Absolute Carnage: Weapon Plus Review

by Nick Devonald on November 06, 2019

Writer: Jed MacKay
Artist: Stefano Raffaele
Colours: Dono Sanchez-Almara
Letterer: VC’s Joe Sabino

To my mind this is exactly what a tie in issue should be. It’s peripheral enough to the main event (in this case happening prior to the main event) that readers who only want to read the main event and not fork out on all the tie-in issues don’t have to worry. But for those readers who can’t get enough Absolute Carnage this is an enjoyable extension of what’s happening.

As this is a prequel it might have been better served as one of the one shots released prior to Absolute Carnage, it reads as though that may have been the plan at one time.

The plot is simple, Weapon Plus, more specifically Weapon V, are going after Carnage. To do this they are recruiting Clayton Cortez, aka Weapon H. A little coercion is needed, then the rest of the plot unfolds exactly as you’d think it would.

It doesn’t do anything crazy or out of the box, the plot unfolds as you’d expect with only a couple of small twists to the tale. But that’s ok. It delivers exactly what readers desperate for more Absolute Carnage are after.

It fits in nicely to the timeline unlike some of the other tie-ins. And this is probably the closest in feel to the main event as well.

One slight complaint I would make is that at times it feels a little exposition heavy, but that’s also the nature of the beast when you’re trying to tell a story that can be enjoyed by Weapon H fans as well as Absolute Carnage fans.

We also get a bit of a recap of the Grendel that was revealed in the early part of Cates’ run on Venom, which would be handy for anyone who came to Absolute Carnage without reading it. (Although if you haven’t you’re missing out, go and get caught up on it now.)

Another minor niggle is the look of the Grendel. I like it, a lot, but it’s not even slightly consistent with what we saw when Ryan Stegman drew him in Venom.  I get that artists have different takes on the same thing, but it was a little jarring when I first saw it.

Otherwise I really like the art, Stefano Raffaele has done a good job here. The colours by Dono Sanchez-Almara compliment this excellently.

Exactly what it says on the tin, this isn't going to blow anyones minds but is mostly enjoyable, recommended for readers who can’t get enough of either Absolute Carnage or Weapon H. It can be bypassed though with no loss for fans not determined to collect them all. But if you only buy one tie-in, I’d recommend this one.

Our Score:

6/10

A Look Inside