure it out I give up let’s just rock-paper-scissor for it” dingleberry.
Peter Parker is or isn’t a clone, has no powers, but is the one married to MJ (who’s having a baby? Where did that storyline end up?). Be Reilly is Spider-man and is definitely (?) a clone (with blond hair?), but then turns into Spider-Carnage after the symbiotic hitched a ride on everyone’s favourite punching bag, John Jameson (dude was a werewolf, then a carrier, and gods only knows what other insults he’s suffered beyond being WJJJ’s son).
Then we have the daughter of the man who stole money from the wrestling promotion and later killed Uncle Ben - and was later dead-ed while confronting Spidey - now on a rampage to out-JJJ as person who hates and misunderstands Spidey the most - and her great master plan is to get photos of Spidey?? Like, not even the kind of blackmail photos the Russians have on Cheeto Benito (which would be humiliating to anyone with a soul), just something to “prove” he’s a bad dude. Like decades of Daily Bugle smear campaigns just need that one extra *ooomph* to finally close the case?
The only character I care about in this little melodrama is Cletus, whose separation from Carnage is actually causing him anxiety-cum-OCD-to-wasting-death. And yet in the final issue we land exactly where we started, just as sadly as if this whole tale told us nothing of import.
BOR-ING.
YET ANOTHER POINTLESS CASH GRAB
Savage Rebirth (1998):
When Silver Surfer shows up long enough for us to realise he was responsible for the genocide of a planet where symbiotes had assimilated the population. Somehow Galactus had consumed the world, but the symbiote population was able to preserve a memeroy of their annihilation *in the species DNA* (or some other hack writer’s excuse) such that when SS encountered Carnage, the symbiote immediately recognised him as their destroyer...and promptly took over and...did nothing to SS?
I’m confused - if you met your Hitler, wouldn’t you want revenge - or at least to teach them what it feels like? Or something more than “the most important lesson I’ll impart on you is what it was like for Cletus to grow up abused?”
Otherwise this is the usual “Spidey hangs up his webs” (for all of two pages), and Joe Robertson quits The Bugle.
Carnage (2010):
I remember reading this book years ago, but didn’t have the “benefit” of knowing the Maximum Carnage story on which this is founded. Shame on me - would’ve been much more satisfying to see how much less irritating this one was than it’d predecessor (especially with most of the same players, sans irritating writing).
Fantastically under-written, a decent lock on the psychology of the characters, not a lot of wasted back-and-forth chase scenes, some artistic mystery being spooled out, and great action. Oh, and the art takes this to the next level - even a terrible 90’s script would’ve seemed great with this gorgeous painting (even though it’s sometimes hard to know what I’m looking at exactly).
Plus we get a new symbiote variant named Scorn! The family just keeps on expanding!
(And - spoiler! - somehow the top half of Cletus survived orbiting earth for a year, was given a tech lower half, and found himself bonded back with the Carnage symbiote - a happy ending?)
Carnage USA:
Another in the long line of paint-by-numbers Carnage stories. Carnage plays an entire town like marionettes, kills surprisingly few of them, and gets to play Avengers when he takes over Thing, Hawkeye, Cap and Wolverine (would that make a cool boy band? I think so)
This book is probably a complete miss for those of us catching up ahead of Absolute Carnage, but a pretty looking diversion along the way. Like popcorn, or a one-night fling with another pretty, oh so pretty human.
Superior Carnage:
... is a nice bout of Otto vs the Frightful Four.
In fact this book takes a page from Superior Foes of Spider-Man and that’s entirely alright by me. After all the gibbering nonsense about how much of a dyed-in-the-wool serial killer Kasady is, it’s nice to have him fully lobotomised and mercifully fucking non-verbal. That the suit jumps around from some doctor to Wizard and back to Cletus makes this mostly a wasted opportunity to give us a permanent relief from Kletus-as-Jason-Vorhees.
ASM 798-800:
Oh right! Here’s where I saw Anti-Venom. And here’s where Slott took all his pent-up sap and wrapped it in flags and eulogies and lionising. Osborn as Carnage/Red Goblin is an interesting concept, but boy did Slott keep it from going anywhere interesting. Just a punching bag and mirror to hold up to the legacy of Parker. Still, glad I re-read this because I’d totally blocked out that Carnage wrapped itself around Osborn for a stretch, and that’s gotta leave a mark on this ol’ symbiote.
I’m loosely following the issue count in this collection of snippets from Carnage’s history, but going a little deeper since I’m reading not from a physical collection but the bounty that is Marvel Unlimited!
ASM 360-363: Bagley’s art even back when is great. And reading this first appearance of Carnage, i can’t imagine how Spidey or even Spidey+Venom have any shot at taking down a villain who’s so clearly their superior. Stories like this always feel like a bit of a letdown, cause there’s no way the hero has a chance and yet by some statistically improbably miracle, circumstances line up. Is that what we should be teaching our kids? I think Carnage is pretty unbeatable, and the rising threat from his entrance brings on a ton of tension. Thankfully, this arch-nemesis is a well Marvel went back to plenty.
Maximum Carnage (all 14 issues) was a prime example of the thinnest veneer of creativity over 1-dimensional characters, exhausting “plot” stretched 2-3 times the issues it could fill, and absolutely nothing to show in terms of new or advanced characters for all those words.
Web of Carnage event (1996):
by this point in my skipping trek through 90’s Spidey mythos I’ve completely lost the thread on who’s a clone of whom. Did they ever resolve who was the “real” PP? I have a feeling there was at least one switcheroo - “oh just kidding, you were a clone all along!” Or some other writers’ “can’t give a fuck to figure it out I give up let’s just rock-paper-scissor for it” dingleberry.
Peter Parker is or isn’t a clone, has no powers, but is the one married to MJ (who’s having a baby? Where did that storyline end up?). Be Reilly is Spider-man and is definitely (?) a clone (with blond hair?), but then turns into Spider-Carnage after the symbiotic hitched a ride on everyone’s favourite punching bag, John Jameson (dude was a werewolf, then a carrier, and gods only knows what other insults he’s suffered beyond being WJJJ’s son).
Then we have the daughter of the man who stole money from the wrestling promotion and later killed Uncle Ben - and was later dead-ed while confronting Spidey - now on a rampage to out-JJJ as person who hates and misunderstands Spidey the most - and her great master plan is to get photos of Spidey?? Like, not even the kind of blackmail photos the Russians have on Cheeto Benito (which would be humiliating to anyone with a soul), just something to “prove” he’s a bad dude. Like decades of Daily Bugle smear campaigns just need that one extra *ooomph* to finally close the case?
The only character I care about in this little melodrama is Cletus, whose separation from Carnage is actually causing him anxiety-cum-OCD-to-wasting-death. And yet in the final issue we land exactly where we started, just as sadly as if this whole tale told us nothing of import.
BOR-ING.
YET ANOTHER POINTLESS CASH GRAB
Savage Rebirth (1998):
When Silver Surfer shows up long enough for us to realise he was responsible for the genocide of a planet where symbiotes had assimilated the population. Somehow Galactus had consumed the world, but the symbiote population was able to preserve a memeroy of their annihilation *in the species DNA* (or some other hack writer’s excuse) such that when SS encountered Carnage, the symbiote immediately recognised him as their destroyer...and promptly took over and...did nothing to SS?
I’m confused - if you met your Hitler, wouldn’t you want revenge - or at least to teach them what it feels like? Or something more than “the most important lesson I’ll impart on you is what it was like for Cletus to grow up abused?”
Otherwise this is the usual “Spidey hangs up his webs” (for all of two pages), and Joe Robertson quits The Bugle.
Carnage (2010):
I remember reading this book years ago, but didn’t have the “benefit” of knowing the Maximum Carnage story on which this is founded. Shame on me - would’ve been much more satisfying to see how much less irritating this one was than it’d predecessor (especially with most of the same players, sans irritating writing).
Fantastically under-written, a decent lock on the psychology of the characters, not a lot of wasted back-and-forth chase scenes, some artistic mystery being spooled out, and great action. Oh, and the art takes this to the next level - even a terrible 90’s script would’ve seemed great with this gorgeous painting (even though it’s sometimes hard to know what I’m looking at exactly).
Plus we get a new symbiote variant named Scorn! The family just keeps on expanding!
(And - spoiler! - somehow the top half of Cletus survived orbiting earth for a year, was given a tech lower half, and found himself bonded back with the Carnage symbiote - a happy ending?)
Carnage USA:
Another in the long line of paint-by-numbers Carnage stories. Carnage plays an entire town like marionettes, kills surprisingly few of them, and gets to play Avengers when he takes over Thing, Hawkeye, Cap and Wolverine (would that make a cool boy band? I think so)
This book is probably a complete miss for those of us catching up ahead of Absolute Carnage, but a pretty looking diversion along the way. Like popcorn, or a one-night fling with another pretty, oh so pretty human.
Superior Carnage:
... is a nice bout of Otto vs the Frightful Four.
In fact this book takes a page from Superior Foes of Spider-Man and that’s entirely alright by me. After all the gibbering nonsense about how much of a dyed-in-the-wool serial killer Kasady is, it’s nice to have him fully lobotomised and mercifully fucking non-verbal. That the suit jumps around from some doctor to Wizard and back to Cletus makes this mostly a wasted opportunity to give us a permanent relief from Kletus-as-Jason-Vorhees.
ASM 798-800:
Oh right! Here’s where I saw Anti-Venom. And here’s where Slott took all his pent-up sap and wrapped it in flags and eulogies and lionising. Osborn as Carnage/Red Goblin is an interesting concept, but boy did Slott keep it from going anywhere interesting. Just a punching bag and mirror to hold up to the legacy of Parker. Still, glad I re-read this because I’d totally blocked out that Carnage wrapped itself around Osborn for a stretch, and that’s gotta leave a mark on this ol’ symbiote.
September 29, 2019
There’s a few fun stories in here from the 90s, but a big chunk of this book is stuff that’s already been collected in other trades. Not bad stories or anything, but this whole collection is a bit redundant for collectors.
January 10, 2021
Quite the Dichotomy But Slott, Bunn & Wells Deliver
OVERALL RATING: 3 stars
Art: 3.5 stars
Prose: 3 stars
Plot: 3 stars
Pacing: 4 stars
Character Development: 3 stars
World Building: 3 stars
Never been interested in anything comic related in the Silver and Bronze ages of Marvel and it was an odd choice the first 5 issues were pulled from various vintages during that period. Each added absolutely nothing and were stories that have not aged well at all. However, the more recent stuff for the most part was excellent. Carnage #3 was average but sets the stage well for the main course and best part of this collection : Carnage, USA. The art is jaw dropping from art A-lister Clayton Crain, The realism and sophistication is just some of the best stuff done for Marvel for me personally (digital painter). Zeb Wells writes quite a dark story here. It definitely worked for me. The Superior Carnage issues drop off a bit in terms of story but is still decent enough given what Shinick is working with. Too much unnecessary speech that is overdescriptive for mundane things readers should already know (fast becoming anathema for many readers) hurts it. The art is fantastic though. The artists - Segovia, Mexia, Chrisostomo and Ramos really provide one of Marvel's great villains with wonderful lines, shading and colours in all the panels. Unfortunately the Superior Carnage Annual that follows is heinous, art wise, early on. It does improve which is good as the story is quite well done and felt less tacked on/more believable than both Superior Carnage and Carnage #3. Bunn is a decent enough writer and this issue certainly exposes such. Dan Slott does proficiently on Marvel's flagship - Amazing Spiderman. I expect nothing less from him. His arc is fun with Norman Osborn melding Carnage with the Green Goblin to become the infamous Red Goblin. These issues are larger than normal and tell a decent enough short story although the ending was pretty meh. This series is the perfect prelude for my dive into the Absolute Carnage omni soon. Overall, the issues range from 1.5-5. The majority of the modern stories were good to great.
OVERALL RATING: 3 stars
Art: 3.5 stars
Prose: 3 stars
Plot: 3 stars
Pacing: 4 stars
Character Development: 3 stars
World Building: 3 stars
Never been interested in anything comic related in the Silver and Bronze ages of Marvel and it was an odd choice the first 5 issues were pulled from various vintages during that period. Each added absolutely nothing and were stories that have not aged well at all. However, the more recent stuff for the most part was excellent. Carnage #3 was average but sets the stage well for the main course and best part of this collection : Carnage, USA. The art is jaw dropping from art A-lister Clayton Crain, The realism and sophistication is just some of the best stuff done for Marvel for me personally (digital painter). Zeb Wells writes quite a dark story here. It definitely worked for me. The Superior Carnage issues drop off a bit in terms of story but is still decent enough given what Shinick is working with. Too much unnecessary speech that is overdescriptive for mundane things readers should already know (fast becoming anathema for many readers) hurts it. The art is fantastic though. The artists - Segovia, Mexia, Chrisostomo and Ramos really provide one of Marvel's great villains with wonderful lines, shading and colours in all the panels. Unfortunately the Superior Carnage Annual that follows is heinous, art wise, early on. It does improve which is good as the story is quite well done and felt less tacked on/more believable than both Superior Carnage and Carnage #3. Bunn is a decent enough writer and this issue certainly exposes such. Dan Slott does proficiently on Marvel's flagship - Amazing Spiderman. I expect nothing less from him. His arc is fun with Norman Osborn melding Carnage with the Green Goblin to become the infamous Red Goblin. These issues are larger than normal and tell a decent enough short story although the ending was pretty meh. This series is the perfect prelude for my dive into the Absolute Carnage omni soon. Overall, the issues range from 1.5-5. The majority of the modern stories were good to great.
August 21, 2021
I've read this in preparation for Absolute Carnage, and boy, do I received an education. I quite enjoyed how it was edited together, guiding through the history of the Carnage symbiote and its various hosts. The quality of the stories included is very uneven though. It gave me a greater appreciation for Zeb Wells and Clayton Crain (authors of various Carnage minis from a decade ago) and I found some value in the 90s stuff as well, even though I really don't like the expository dialogue/narration the writers excessively utilized there. Everything else, especially the more recent Dan Slott stuff, felt tumoltous and hard to follow out of context as they were and the retcons also were very confusing. Cletus Kasady, a psychotic serial killer from Queens who started relying on the symbiote because of his cancer turned into a redneck murdergod, whose obsession with killing and mayhem made the symbiote rely on him. Then Slott took Carnage away from him to end his Spider-Man run by fusing it with Norman Osborne. It just felt like a gimmick without weight or substance.
September 3, 2020
Let me first say this... if you're wanting one cohesive story, this TPB isn't the book for you. This book spans 26 years of Carnage history and stories. Stories are going to jump forward in time. People will become different personas and heroes/villains. The book will best explain to you what's happened between each story and who's who, but unless you have a basic knowledge of Spider-Man history, it may just be a tad difficult for you to follow.
That said, this has a large majority of the best Carnage stories, all rolled up into one terrific book. From Carnage's origin with Cletus Kasady, to his merger with the Green Hoblin - these stories are insane, twisted and BLOODY. Paint the whole damn world red, indeed.
That said, this has a large majority of the best Carnage stories, all rolled up into one terrific book. From Carnage's origin with Cletus Kasady, to his merger with the Green Hoblin - these stories are insane, twisted and BLOODY. Paint the whole damn world red, indeed.
September 25, 2025
I never really knew much about Carnage and this was a good overview. Carnage is peak serial killer edgelord villain, lol.
I will say I loved the Goblin x Carnage fusion--very creative. Hated the Carnage zombie issues though.
I will say I loved the Goblin x Carnage fusion--very creative. Hated the Carnage zombie issues though.
April 15, 2021
Carnage isn't really my favorite character but this was a decent collection of his appearances.
October 3, 2021
Fun read, great art and much much better Carnage written plot than the modern stuff about him.
June 14, 2024
I came into this knowing little of carnage. It was a good collection. A little scattered but still 80% of the issues within were a good read.
April 13, 2025
Mostly good.
I liked all but the last storyline. But it was decent and worth the read in the end. Great art by the way. Solid read.
I liked all but the last storyline. But it was decent and worth the read in the end. Great art by the way. Solid read.
November 15, 2019
the art was amazing
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews