Carnage #10: Unleash the Godbreaker!

There are a few plot points in Carnage #10 that some may take issue with. We’ve seen these scenarios play out before: protagonists manage to get the jump on a seemingly unbeatable villain, using ingenuity to trap them right where they want them. Before the final blow can be delivered, some last-minute slip-up or poor arrogance-driven decision from our heroes allows their enemy to escape, ruining a perfect plan.

It’s a story beat that induces various levels of frustration in readers, depending on the execution. Ram V, of course, possesses the skill necessary to pull off these tropes in a way that doesn’t leave you so exasperated. Sure, it is silly that the dwarven forge master Drorin Runehewer essentially instructs Carnage on how to save itself from otherwise certain death. And it is somewhat ridiculous how Droren and Kenneth Neely stand by to allow an obviously symbiote-infected Jonathan Shayde to limp toward Carnage’s dying form.

There is little time to be mad at the characters’ lack of foresight though when the immediate aftermath is so undeniably epic. Carnage finally achieves its long-sought-after godhood in an extended transformation sequence. The symbiote drains traces of Uru metal from the remains of Nidavellir’s inhabitants, granting narrative importance to the corpses that served as atmospheric set-dressing last issue. Francesco Manna draws the Carnage symbiote with less viscosity than other artists might, giving it a sense of fluidity that echoes the appearance of blood as it sloshes and spills. The art team uses a double-page spread to put dramatic emphasis on the reveal of Carnage’s new form, all decked out in scarlet horns and armor that gleam menacingly against the starry sky and soot-covered ruins.

By the end of the issue, the heroes (or the closest things to them) are left incapacitated, leaving Kenneth Neely no choice but to finally grow a spine and seek the help of fellow killer Cletus Kasady. It is bound to be a battle of the monster from here on out. What’s left unclear is just how powerful Carnage has become thanks to his Asgardian upgrades, but I hope that Ram V indulges in the possibilities that come with a magically enhanced symbiote because we all know that the character’s new status quo won’t be a permanent change.