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King in Black: Gwenom vs. Carnage #1-3
King in Black: Gwenom vs. Carnage
Bonded to a synthetic symbiote from another reality, Ghost-Spider, a.k.a. Gwen Stacy of Earth-65, is unique among the webslingers of the multiverse! But when Knull descends on her adopted home, his gravity well of dark psychic energy unleashes unforeseen consequences on Gwen! And her bandmate Mary Jane Watson is about to be pulled into this ordeal with a symbiote of her own. The ensuing madness can only be described as Gwenom vs. Carnage! They’ve been at each other’s throats in The Mary Janes for years, but this battle of the bands will really shred! Plus, Andi Benton returns, but does Scream have what it takes to put a dent in Knull’s armor? And what does this latest symbiotic nightmare mean for Spider-Man?!
COLLECTING: King In Black: Gwenom vs. Carnage (2021) 1-3, King in Black: Scream (2021) 1, King in Black: Spider-Man (2021) 1
COLLECTING: King In Black: Gwenom vs. Carnage (2021) 1-3, King in Black: Scream (2021) 1, King in Black: Spider-Man (2021) 1
136 pages, Paperback
First published August 10, 2021
14 people are currently reading
112 people want to read
About the author
Seanan McGuire
508 books17.1k followersHi! I'm Seanan McGuire, author of the Toby Daye series (Rosemary and Rue, A Local Habitation, An Artificial Night, Late Eclipses), as well as a lot of other things. I'm also Mira Grant (www.miragrant.com), author of Feed and Deadline.
Born and raised in Northern California, I fear weather and am remarkably laid-back about rattlesnakes. I watch too many horror movies, read too many comic books, and share my house with two monsters in feline form, Lilly and Alice (Siamese and Maine Coon).
I do not check this inbox. Please don't send me messages through Goodreads; they won't be answered. I don't want to have to delete this account. :(
Born and raised in Northern California, I fear weather and am remarkably laid-back about rattlesnakes. I watch too many horror movies, read too many comic books, and share my house with two monsters in feline form, Lilly and Alice (Siamese and Maine Coon).
I do not check this inbox. Please don't send me messages through Goodreads; they won't be answered. I don't want to have to delete this account. :(
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
October 6, 2024
This King in Black tie-in collects the three-part 'Gwenom vs. Carnage' miniseries plus the Spider-Man and Scream one-shots.
The main event, featuring Ghost-Spider going toe-to-toe with a new Carnage from her home dimension was pretty good. I liked the artwork quite a bit and could forgive most of the story's silly elements .
The Scream one-shot was OK, I suppose. I quite liked the artwork, although it owes a great deal to Ron Garney. The story was all right, for what it was, but nothing to write home about.
The highlight of the book for me, though, was the Spider-Man one-shot, which also featured Reptil (from my much lamented old favourite, Avengers Academy). The story deals with how Spidey is one of Reptil's idols and how he wants to emulate him as a hero. In the process, we get Spidey at his best, showing that writer Jed MacKay totally gets who Spider-Man is (or should be) and he gets my vote to take over the main Spidey book when Nick Spencer moves on. I loved this one.
I'd give this 3.5 stars if I could but I'm rounding up due mainly to how good the Spider-Man one-shot was.
The main event, featuring Ghost-Spider going toe-to-toe with a new Carnage from her home dimension was pretty good. I liked the artwork quite a bit and could forgive most of the story's silly elements .
The Scream one-shot was OK, I suppose. I quite liked the artwork, although it owes a great deal to Ron Garney. The story was all right, for what it was, but nothing to write home about.
The highlight of the book for me, though, was the Spider-Man one-shot, which also featured Reptil (from my much lamented old favourite, Avengers Academy). The story deals with how Spidey is one of Reptil's idols and how he wants to emulate him as a hero. In the process, we get Spidey at his best, showing that writer Jed MacKay totally gets who Spider-Man is (or should be) and he gets my vote to take over the main Spidey book when Nick Spencer moves on. I loved this one.
I'd give this 3.5 stars if I could but I'm rounding up due mainly to how good the Spider-Man one-shot was.
October 13, 2024
I was a little disappointed in this book. To be fair, I don't really follow Spider-Gwen, but I did like the King in Black main story.
The main story I would have given two stars. The fight between Gwenom and Carnage was pretty much a waste for me. I don't think it added anything to the main story. The action is boring as Gwen is completely overmatched.
The Screem story is pretty good. It shows a new hybrid of the Symbiote and a type of host. A good story and ok artwork.
The Spider-man story is the best Peter Parker Spider-man story I have read in a long time. It starts with Spider-man playing the blame game, but then taking responsibility and action. This story saved the book for me.
The book finishes with a thumbnail cover gallery as well as variants.
The main story I would have given two stars. The fight between Gwenom and Carnage was pretty much a waste for me. I don't think it added anything to the main story. The action is boring as Gwen is completely overmatched.
The Screem story is pretty good. It shows a new hybrid of the Symbiote and a type of host. A good story and ok artwork.
The Spider-man story is the best Peter Parker Spider-man story I have read in a long time. It starts with Spider-man playing the blame game, but then taking responsibility and action. This story saved the book for me.
The book finishes with a thumbnail cover gallery as well as variants.
March 5, 2021
An okay mini with some good art! I'm not really interested at all in King in Black, but Spider-Gwen vs MJ with some kind of symbiote is something I've been wanting to see for a while, ever since they first introduced Spider-Gwen! MJ is pretty much Gwen's Eddie Brock in this universe so she was bound to become venom or in this case Carnage! The story was okay, just the two of them punching and kicking each other for most of it but was a fun enough read!
March 6, 2021
King in Black: Gwenom vs Carnage is all fluff. I sort of dislike the look of the characters, which was the entire reason I wanted to read it in the first place. And the “final confrontation” (if you could call it that) is just a real fart. There’s a thin line between fun and lame, and they marched deep into lame territory on this one.
July 23, 2021
King In Black hits Spider-Gwen as her friend Mary Jane is mutated into a Carnage symbiote wielding maniac. Plus, Scream and Spider-Man get roped into the action as well in this Spider-themed King In Black tie-in volume.
The main three issues here are okay, I suppose. There was a letter in the single issues of the series about how this was where the ongoing Spider-Gwen plot was heading, given the growing animosity between Gwen and her friends, but there's definitely a sense that a lot of that had to be thrown aside in order to make this work in three issues - Mary Jane gets teleported across universes for almost no reason, and then the rest of the series is a drawn-out fight scene, which is fine, but lacks the emotional impact that it could have had with a bit more time to breathe and a bit less Knull involved.
The two one-shots are much better. The Spider-Man one was especially good, roping in Reptil for a rescue attempt that shows how much Jed MacKay understands the character, while Clay McLeod Chapman continues his Scream plotlines from the abruptly cancelled ongoing, so we get some closure on that front at the very least.
There are worse King In Black volumes, but this one's definitely middle of the road. Hopefully Spider-Gwen's next revival has a bit more oomph to it.
The main three issues here are okay, I suppose. There was a letter in the single issues of the series about how this was where the ongoing Spider-Gwen plot was heading, given the growing animosity between Gwen and her friends, but there's definitely a sense that a lot of that had to be thrown aside in order to make this work in three issues - Mary Jane gets teleported across universes for almost no reason, and then the rest of the series is a drawn-out fight scene, which is fine, but lacks the emotional impact that it could have had with a bit more time to breathe and a bit less Knull involved.
The two one-shots are much better. The Spider-Man one was especially good, roping in Reptil for a rescue attempt that shows how much Jed MacKay understands the character, while Clay McLeod Chapman continues his Scream plotlines from the abruptly cancelled ongoing, so we get some closure on that front at the very least.
There are worse King In Black volumes, but this one's definitely middle of the road. Hopefully Spider-Gwen's next revival has a bit more oomph to it.
September 25, 2021
Truly NOT how you want a character to end her run.
June 18, 2022
3.5 Stars
Not bad as big event tie in volumes go. I havent read any of the Gwen Stacey Ghost Spider comics, so the continuity was lost on me, but we did get a Knull appearance and there are symbiotes, so the tie in made sense. Same thing for the Scream story, as once again we got a Knull appearance and a character with a symbiote. The Spiderman story also made sense as a tie in, so we got a rare relevant crossover volume rather than one that is just thrown together.
Not bad as big event tie in volumes go. I havent read any of the Gwen Stacey Ghost Spider comics, so the continuity was lost on me, but we did get a Knull appearance and there are symbiotes, so the tie in made sense. Same thing for the Scream story, as once again we got a Knull appearance and a character with a symbiote. The Spiderman story also made sense as a tie in, so we got a rare relevant crossover volume rather than one that is just thrown together.
September 20, 2021
Three stories are here, but unlike some of the other lesser King in Black collections, this one packs a lot of punch and heart.
Highlights:
- Earth-65's Ghost Spider (also the host of a symbiote she calls Gwenom) is in the 616 helping with the Knull crisis. Trying to play on both her hero side and her human side, Knull gives the Carnage symbiote to E-65's Mary Jane. What unfurls is completely epic and an awesome battle.
- A story that starts with Scream vs Demagoblin, becomes Scream taking on Knull directly (which is continued in the main title).
- Spider-Man, feeling the guilt of bringing the original symbiote back to Earth and inadvertently causing this whole invasion and bad event, finds a way to get back to himself by helping Reptil (a hero with the Young Avengers who can change into different dinosaurs) just rescue one lady get home to Staten Island. A touching story about the difference that a hero can make in the life of one person.
This one was good. If you are reading the crossover, don't skip this one.
Recommend.
Highlights:
- Earth-65's Ghost Spider (also the host of a symbiote she calls Gwenom) is in the 616 helping with the Knull crisis. Trying to play on both her hero side and her human side, Knull gives the Carnage symbiote to E-65's Mary Jane. What unfurls is completely epic and an awesome battle.
- A story that starts with Scream vs Demagoblin, becomes Scream taking on Knull directly (which is continued in the main title).
- Spider-Man, feeling the guilt of bringing the original symbiote back to Earth and inadvertently causing this whole invasion and bad event, finds a way to get back to himself by helping Reptil (a hero with the Young Avengers who can change into different dinosaurs) just rescue one lady get home to Staten Island. A touching story about the difference that a hero can make in the life of one person.
This one was good. If you are reading the crossover, don't skip this one.
Recommend.
August 8, 2021
I'm sure I'm not the only one who doesn't like cross-issued events. This whole 'King in Black' thing is kind of annoying.
I usually love the art style in the Ghost Spider / Spider Gwen series, but in this, it looks terrible. Half the time I wasn't sure what I was looking at. The character designs are really off, and there's no real depth or weight to them.
The story was paper thin, with nothing to really grab on to. I'm not sure if it was a fall out of the 'King in Black' storyline, or if the writers just thought 'hey, MJ has had the Carnage suite before...let's put it in with this series to make it work' with nothing to really hold that idea together. It's a great idea, and one that should work really well in the Spider Gwen / Ghost Spider series, as MJ is kind of the Eddy Brock of this series, but it falls flat and leads to nothing.
The other two stories in this collection, one with Spiderman and Reptile, and another with Scream, are fine. Scream's story suffers from the same issues that Gwenom does (art is terrible, and the story is extremely paper thin). Spiderman's story and are are the best thing this book has going for it. I liked the smaller story and Reptile's coming of age short story. It helped ground this whole 'King in Black' nonsense.
This was not fun, and I really hope they can do a better story where MJ get's the powers of Carnage a bit better in the future if they plan it (which I'm sure they will).
I usually love the art style in the Ghost Spider / Spider Gwen series, but in this, it looks terrible. Half the time I wasn't sure what I was looking at. The character designs are really off, and there's no real depth or weight to them.
The story was paper thin, with nothing to really grab on to. I'm not sure if it was a fall out of the 'King in Black' storyline, or if the writers just thought 'hey, MJ has had the Carnage suite before...let's put it in with this series to make it work' with nothing to really hold that idea together. It's a great idea, and one that should work really well in the Spider Gwen / Ghost Spider series, as MJ is kind of the Eddy Brock of this series, but it falls flat and leads to nothing.
The other two stories in this collection, one with Spiderman and Reptile, and another with Scream, are fine. Scream's story suffers from the same issues that Gwenom does (art is terrible, and the story is extremely paper thin). Spiderman's story and are are the best thing this book has going for it. I liked the smaller story and Reptile's coming of age short story. It helped ground this whole 'King in Black' nonsense.
This was not fun, and I really hope they can do a better story where MJ get's the powers of Carnage a bit better in the future if they plan it (which I'm sure they will).
January 22, 2022
A fairly lightweight addition to the Marvel universe that offers an extended and 'emotional' cat fight between Gwen Stacy, shifted from Earth-65 to the King in Black story line on Earth-616, and Mary Jane Watson with a couple of Scream and Spiderman sub-plot stories thrown in.
The Gwenom/Carnage graphics are dramatic and lively but, by this time, one wonders if one-dimensional additional King in Black and symbiote story-lines to include as many heroes as possible were not exhausting themselves in a certain sameness and predictability.
The lore is all there but is it possible that Marvel had been boxing itself into a bit of a hole by having such a powerful all-encompassing evil that seems to owe a strong debt to Chambers. His 'King in Yellow' also 'symbiotes' as absolute evil and enjoys making his victims suffer?
As usual, Marvel creates around the King in Black a complex fantasy (its alternative realities always have the possibility for more alternative realities) and, in a few bounds, it freed itself but the stories in this particular 'trade' seem to be mere foot-notes for the fans.
I expect the Spiderverse fans will enjoy it. And that's fine but it is not for adults and it is not really part of the main narrative.
September 5, 2021
Three different King in Black related stories. First off is a three issue miniseries starring Spider Gwen/Ghost Spider. It makes sense that Gwen would feature somehow in King in Black: she has a symbiote, even if it is from another universe. Making MJ her version of Carnage is somewhat more abrupt, particularly how she gets shunted from her native universe to the mainstream one. This is tangential to the event, but important for Gwen, so it's only really necessary reading if you've been following her. Then there's a Scream one shot, which I guess is ok? I don't really know this character well. It does seem like it will be important for her as a character, which is interesting. Finally, there's a Spider-Man one shot, and this is really good. It costars a character from Avengers Academy, and they have a great rapport. I also liked that it somehow manages to be a character exploration moment for Spidey, in the middle of a big event. Nothing here is really important to the actual event, so you can skip this volume unless one of the featured characters appeals to you.
May 21, 2022
After going through the main King in Black and a good number of the tie-in material, I wasn't expecting much from this book, even with Ghost Spider (a.k.a. Spider-Gwen). This book collects the core Spider-verse characters and how they got pulled into this event, and this ended up being some of the strongest material.
Gwen already has a symbiote suit of her own and this adventure should be relevant given the nature of Knull. But because she's from another universe, she's not quite on the same frequency as this Knull, but this still leads to symbiotic complications- hence her getting her own Carnage. Spider-Man has an adventure here, too, but it's the sort of story he shines the most. He wasn't the big hero of this event after all, so this story kept things on the ground level just as he was starting to feel overwhelmed by everything. And finally we have a side-story with the new Scream that I didn't expect to like but turned out to be another interesting character story for another symbiote-bonded character - except this one has a demonic curse and can summon hellfire.
Gwen already has a symbiote suit of her own and this adventure should be relevant given the nature of Knull. But because she's from another universe, she's not quite on the same frequency as this Knull, but this still leads to symbiotic complications- hence her getting her own Carnage. Spider-Man has an adventure here, too, but it's the sort of story he shines the most. He wasn't the big hero of this event after all, so this story kept things on the ground level just as he was starting to feel overwhelmed by everything. And finally we have a side-story with the new Scream that I didn't expect to like but turned out to be another interesting character story for another symbiote-bonded character - except this one has a demonic curse and can summon hellfire.
May 25, 2022
Nothing particularly awful but simultaneously nothing particularly memorable about this volume. I don’t know a whole lot about this version of Gwen Stacy, and I know even less about Scream. The Spider-Man issue almost feels like a FCBD stand-alone with Reptil the Dinoboy a character I want to like but felt deeply silly to me at the same time. I think I have one more volume, maybe two, to read for this crossover event (that I could get my hands on at least) and honestly I’m really excited to never have to read any King in Black again. Knull is boring. So was most of this.
April 9, 2023
The main event of Gwenom vs. Carnage was just one lame prolonged fight. MJ from Earth-65 becomes that world's carnage and comes to our earth to fight Gwen. Yawn. Then there's a finish for the abruptly cancelled Scream ongoing. The real shining star is Jed MacKay writing the Spider-Man one-shot. Reptil teams up with his idol Spider-Man to pitch in around NYC and it's glorious. Just read the one-shot and skip the rest honestly.
June 9, 2022
I'm sad to see Seanan McGuire's run with Ghost-Spider come to an end - I know she wasn't given enough time to wrap it up the way she planned. It doesn't even really feel finished, alas, but that is often the way of comics. I wasn't very interested in the Scream story, and the Spider-Man story was fine, but I was mainly here for Seanan.
April 11, 2022
Another King in Black book that I loooved. Listen, know what this is going in. It's not a big story, it's incredibly pretty art and a heartwarming story with Dinosaur Boy (who I have loved in the Avengers Academy, he deserves this time).
November 19, 2022
Gwenom vs carnage was an interesting and fun fight story with great art
Scream was a great issue which introduced me more to her as a character
And the spiderman issue featuring reptil was fun and cool
All with great art
Scream was a great issue which introduced me more to her as a character
And the spiderman issue featuring reptil was fun and cool
All with great art
October 17, 2021
Enjoyed! Loved the art and the dialogue/text/ <3
January 17, 2022
2.5 Stars
January 20, 2022
Pretty standard comic fare…built around a relationship issue or two that’s been years In the lingering.
Best part was the oddly placed Spider-Man issue…won’t he get his own collection.
Best part was the oddly placed Spider-Man issue…won’t he get his own collection.
February 17, 2022
Only read the Ghost-Spider issues. I'm not interested in the rest of King in Black, but I enjoyed it as a continuation of McGuire's previous Ghost-Spider run.
October 13, 2022
Of all the others so far this collection was decent. It wasn’t amazing. It’s clear to see all the King in Black issues are side stories. Of those side stories this one is ok.
January 1, 2023
Why was this storyline abandoned? The dynamic between Gwen/MJ has always been one I wish was dived into more. This was great! But I don’t know why it was practically retconned in Gwenverse.
July 17, 2023
Didn't read the last two issues cause I really only wanted to read about Gwenom and MJ as Carnage
July 31, 2023
Relating and emoting with a symbiote is a challenge. Dragon slaying.
October 18, 2023
(2.5) Gwenom was a broken record. Art was better than the dialogue.
August 31, 2024
Sono noiosa, volevo solo Gwen. Cosa sono 'sto storielle inutili, autoconclusive, deludenti e insipide?!
April 25, 2025
Getting a character arc in here was wild I have no idea how seanan McGuire did it. However it's still an event book so
April 29, 2025
Based on the title of this… I expected a lot more Gwenom & Carnage.
Disappointed
But it wasn’t a bad comic
Disappointed
But it wasn’t a bad comic
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews