After turning Venom's world upside down a year ago, DONNY CATES and RYAN STEGMAN are about to put the Sinister Symbiote through hell again, only this time CARNAGE has come calling, and everyone who's ever worn a symbiote is dead in his sights! He's skirted the periphery of the Marvel Universe for months, but Cletus Kasady at last stands poised to make his grand return to New York in a blistering, action-packed story...and he wants to paint the town red! And there's NOTHING anyone can do to stop it!
This one is part of Hoopla's free loans program this month. And since Carnage doesn't excite me, I never would have bothered with this one otherwise. And that would have been a mistake.
This was a lot of fun! Better yet, it was surprisingly easy to follow considering there was a lot of backstory with Venom happening here that I hadn't read yet. I mean, the last time I looked, Venom was Flash Thompson. I've not read a lot of older stuff with Venom, so while I know that Eddie is the original, I've only actually read Flash-as-Venom comics. Now it's back to being Eddie Brock, except Eddie is a good guy. And he has a kid? No idea when/where/how all of the above took place but it really didn't matter. There was enough of a recap to quickly catch me up on things to the point that I understood what the stakes were going into Absolute Carnage.
And while there were still a lot of strange things going on that I hadn't the foggiest clue about, this was action-packed, well written, and had great visuals. I definitely want to read more. Recommended.
If anyone has any suggestions of where I should start looking to read more about the events surrounding all of this, I would love to hear them.
Wow, surprisingly, a good Marvel event?! This spills out of Donny Cates's current Venom run. Carnage is brought back to life by some cult and now he's trying to awaken the god of the symbiotes by killing everyone who has ever bonded with a symbiote. That's a lot of people he's going to need to murder. Cates does a good job of bringing in a lot of Venom's past (It's scattered across a gazillion different titles.) without you ever feeling lost.
Ryan Stegman was a great choice for this. His art has a great horror element to it and does body horror well. On top of that Frank Martin's digitally painted colors pair perfectly. It looks like blood is dripping off every page.
2025 Review: 6 years later in this fucking event still slaps. I just love how fucking fun this is and honestly you can read it without reading any tie-ins and it's still such a great event. This should be the staple of events for a comic book characters.
2019 Review: Absolute Carnage is an event...but fear not comic readers, this one is fucking GREAT!
Usually the hardest thing to do in events is tell a interesting story in its main series without needing every single tie in. This event doesn't need ANY tie in to tell a interesting tale and at the same time set up the future of the marvel universe in comics.
So Brock is not having a good time. Him and Venom are just not working well together. Enter carnage and his creepy "Daddy" dialogue to push Eddie to the edge. After a huge fight, and a lot of getting his ass kicked, Eddie retreats to find help from Peter. Together they go head to head with Carnage but when they see what he's become they'll need a lot more help. However, Carnage is more interesting in hunting down everyone else...
This is an exciting event with ton of action but a lot of cool character development. Cates manages to write both Eddie and Carnage super well, Peter as well, and move Venom's main story in a interesting direction. On top of that you get some great set up for the future and if Cates/Stegman are handling the next event I am SO ready. A 5 out of 5 for this fantastic and fun adventure here.
Uncapable of creating new original storylines, Marvel is currently going through an obsessive phase of rehashing their old material, getting a lot of hits and misses along the way, thankfully this is one of the hits, a modern take on the Maximum Carnage storyline, one of my favorite events of the 90s, this time with a lot more focus on Eddie Brock than Peter Parker, a real page turner with plenty of nods to the original, and awesome art by Ryan Stegman.
The mainstay volume of the Absolute Carnage event, and my first reading of a series written by Donny Cates. Despite a generous 6 out of 12 from me for all the drama from a Bendis' Avengers team through to Norman Osborn, I just don't get how serials like this are commissioned, it's just the same-ol' thing over and over again!
I just couldn't muster much enthusiasm for this. If you have read one comic event then you have read them all: "Oh no, a godlike menace! How will we ever stop it? Let's all band together to form a huge action scene. That should do it!" THE END.
This one had a few more problems besides the copy-paste formula, though. For example, it has an extremely anti-climactic conclusion. Also, everyone kept saying "If Carnage does this one last thing, then he wins!!!". Then Carnage would do that thing and nothing would happen until the next "If he does this next thing...".
Finally, keep an eye on Spider-Man's mask, especially in the last issue. It keeps getting ripped to shreds but then, a few panels later, it's in perfect condition again.
Well, I have to say that, despite my usual distaste for these big event crossovers, I enjoyed the heck out of this one. Absolute Carnage was a genuinely quite scary slice of SF/horror, which has always been really hard to pull off in comicbook form, so the creative team are to be commended. There were moments when the hairs on my arms were genuinely standing on end!
It wasn’t perfect; the ending felt more than a little abrupt and then there were a few continuity issues (Spidey’s mask seemed to inexplicably repair itself about halfway through issue five) but overall, this was a winner.
As usual with this kind of story, there were numerous spin-offs but you really only need to read this core title and the Venom tie-in issues to get the whole tale.
The end of the first act of Donny Cates' Venom epic is here, as Carnage finally takes to the streets in his effort to collect as many codexes from previous symbiote-wearers as possible. The only person standing in his way? Eddie Brock.
Absolute Carnage lives up to its name. The blood flows freely right from the get-go, and while there may not be any permanent deaths, its effects will reverberate through Venom forever more thanks to the choices that poor Eddie has to make. Along the way, Cates throws in set piece after set piece that start huge and get even bigger, and he makes excellent use of both Spider-Men, as well as Eddie's son Dylan as supporting characters. There's maybe a little too much reliance on Norman Osborn, but that's easily overlooked because this is just so much damn fun. It ends a little abruptly, but that's because this isn't the end of the story. It's not even the middle. There's still so much more to come, and the emotional beat that the series ends on has been telegraphed for a while, but Cates still manages to blindside the characters with it by upping the stakes so much that they almost forget that it's a thing until it comes crashing back down on them.
And of course, nothing would work half as well without Ryan Stegman's fantastic artwork. Stegman's defined himself as a Spider-Man artist for years, but it's Venom that'll go down in history as his career defining run, at least at this point in time. Absolute Carnage is a beautifully intricate book, and no one draws over the top action like Stegman. Carnage co-creator Mark Bagley also gets in on the action in the last issue with some nice flashback work.
Absolute Carnage is a blast from page one to the closing panels. If you're reading Cates' Venom, you can't miss this. If you're not, you bloody well should be.
Edit: Also, just flipped through my trade, and they've also collected the "interviews" with the characters from their time at Ravencroft and the editorial by J Jonah Jameson that were included in the single issues here, as well as the entire collection of variant covers, so this is one complete book!
The artwork throughout is amazing and, for once, unified by having the same artist, Ryan Stegman, throughout the entire series. The story is a bit less wonderful, though...
Finalmente retornando a ler Vingadores e X-Men pra chegar LOGO a Empyre!
Curti demais isso aqui. Tinha parado de ler Venom porque depois que a assinatura entregou a edição 12 eu esperei que ela fosse automaticamente renovada, mas a Panini simplesmente não avisou e quando fui ver já tinha passado muitas edições e algumas estavam até fora de estoque, o que me desanimou bastante, MAS aqui Donny Cates reacendeu minha animação pela visão que ele tem do personagem e da forma única que ele tem usado sua mitologia maluca pra criar um evento extremamente épico.
No entanto, eu acho o Carnificina chatíssimo, o que tira um pouco do brilho da história, mas estou bem ansioso pra ver o que o Knull vai fazer em Rei de Preto!
Probably the best comics event I have read in a while, Cates kills it on the story while Stegman continues to provide some of the best art around comics today. Seriously, the art of the restaurant scene between Brock and Spidey was so beautifully laid-out.
OK so after reading all the lead-up material (and even the earliest Carnage tripe of the 90’s) I finally pulled this off the top of the pile. Read it in one sitting, without drawing on any of the rest of the tie-in comics that go with this Event.
What’d I think, I ask myself?
Good, maybe even great, but not five-star material. This book, on its own, moves fast and doesn’t drag out the conflict for page count (I’m looking at you Maximum Carnage) - goes for some robust interpersonal drama (Brock and his son, Spidey and Norman) and ups the ante to ensure this is a memorable escapade.
The unique cast, led by Eddie Brock (not your usual leading man), including Maker, Cap, Banner and Miles - they make for a new & fun dynamic. The plot is genuinely weird, building on what Cates has been slathering on the backs of a terrible Carnage history.
And yet? It felt a little thin. Not a lot of genuine heartfelt moments, and the build-up ended before it hardly begun.
I think that’s just the nature of Marvel event these days - gotta read a dozen tie-ins to see how it all plays out more deeply for each involved character - but that means the core book is just a scaffolding, not a story unto itself.
In a time where we just had the Venom movie whilst we await for the upcoming sequel, I was never a fan of the black symbiote as an anti-hero. However, from reading Donny Cates' run, I was suddenly a fan towards an Eddie Brock story that is violent and fun, whilst still maintaining his 90s aesthetic. Following the first two volumes of the run, which blended the over-the-top and the tragic characterisation, Cates and artist Ryan Stegman go bigger with a crossover event that also serves a climax to what they were setting up in Venom.
As much as I wasn't a fan of Venom prior to Cates' involvement, that was definitely the case with Carnage, the red symbiote whose original host is serial killer Cletus Kasady. Given his violent actions, I'm surprised that he even appeared in the family-friendly Spider-Man: The Animated Series. Reunited with the Carnage symbiote and is more powerful than ever as he targets every single character who has ever worn a symbiote, Eddie Brock seeks the help of his arch-nemesis Peter Parker, whilst protecting his son Dylan, who is unaware of his parentage.
When it comes to crossover events, you tend to numb out due to having jam-packed narratives that juggle too many characters. One can argue that Absolute Carnage is doing a similar thing, but because it serves as a continuation to the first two volumes of Cates and Stegman's Venom, it will delight those who have been following Eddie Brock's arc, which on an emotional level, is about protecting the only living thing he loves.
In terms of its position as an event that has to include other Marvel characters, as well as evoke other titles, i.e. Maximum Carnage, Cates has a tendency to throw everything at the kitchen sink and see whatever lands. Along with Eddie's relationship with Dylan, he also has to form an alliance with Spider-Man and reading the banter between this trio shows that Cates can still lighten things up, even if the relentless horror that will consume New York.
Speaking of horror, Cates writes characters like Cletus Kasady and Norman Osborn (formerly the Red Goblin) as figures of horror, whilst the army of Carnage clones is like a ravaging zombie apocalypse. Seeing some of the colourful heroes being consumed by the ever-expanding redness that looks like blood, feels like you're being chucked in the deep end. It also helps that Ryan Stegman draws every page with a sense of visceral horror that reminded me of Todd McFarlane's Spawn. The hosted symbiotes are these monsters that are constantly changing as established in Stegman's stunning splash pages.
Issues aside, whether it is the Fixer (a character I still don't have much interest in) or the story's chaptering that is weirdly disregarded after the first issue, Absolute Carnage is that rare case of a terrific crossover event that feels grand and yet intimate.
It was good, great artwork, even better than the story.
I felt sad for Brock, which I don't care about, so that says something.
Good story, Carnage is super boring and obvious to me that I don't really care to read about and he's been saying the same things ever since he was created, and whenever pretty much we see a gazillion characters being venomized is always boring as hell, like there are no ideas left to do anything else.
So me rating it this high even though hating carnage and venomized characters, is saying a lot.
Recommended and can't wait to meet Knull, hoping it'll be good!
I loved this so much Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman killed it in this. Most of the tie ins were pointless cash grabs but the Venom, Amazing spider-man and immortal hulk tie ins were good. This could of easily been a venom story arc but i loved it either way. Marvel needs to chill on the tie ins.
I liked it. Not a huge Carnage or venom fan but I am a huge Donny Cates fan. He never disappoints. He's one of the best writers of the newer generation. He not Jeff Lemire. But he's close. 4 stars.
Super fun event. But in terms of just the main story Stegman was phenomenal. Some of his finest. The story was also very fun. But ended pretty abruptly. Originally this was just going to be an arc in Cates’ run on Venom. And that’s kinda how it feels. Like it’s less of a stand alone story and rather part of a bigger narrative.
Beautiful art coupled with great story telling. Great team of heroes fighting an impossible foe. Cates really makes you pull for Eddie. This is expert comic making! It has guts and gore but most of all it has heart. So good! Plus The Maker is creepy as ever... 5 stars.
This was much different than what I was expecting. We basically have a big Marvel event in Absolute Carnage, that is nothing more than the prelude to a bigger Marvel event, King in Black. The ending wasn't what I'd call predictable, at least not in the big picture. This was as much a beginning as it was an ending.
Normally I would be disappointed given that I don't think a big crossover event should just be used to kick off another event, but it does make sense in the big picture and it was entertaining.
There's really not a lot to say, other than I'm very interested to see how this all concludes in the King in Black event.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Fun fun fun! Like stupid-turn-brain-off-eat-popcorn fun!
This beautifully drawn arc should’ve been Venom’s third arc but became an event instead. To really enjoy this to maximum capacity, one shouldn’t bother with all the fluff tie-ins. Read this and Venom alongside it and you’re set.
The story is absolutely stunning to look at and the writing is great. Cates has as good a hold on Kasady as he does Brock. My only regret story wise is that this doesn’t tie up the Knull story as well, that character is wayyyy past it’s prime.
Cates and Stegman did a killer job with this book. Writing and art was amazing throughout. First issue confused me since I thought the chapters were new issues but it is all 1 issue. They dropped the chapters thing after the first issue (good call). This book had everything in it. Action, comedy, suspense, drama, twists, teases, perfect amount of characters. Only things keeping it from 5 stars were a few anticlimactic moments and some elements felt like they’d been done before. But overall, a very solid book.
Sometimes messy, sometimes funny, and sometimes even touching, especially the small moments between Brock and his son, Dylan. Cates writes some of best dialogue during his Venom run in Absolute Carnage, largely thanks to the comedic lines from Spidey and some darkly comic lines from Carnage. This one is a must read with Venom volume 3, as they fill in each other’s gaps. I’m really interested to see what Cates does with the King in Black now.
Collects Absolute Carnage issues #1-5 and material from Free Comic Book Day 2019 (Spider-Man/Venom) issue #1
I usually really like Donny Cates' work, and I have also been enjoying the recent few iterations of the "Venom" series, but there was something about this event that I didn't love.
The pacing, Stegman’s art... it’s awesome. Also, it gets me super stoked for King in Black.
This is a must read. While it fits well in the overall Cates Venom story, it also functions well as a standalone. There are many exciting dramatic beats, and the action, while frequent, never descends into boring pow-pow-land.