CREDIT: Marvel
Rating: 3.5/5 – Gerry Conway Still Strong Four Decades Later.
By ComicSpectrum senior reviewer Shawn Hoklas.
Writer Gerry Conway has had a long career in comics that started back in 1969, when he was in his teens! He’s had lengthy runs at both Marvel and DC and is probably best known for the death of Gwen Stacy storyline, the creation of the Punisher, and DC’s Firestorm just to name a few. Now forty plus years later he’s still working in the comic book industry and writing a new series titled and starring Spider-Man’s psychopathic villain, Carnage. It’s a mostly enjoyable first issue that suffers at times because of the art, but proves that Conway can still tell a solid story four-plus decades later.
In a story called “The One that Got Away”, Cletus Kasady (Carnage) hears on a local news broadcast that the sole survivor from his first mass murder at a school is now in charge of overseeing security operations at a mining facility in West Virginia. Determined not to let her get away a second time, Carnage sets out to “set things right”. There’s a couple twists to the story including a surprising guest appearance by Eddie Brock in a role that seemed a bit forced, but should work for future issues.
I usually enjoy Mike Perkins’ art, but here his pencils lacked polish. After a strong opening, the scene quickly changed to the mine and character faces and Carnage himself lack detail, and in some cases just look off. Colorist Andy Troy does a great job of setting the mood with a dark palette, but the pencils just missed the mark for me. This story looks to be taking a darker turn next issue and has the potential for a scarier second act. Despite my lack of love for the art, I’d still recommend this if you’re a fan of Carnage and the symbiotes.
Reviewed by: Shawn Hoklas
(shawn@comicspectrum.com)
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