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Carnage (2023)
Carnage, Vol. 1: Born Again
The Carnage symbiote flies solo in a new series, and begins a journey across the universe to inherit the Earth!
As Cletus Kasady exacts his vengeance on an unsuspecting city, the Carnage symbiote remains left to its own devices, adrift among the stars. With its purpose renewed after the DEATH OF THE VENOMVERSE, Carnage has scant few hurdles between it and a glorious ascension to the throne of the King in Black…and the first is named Morlun!
Web of Carnage (2023) 1, Carnage (2023) 1-4
As Cletus Kasady exacts his vengeance on an unsuspecting city, the Carnage symbiote remains left to its own devices, adrift among the stars. With its purpose renewed after the DEATH OF THE VENOMVERSE, Carnage has scant few hurdles between it and a glorious ascension to the throne of the King in Black…and the first is named Morlun!
Web of Carnage (2023) 1, Carnage (2023) 1-4
136 pages, Paperback
Published April 30, 2024
9 people are currently reading
23 people want to read
About the author
Torunn Grønbekk
129 books9 followersTorunn Grønbekk is a comic book writer and portrait painter.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
June 7, 2024
I’m not a huge fan of Carnage and I’m not overly fond of comics with villains as the protagonists but I got a kick out of this one. It had a real Nightmare on Elm Street vibe to it (while being totally different, plot-wise) and was genuinely horrific (in a good way). I’m interested to see where this goes…
January 7, 2025
One star deducted for the somewhat pointless 'Web of Carnage' issue by Ram V included here but once Grønbekk's run gets started it gets very, very good indeed. I'm keen on continuing for sure!
October 31, 2024
Lots of bits and pieces of story being thrown at the wall here, only some of it tying into Ram V's Carnage series. There's Jon Shayde, still corrupted by the Carnage symbiote. There's Cletus Kasady, who is also the Carnage symbiote (?). There's Flash Thompson, a sad Venom. And there's a character from the Spider-verse who has been depowered and is keen on snagging Carnage's powers.
A lot happens in Born Again, and most of it is really interesting as it's happening, but the sum total is ultimately forgettable. Maybe that's because there have been so many Carnage series/mini-series lately? And it doesn't help that Al Ewing's Venom series is spinning it's wheels at the same time. I'll give Carnage another shot, but odds are poor that I remember anything that happened here.
A lot happens in Born Again, and most of it is really interesting as it's happening, but the sum total is ultimately forgettable. Maybe that's because there have been so many Carnage series/mini-series lately? And it doesn't help that Al Ewing's Venom series is spinning it's wheels at the same time. I'll give Carnage another shot, but odds are poor that I remember anything that happened here.
June 9, 2024
3.75
This badly wants to be a horror book. It succeeds sometimes. But can also tip over into being more of a silly caracature of a horror book.
This badly wants to be a horror book. It succeeds sometimes. But can also tip over into being more of a silly caracature of a horror book.
December 23, 2024
3.5 Stars. Would have been 4, but the Volume felt like it was merely building to what is next, instead of standing on its own.
Carnage. Easily one of Marvel's darkest characters. In this Volume, returned from what happened last time we saw him, Cletus has reimagined himself as a kind of prophet or priest, using killing to further the "gospel". Standing in his way is Flash Thompson, Anti-Venom, who feels the need to stop Carnage no matter what. But, by the end, Carnage has defeated and absorbed the Anti-Venom symbiote and has his sights set on Venom, who is currently Dylan Brock, Eddie's son.
This Volume was one of the goryest I've ever seen Marvel put out. Quite the breath of fresh air. We'll see if Dylan can stand up to it.
Recommend. Carnage is always a fun and nasty title to read
Carnage. Easily one of Marvel's darkest characters. In this Volume, returned from what happened last time we saw him, Cletus has reimagined himself as a kind of prophet or priest, using killing to further the "gospel". Standing in his way is Flash Thompson, Anti-Venom, who feels the need to stop Carnage no matter what. But, by the end, Carnage has defeated and absorbed the Anti-Venom symbiote and has his sights set on Venom, who is currently Dylan Brock, Eddie's son.
This Volume was one of the goryest I've ever seen Marvel put out. Quite the breath of fresh air. We'll see if Dylan can stand up to it.
Recommend. Carnage is always a fun and nasty title to read
July 5, 2024
This was an okayish read and does continue the plot of the previous volume and shows Carnage dealing with Jon shayde and a multiversal adventure and fighting Morlun and the venom of that world and from there realizing he needs to change and like not let the rules of the web of life/destiny affect him and then he returns to main earth, makes a facsimile of Cletus Kassady and idk how he did that and all.. and from there leaving dead bodies in his wake and making mysterious clues and conspiracy theorists thinking its something related to the 12 Apostles.
So there's the whole thing with that and then a focus on Anti-venom as he can sense that its Carnage behind it and he is on the search for Cletus and when they do confront each other, you get the fight and how the villain may have targeted Flash's mother also and from there what's going on. Its an interesting set of events and the fights and we see Carnage wants to absorb Flash's symbiote or powers and become immune as thats a step to immortality and the whole concept o the symbiote adopting.
It leads to some other things here and there but ends in a surprising way as the next volume will deal with Carnage vs Dylan fight and that crossover so that should be fun. So yeah overall an okayish volume and could it have been better? Definitely. That conspiracy theory thing didn't go anywhere or could just be an indicator of Carnage being a mass murderer and these patterns is just his way of having fun but I am interested in how he is sort of immune against Anti-Venom now. So that should be an interesting story thread to follow.
So there's the whole thing with that and then a focus on Anti-venom as he can sense that its Carnage behind it and he is on the search for Cletus and when they do confront each other, you get the fight and how the villain may have targeted Flash's mother also and from there what's going on. Its an interesting set of events and the fights and we see Carnage wants to absorb Flash's symbiote or powers and become immune as thats a step to immortality and the whole concept o the symbiote adopting.
It leads to some other things here and there but ends in a surprising way as the next volume will deal with Carnage vs Dylan fight and that crossover so that should be fun. So yeah overall an okayish volume and could it have been better? Definitely. That conspiracy theory thing didn't go anywhere or could just be an indicator of Carnage being a mass murderer and these patterns is just his way of having fun but I am interested in how he is sort of immune against Anti-Venom now. So that should be an interesting story thread to follow.
April 28, 2024
It's Crazy Train time with Carnage and Company....
This Jon Shayde connection has been pushed to its limit. The Carnage symbiote has dragged the detective along, sensing a kindred spirit in the broken detective. Carnage is getting closer and closer to its goal of confronting Eddie Brock in all his 'King in Black' glory.
Next stop? Earth-31 and a broken Morlun (who, not so surprisingly, survived 'End of Spider-verse' stuff)
Collected from the most recent Carnage series (and boy have there been lots, lately) we have Carnage remake a physical copy of Cletus with all the memories that the symbiote holds. Flash Thompson is also out there in the world, having been recreated by the Anti-Venom symbiote in much the same way as Cletus.
LOTS of philosophical throw downs on the nature of identity and godhood. What is self?
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...I honestly don't know if this series will ever die. It seems like they threw EVERYTHING at Carnage this year and made a bunch of stories that just spun themselves into circles.
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Bonus: Hunter of Spiders? A Kraven spider totem? Ugh. Is the Spider-verse DONE yet? Please??
Bonus Bonus:
This Jon Shayde connection has been pushed to its limit. The Carnage symbiote has dragged the detective along, sensing a kindred spirit in the broken detective. Carnage is getting closer and closer to its goal of confronting Eddie Brock in all his 'King in Black' glory.
Next stop? Earth-31 and a broken Morlun (who, not so surprisingly, survived 'End of Spider-verse' stuff)
Collected from the most recent Carnage series (and boy have there been lots, lately) we have Carnage remake a physical copy of Cletus with all the memories that the symbiote holds. Flash Thompson is also out there in the world, having been recreated by the Anti-Venom symbiote in much the same way as Cletus.
LOTS of philosophical throw downs on the nature of identity and godhood. What is self?
======
...I honestly don't know if this series will ever die. It seems like they threw EVERYTHING at Carnage this year and made a bunch of stories that just spun themselves into circles.
====
Bonus: Hunter of Spiders? A Kraven spider totem? Ugh. Is the Spider-verse DONE yet? Please??
Bonus Bonus:
May 4, 2024
Given the whimper that the last Carnage run ended on, namely Death Of The Venomverse and Carnage Reigns, I was sceptical about another series launching so soon.
The opening one-shot here wraps up a few plot threads from Ram V's run, before Torunn Gronbekk's story begins in earnest. I've mentioned before that Carnage never works as a protagonist for a story, much like the Joker, but like the last few Carnage solo books, Gronbekk takes an unorthodox approach by introducing a new POV character - Cletus Kasady himself, now separated from the increasingly powerful Carnage symbiote and entirely at its mercy. Plus Flash Thompson's in the background, which is always a treat for me personally.
An intriguing new start for everyone involved, which helps wash the bad taste of the last run away quickly.
The opening one-shot here wraps up a few plot threads from Ram V's run, before Torunn Gronbekk's story begins in earnest. I've mentioned before that Carnage never works as a protagonist for a story, much like the Joker, but like the last few Carnage solo books, Gronbekk takes an unorthodox approach by introducing a new POV character - Cletus Kasady himself, now separated from the increasingly powerful Carnage symbiote and entirely at its mercy. Plus Flash Thompson's in the background, which is always a treat for me personally.
An intriguing new start for everyone involved, which helps wash the bad taste of the last run away quickly.
May 2, 2024
I was intrigued when it was announced this new Carnage run from Torunn Grønbekk was receiving a Parental Advisory warning, and the initial setup of the issue asking who would worship a god like Carnage offered a fascinating thesis. I don't particularly care for Carnage as a character, though the issues I've read (at the time of this writing) of his previous series were good. However, the volume fails to adequately begin answering that question and instead focuses on the gruesomeness of Carnage’s murderous march to godhood. What we get here is pretty much in line with everything else I've read form her, in that it's a solid story with potential to be more.
November 2, 2024
Really goes hard into Carnage's horror roots as he (it?) becomes a serial killer, seemingly intent on killing an entire group of people named after the apostles. Gronnbekk's not a bad writer when she doesn't have to shoehorn a story into some overarching event series. The art's not bad, either.
December 14, 2024
DNF @ 24%
June 7, 2024
Primer volumen completo que leo de Carnage y me gustó.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews