CARNAGE, U.S.A. [NEW PRINTING]

Carnage U.S.A was in my opinion just okay. Probably one of my least favorite TPBs I own. And that’s nothing against the story, it’s definitely a neat idea and it did push some interesting narratives forward for symbiotes that are being played out in modern day stories like Absolute Carnage. But it really felt like kind of a short and weaker story for the characters involved.I think my main hurdle with enjoyment of this book is the art. It’s crazy photo realistic and it honestly just looks disconcerting. And not in a good way. It just seems odd and distorted. I definitely don’t think it’s for everyone. If you like that kind of artwork then more power to you.Overall I really don’t dislike this story, I just don’t love it either. If you’re invested in the stories of Venom and Carnage then you should at least find a way to give it a try.

bought this because i saw the new venom movie with Tom hardy, if you are reading this then you should go watch that movie as well. okay here it is Carnage is in this small Colorado meat packing plant in this small town and Carnage is left in his wake (sorry pun intended) and mind controlling everybody in the town to do really bad stuff like he tells this women and her two young kids to go stab her husband to death and kill him and they do it. the avengers show up Captain America, Hawkeye, the Thing, Wolverine and Spider-Man - with help from the special-ops Mercury Team and its symbiotic arsenal; Dr. Tanis Nieves, a.k.a. Scorn; and the one and only Venom, now a government operative. so they show up the whole town is destroyed but they capture carnage. the avengers are lame to me because they are like middle shcool kids very dumb everything is a big ego pissing contest to them when you read this that comes out in the comic but i guess thats just who they are. I read it for carnage and venom they were awesome.

I preface this review by mentioning that this is actually a sequel to the also available agglomerated TPB ‘Carnage: Family Feud’. This one is just as good, if not better than ‘Family Feud’.The story revolves around Kasady taking over the town of Doverton, Colorado. He twists the minds of it’s inhabitants with his symbiote and in come the Avengers: Spider-Man, Hawkeye, Wolverine, Captain America and The Thing. Carnage is able to capture most of them which then firstly leads to ‘The Mercury Team’ and then Venom as allies and recourses of action. The fight rages through the small town until it is leveled and Carnage and Kasady are finally stopped! Fast paced, action-packed and highly gritty – this is good stuff, especially from Crain and lesser so from Wells.We see, again, per much of the Marvel MO a commonly used task-force scenario. Group of hero’s assembles to take on the villain and his associates, should he have any. Then other, ancillary groups enter the comic as the action progresses and the story unfolds a bit. Nothing unique, but Carnage is a villain worth having the best assemble in a joint effort to take him out. Call in the Avengers… and some non-Avengers also. Zeb Wells takes many good jabs at Ben Grimes ‘Thing’, character.Crain utilizes grainy textures often and transitioning boldly to the dark reds, indicating the artistically perceptual distinction between good and evil. Most of the pages are done in 5 panel format, with the occasional whole page panel presented at (sometimes) optimal moments.Again, per tradition, one will find it pretty irritating with the Kindle’s Inability to turn the comic panel sideways, thereby enlarging its detail by expanding the panel across the vertical-turned-horizontal kindle pane. One’s best bet is to read the panes in pop-out mode and then zoom out to whole page and investigate the details from there. For with most of Crain’s work – it shouldn’t be glossed over. A simply fantastic artist.SPOILERS:Pt. 1: This Land is MY Land.Having escaped from their respective holding cells (see Carnage: Family Feud) the symbiote Carnage has again made union with Cletus Kasady. Taking over the small town of Doverton, Colorado Carnage sends a messenger, the message carved in his flesh, which reaches the Emergency Response Center.Captain America, Wolverine, Hawkeye, Ben Grimes (Thing) and, most naturally Spider-Man assemble and head into Doverton, in efforts to put Kasady down before more civilians fall prey to his bloodlust.It appears that Kasady has the entire town, 1046 and declining, people under his symbiotic control. Unfortunately, in not much of a battle at all, indicating Carnage’s true, voracious, fighting prowess he overwhelms the entire group of heroes. The artistry by Crain at this juncture is fabulous, depicting the heroes as they fall under Carnage’s complete control – fantastic reds with a completely evil aura about each hero.The first installation in this 5 part story closes with the pending assembly of another super-team to go in and pick up where our heroes have apparently failed, but many of the names on the first presented list are person’s either MIA or far too unstable to consider having face Carnage.Pt. 2: Red, White and Die!With the Avengers, with the exception of Spider-Man, under Carnage’s control, the first fight is on. Spider-Man manages to escape the clutches of Carnage and the symbiote driven Avengers by the miraculous arrival of a search-and-rescue party looking for survivors in Doverton.Meanwhile, General Duggan has recruited symbiotes in efforts to stop Carnage. Aside from Scorn we encounter ‘The Mercury Team’, a team of elite military trained personnel who can fuse to symbiotes in a way which prevents complete bonding, thereby essentially enhancing their powers but without the ill side effects of total symbiotic bonding. The Mercury team consists of: Lasher, Riot, Agony and Phage. Each has their own unique symbiotic driven talent.This segment ends with Eric Morrell’s (the survivalist who rescued Spider-Man) wife (Hannah) and two young children aligning with Carnage, becoming his symbiotic puppets, in efforts to ensure Eric is killed. Pretty creepy to see what is just a toddler under Kasady’s wicked control.Pt. 3: Die Free or Live!The Mercury team decends upon Doverton. There they initially attack Doppelganger and then are aggressed by the town’s inhabitants, who are all under Carnage’s control. Because they symbiotes are impervious to artillery the group unloads upon the towns-folk (to what avail – we shall see).Meanwhile Hannah has attracted the attention of Eric, who is then only saved by Spider-Man. However, he is willng to die in order to save Hannah and his children. The preoccupying fear is that now Carnage will decide to kill his wife and young ones due to Spider-Man’s interference.Lastly, Captain America manages, briefly, to break Carnage’s hold over his body and radios for help. Entering the picture is Eugene ‘Flash’ Thompson, better known as Venom, to assist in ridding Doverton of Carnage.This one is a very dark comic, pictographically (mostly gray scale) throughout the entire work. Not bad by any means, but certainly not as colorful as previous issues.Pt. 4: Oh Say Can You Scream!The fight continues! Spider-Man and Venom tango with Carnage, but because Carnage has so many tools neither one really stands a chance. The Mercury team is doing everything it can to hang in with Carnage and the symbiotic townspeople but they’re faring less well, as their symbiotes are all apparently very young (referenced a few times through the series).Dr. Nieves, Scorn, enters the fight toward the end of the issue – initially it appeared she was more concerned with her own goings-on but we soon discover she’s found a way, created a device with which to strip the carriers of their symbiotic organisms. At the close of the episode we see Kasady standing over Thompson – he asks him pointedly and rhetorically: ‘where’d your legs go college boy?’ (we know that Thompson was a double amputee, who’s legs functioned only while bound with Venom). It’s looking bad for ‘Flash’.Pt. 5: The Dawn’s Early Fright!The symbiotes flee (Carnage & Venom) and turn to inhabit the wild animals inhabiting the Ralsby safe-haven (it was also a private zoo). The heroes arrange for a fly-by burning of Doverton after they’ve isolated the symbiotes, but the Venom symbiote has other ideas – it makes moves to return to ‘Flash’ Thompson. It arrives just in time, as it was ‘Flash’ was strung up on a meat-hook with Kasady preparing to carve out his eyes.After the town is leveled by the fly-by, Scorn captures the Carnage symbiote, telling it ‘it will only get worse for you’ and Eric Cole would like nothing more than to paint the road with Kasady’s brains. Spider-Man deters him, but Wolverine comments that it may be better to put him down.In conclusion we see a down decimated, Doverton is inhabitable. Venom has reacquired his symbiote, Scorn has the Carnage symbiote entrapped and Kasady is incarcerated. There appears much room for another story to develop.

Zeb Wells brings Carnage back into play! Only now he just wants an accepting family, which just happens to contain half of a town. The avengers come to town to brawl, but carnage takes control of everyone excluding spidey. Then a back up military ops team comes to the rescue, bringing brains (scorn) and later on brawns (venom) to finish the job. Clayton Crain does a fantastic job with illustration, just like in the previous book. The story is there but I personally don't think its as strong as the first carnage. I give this book an even 4/5 stars.

The art work was incredible and the symbiots are always fun and interesting to see but the story line is really predictable and their were a few scenes that just don't make sense (ie How does Spiderman escape when Carnage clearly has him by the throat and why is an electrified chain link fence able to keep him contained and we're having such a big problem here?) sort of like a Michael Bay movie. But in the end I gave it five stars because I just liked the art work and characters too much to give it a 4.

Good premise. Good pace. Great characters. Although some were under used overall a great story. CARNAGE is a grand antagonism to any hero.

It's Carnage. Enough said

Just what my son wanted and it has multiple issues so well worth the price!

Let's be honest, yes we all like Venom but it's Carnage we really want to see, when Carnage is written right he's an incredible intricate character and Well's and Crain nail it, bravo gents, now how about a few Doctor Doom books lads?

Artwork is amazing but the story/plot isn’t that great. Fairly good book for its price, but it’s no Maximum Carnage story arc. Now that was a classic.

Great little mini series. Would have awarded five stars but for the script wasting a number of characters. Maybe if this were longer? Still, a little steal at the current price.

It's good to see Cletus kasady at his best again, this time he's after more then just Spiderman. Well worth a read and well worth the price

this is a must buy for any symbiote fan, the artwork is amazing and so is the story. I plowed through the book and couldn't put it down