Carnage #3: You Are What You Eat

The internet cannot get enough of Cletus Kasady’s cryptic killings as the sadist’s grand ambitions succeed in Carnage #3. This newborn iteration of Carnage has been an indomitable force so far, and his hot streak of evil genius continues. He leaves meaningless patterns and clues at the scene of every murder, and the world eagerly takes the bait. Conspiracy theorists force their own political narratives onto Carnage’s actions while true crime content-creators exploit them for profit. Worst of all, copycat killers begin to arise, hoping for a taste of the global attention Cletus has garnered.

The mass hysteria and media circus that builds around real-life serial killers is certainly the theme of Torunn Gronbekk’s cardinal story arc, and it pervades even the motivations of the comic’s hero, Flash Thompson. Feeling lost and unworthy of his power, Flash has been desperate to prove himself, exhibiting a hero complex that lands him right into Carnage’s trap. Knowing that Antivenom is one of his few remaining weaknesses, the symbiote has meticulously framed Thompson for the gruesome murders across New York, hoping to wipe this threat off the board.

Meanwhile, Carnage has grown stronger following a non-metaphorical conflict with himself. The original Kasady, now powerless and frail after his battle with Iron Man and Miles Morales, is unimpressed by the lofty ambitions of his replacement. An unsuccessful attempt to kill his successor results in the older Cletus’ murder as well as the comic’s most gruesome gore to date. He is burnt alive, half digested, bled, and uncapped like a soda bottle before finally having his brain chomped into. Pere Perez does not hold back on any anatomical details, making for an unsettling horror sequence. On top of the brutality itself, the haggard and ghoulish expressions penciled onto Kasady’s wrinkled face sell every minute of the pain. The only thing that makes this less grotesque is the knowledge that the old man was a monster himself, and certainly deserved this fate.

With one more loose end tied up, Carnage has become a step closer towards being whole. Consuming the brain of the old Cletus Kasady has granted him a new level of maniacal intelligence, and only time will tell what that means for the world.