Superior Carnage #5

By Kevin Shinick, Stephen Segvoia & Dan Mexia

Superior Carnage reaches its conclusion. Ulysses Klaw is dead, the Carnage symbiote has attached itself to the Wizard, and Superior Spider-man (Otto Octavius) struggles to subdue the beast.

The story, in this issue, is told from the perspective of Klaw; Kevin Shinick explains how he is able to narrate the book. The reasoning may or may not take the reader out of the story, but it is an inventive spin on the plot device. Shinick has proven throughout this mini-series that he knows how to incorporate elements of Carnage that the fans like. Intense violence and almost eating someone are great diversions! The fact that the Wizard was able to figure out Spider-man’s true identity and constantly taunt him with it elevated the fight by not only making it a physical confrontation, but a battle of wits too. One of the key aspects to pay attention to is Kevin’s explanation of the symbiote’s agenda. It’s a great revelation that makes the reader re-evaluate some of the past Carnage events. The resolution to the clash felt as if it came out of left field a bit; it was definitely not satisfying. The silver lining is how the series actually ends…

One of the key things to note art-wise is how Stephen Segovia depicts Carnage’s malicious acts. If the attack is too bloody he will have the action take place off-panel and only show blood splatter and reaction shots. This allows the reader to fill in the gap and one’s mind can come up with far more gruesome visions than what could be shown on the page. How Carnage is dealt with is done in a double full-page shot. Being such an important event in the book, it makes sense.

This series does a solid job of exploring how and why Carnage is “superior”. It may not be the best story arc for the character, but it holds up. We can only wait in anticipation for the return of the malevolent symbiote!