By [ad_1]
Like the man himself often says, “Carnage rules” and there are comic events to prove it. Carnage was one of the greatest things to emerge from Marvel Comics in the 90s and he made his mark as soon as he arrived on the scene with 1993’s Maximum Carnage.
The crossover has been a firm fan-favorite for almost 30 years and remained unchallenged until 2019 delivered Absolute Carnage onto the world. Maximum Carnage and Absolute Carnage are two of the greatest Marvel stories ever told, but which is better?
10 Absolute Carnage: Features Decades Of Symbiote History
The key plot point of Absolute Carnage features the symbiotic psycho hunting down every single former and present symbiote host on Earth, ranging from the obvious to obscure and even unknown characters. The reappearance of several forgotten characters from over the years was a real treat for many long-time readers.
On top of the high amount of players involved, Absolute Carnage delved into the history of the symbiote species itself and revealed many awesome new aspects of the deadly aliens. Seeing an over-powered Carnage utilize new and dangerous abilities to give the older hosts hell was a blast.
9 Maximum Carnage: The Simplicity Is Part Of The Charm
Maximum Carnage can hardly be accused of being too complicated or hard to follow, and ultimately that’s one of its biggest strengths. It’s a simple case of good against evil and packed with as many popular characters of the time as possible, a few of which have since fallen off the radar.
Maximum Carnage pons of big action beats between Venom and Carnage frequently throwing down and trying to kill the other, and all spread over 14 crazy issues. Sometimes being light on the plot is just fine if the story is packed with fun mayhem, cool art, and everyone’s favorite heroes and villains.
8 Absolute Carnage: Several Tie-Ins Beef Up The Main Narrative
With so many characters being involved in different areas, it made sense to tell some of Absolute Carnage‘s side stories in various tie-ins that readers could pick up if they felt inclined, without losing out if they decided not to.
Some of these other titles include Deadpool, Miles Morales, and the Avengers all having to contend with different aspects of Carnage’s massive attack. There’s plenty of extra juice to squeeze out of the bigger story by diving into these fun extras and answering a few lingering questions that the main arc could leave readers with.
7 Maximum Carnage: Features Some Top 90s Artists
Perhaps more than any other decade before or after, the 90s had a huge focus on the art presented within comics and that helped turn various artists into genuine household names for a time. When dealing with characters as visually striking as Venom and Carnage, it’s a safe bet that several of the best in the business would be drafted in.
Mark Bagley (who co-created Carnage in 1992), Tom Lyle, Scott Hanna, Sal Buscema, and more brought their artistic talents to the event and helped make it a fondly remembered experience. Several of the 14 covers are also iconic and as such, the original issues are often sought-after by collectors.
6 Absolute Carnage: The Storyline Takes Itself More Seriously
Modern comics are a far cry from their 90s predecessors, but it led to Absolute Carnage being more serious in tone than its younger sibling. This new approach made the series feel more like an epic horror film than a superhero ensemble.
Ryan Stegman’s art contributed a lot to that aesthetic along with Donny Cates’ scripting, and the arc features plenty of moments that focus on character over spectacle. That approach then gives more weight to the moments of action and horror when they do occur.
5 Maximum Carnage: Carnage’s “Family” Was A Unique Element
Carnage usually works alone, as pretty much anyone who gets close to him ends up dead sooner or later. Something that still makes Maximum Carnage stand out, however, is that he enlisted a band of fellow villains and monsters to fight alongside him – his new “family” as he put it.
This twisted family included love interest Shriek, a frightening doppelganger of Spider-Man, Demogoblin, and Carrion. Over time, the dynamic fell apart as Carnage either drove members away or outright killed them.
4 Absolute Carnage: Lots And Lots Of Carnage
A really fun, horror-movie aspect in Absolute Carnage was the inclusion of dozens of Carnage drones, innocent hosts (and some not as innocent) being taken over by the symbiote horde. This gave the villain a hive-mind ability and made him almost completely inescapable.
Even the heroes couldn’t avoid this increased threat, as Miles Morales became infected and had to battle his allies. The image of countless Carnage copies overrunning the heroes is quite something, especially in a standout sequence at the Ravencroft Institute.
3 Maximum Carnage: The Team Of Heroes Was Very 90s
It’s always fun to revisit older storylines and see who was popular at the time, and if they’ve remained relevant to the modern-day or disappeared into the wind. Carnage is just as popular as ever, but a few of the heroes he battled in 1993 haven’t been so lucky.
Deathlok, Cloak & Dagger, and Firestar haven’t quite seen the same level of mainstream success, but are engaging characters in their own right and were frequently seen on comics pages of the time. For that reason alone, Maximum Carnage is worth reading.
2 Absolute Carnage: Now That’s A Look
Carnage has had a few different looks over the years, but nothing quite as imposing as his appearance in Absolute Carnage. This time around, he dwarfed even Venom and looked like a symbiote/skeleton hybrid complete with a chest logo for the first time.
This new look turned an already scary villain into the stuff of nightmares and did a great job of setting up how powerful this new version of Carnage was. When he can stand next to Venom and make his “father” look like a wimp, it might be time to call in the army. Or maybe the Avengers.
1 Maximum Carnage: Can’t Beat That Original Design
Carnage’s classic appearance always finds its way back regardless of what changes the villain goes through, and it’s instantly recognizable to comic fans across the globe. Even readers who don’t appreciate Carnage would be hard-pressed to argue that he doesn’t look cool, and he was well-represented by the artists on Maximum Carnage. Just because the guy is skinny, doesn’t mean he can’t, or won’t, take on the biggest heroes he can find.
About The Author
[ad_2]
