Scream: Curse of Carnage #1
Recap
OUT OF THE ASHES OF ABSOLUTE CARNAGE! ALL-NEW ONGOING SERIES! Patricia Robertson, Andi Benton, Donna Diego… it’s all been leading to this as one of the original – and possibly strongest – offspring of the Venom symbiote at last stars in her own, self-titled ongoing series set in the Marvel Universe! But after the events of ABSOLUTE CARNAGE, what remains of the Scream symbiote as it was before? Does it even have a host? What are their intentions? And what will a pair of web-slinging wallcrawlers have to say about it’s presence in New York?
Review
After reading Absolute Carnage and all of its tie-ins, I felt I should check this book out. Not only because it is considered a tie-in but because it marks the start of the first ever solo book for a character introduced over 25 years ago. Little did I know it would come with the added bonus of a symbiote battling Lovecraftian fish monsters.
With possibly the most vicious of the Life Foundation symbiotes, it’s new host Andi Benton (former host of Mania), and a threat that looks like it crawled straight out of H.P. Lovecraft’s “The Shadow over Innsmouth; this book is instantly interesting and noteworthy. In just one issue it delves into Andi’s past, Scream’s personality and how it has changed with it’s new host, and dives into the depths of terror with its otherworldly antagonists.
The art in this book is perfectly tailored to the story. Mooneyham provides a style that is a great blend of crime noir and horror comic art one would have expected to see 10 to 15 years ago yet still manages to look and feel fresh and modern. Add to that Beredo’s colors which breathe life into Andi’s grim past, show the raw energy of Scream, and truly capture the macabre horror of the books monsters and we end up with art that flawlessly captures the tone of the story.
As much as I loved Absolute Carnage, this book could easily end up being the best thing to come out of that event. Perfectly matched art and story combined with an exciting and well-written premise elevates this book from simple event epilogue to something fresh and original that was truly worth the read.
Final Thoughts
If symbiotes, an angsty protagonist, and Lovecraftian fish people arent enough to get your attention, the awesome and perfectly paired writing and art definitely should.
Scream: Curse of Carnage #1: The Shadow over Manhattan
- Writing - 9/109/10
- Storyline - 9/109/10
- Art - 9/109/10
- Color - 9/109/10
- Cover Art - 9/109/10
