Carnage #14: The Red Goblin Strikes Back

A violent scuffle escalates into full-on warfare as Miles Morales takes his fight against Cletus Kasady out of Stark Labs and into the streets of New York. What follows is the most chaotic and action-focused story that this run of Carnage has delivered so far, which comes with its share of pros and cons.

The most immediate example of the latter would be the complete absence of Cletus’ other half, whose journey to become a god once dominated the comic’s focus and has now been put on the back burner. The Carnage symbiote and its unwilling host Jonathan Shayde were given the minimal presence in the previous issue, a trend that is continued here as they are barely acknowledged within the first page. All spotlights shine on the symbiote’s once-human ex-partner, whose role in this narrative has evolved from a subplot to a crossover event titled Carnage Reigns.

As with any crossover, there comes potential frustration and confusion for readers who have only stuck to the main title. There is a sizable time jump after the concluding events of Carnage #13 and, while the opening recap does its best to fill in the blanks, there is still a sensation of whiplash present while jumping straight into this issue. The last time he was seen, Cletus’ weaselly devotee Kenneth Neely had gained monstrous power, but his defeat and imprisonment occurred entirely within another tie-in issue. He is now left with a more deteriorated mental state than he started with, and if the implication is being read correctly, this issue may serve as his frankly underwhelming send-off.

Overall, Carnage Reigns comes across as a bit too small-scale and low-stakes to warrant being an event, and the never-ending supply of tricks that Cletus Kasady uses to prolong his battle against Spider-Man makes the writing feel improvisational in a not-so-complimentary way. What it lacks in substance though, it makes up for in style, as Miles’ uplifting presence is complimented by the youthful and expressive body language granted to him by artists Fran Galan and Federico Sabbatini.

The involvement of Normie Osborn is one of the issue’s highlights, as he makes some serious progress in his multi-book evolution from a meek, troubling child to a fledgling superhero. That change is represented through the visual evolution of his Red Goblin form, which has matured from a tall and gangly imp to a sturdier, smooth, and polygonal figure. Normie’s ability to absorb other symbiotes is the only cure for the mind-control plague that Kasady has unleashed upon the New Yorkers, and the process is drawn in a very flashy way. Kasady himself seems to be changing shape and size in every panel, and the ending of Carnage #14 shows that Miles’ squad of misfits has yet to face the serial killer at his worst.