Superior Carnage #3

Writer - Kevin Shinick

Art - Stephen Segovia, Dennis Chrisostomo, Jay David Ramos

The Wizard is slowly losing his grasp on his own mind.  He wants to go out with a bang.  With the creation of a superior Frightful Four.  The Carnage symbiote is the key.  However, its current host, Cletus Kasady, is unable to be controlled. Solution?  Find a controllable host.

What’s Good?

Carnage hasn’t gotten a visual update in some time.  If I’m not mistaken, this is the first we’ve seen a new costume since Spider-Carnage back during the Ben Reilly days.  The result?  Not bad.  The symbiote gets the Venom treatment with its new host, Dr. Karl Malus.  A military-esque approach is very different from Carnage’s usually appearance.  But his existence as a tool for the Wizard’s plans make it work.  The design is great.  There is enough reference to the old-style Carnage for it to be obvious who it is and the new aspects are fun.  

As for the story, the Wizard’s plans are in play.  We still really don’t know why he’s doing what he’s doing at this point.  We’re not really sure he knows what he’s doing, come to think of it, beyond leaving a successful legacy for his son to acknowledge.  Things are coming to head, so it’s obvious who needs to step into the picture now.  The Superior Spider-Man makes his appearance in the main story at the close of this issue, setting up the finale that is the next pair of installments.  Keeping Spider-Man largely out of the picture until now what a great move on Shinick’s part.  We were given the majority of three issues for the characters to come into place.  We were given enough time for the “new” Carnage to come into existence that we feel like this meeting has been building up an appropriate amount of time.  

 

The Verdict…

Two issues to go, and I’m sufficiently curious as to how things will play out.  I’m anxious to see Spider-Man go up against the Carnage symbiote with its new host and direction.  It is becoming obvious that this is going to end badly for everyone involved, and I can’t wait to read it.