Carnage Reigns: Alpha #1
- Writer:
- Alex Paknadel, Cody Ziglar
- Artist:
- Julius Ohta, Travel Foreman, Paris Alleyne, Will Robson
- Letterer:
- Cory Petit
- Cover Artist:
- Ryan Stegman
- Publisher:
- Marvel
- Price:
- $7.99
- Release Date:
- 2023-05-03
- Colorist:
- Erick Arciniega, Dee Cunniffe, Andrew Dalhouse, Chris Sotomayor
The symbiotes have seen an impressive amount of growth over the last few years at Marvel. Prominent runs on Venom and a massive line-wide event in King in Black radically shifted what's possible for the symbiote corner of the Marvel Universe. Recently, Cletus Kasady -- aka Carnage -- rejected the Carnage symbiote. His soul now inhabits the Extrembiote, a monstrosity that is part Stark Tech and part symbiote dragon. Cletus has long been the most heinous killer in the Marvel Universe, and this new union has made him more powerful and dangerous than ever. Carnage Reigns Alpha #1 -- written by Alex Paknadel, Cody Ziglar, David Pepose, and Cheryl Lynn Eaton, with art by Julius Ohta, Travel Foreman, Paris Alleyne, and Will Robson, colors by Erick Arciniega, Dee Cunniffe, Andrew Dalhouse, and Chris Sotomayor, and letters by Cory Petit -- is an intense oversized start to a chaotic event.
Carnage is back and capable of more destruction than ever before. He only ever has one goal in mind: causing as much pain and misery as possible. This issue sees Miles Morales as the last line of defense for the people of Brooklyn against Kasady's ceaseless rampage. Miles' recent encounters with Carnage loom large over this issue, and Scorpion -- who carries his own baggage with Kasady -- gets brought into the fold as well. The main portion of this issue focuses on the current battle, while each backup story gives insight into Scorpion, Miles' father Jeff, and Officer Gao.
A host of talented writers contribute to this book, and each story works in tandem with the others. This issue is full of dread, horror, and action. The fear and uncertainty Miles feels when thinking about facing Carnage are palpable. Fear and concern are then reflected and refracted through various characters in each subsequent story. This book demonstrates why Carnage is such an existential threat and how everything else in the story spirals around that point is incredibly effective.
The art team for this book is also stacked. Ohta and Arciniega handle the main story, and it is packed with tense, moody action. Shadows are oppressive, blood sprays, and Carnage slithers across the pages and through corpses. The art carries a tangible sense of weight to it as Miles tries to navigate the impossible situation he finds himself in. Ohta's pencils bring an incredible level of detail, while Arciniega's colors strike the perfect tone.
Foreman and Cunniffe tackle the art for a backup featuring Officer Gao and Scorpion thwarting a heist. The pages are action-packed with crisp lines and colored with striking cool hues. Alleyne and Dalhouse convey mood brilliantly in a story focused on the emotional toll being a superhero takes. Robson and Sotomayor team up on art for the final backup story, giving further context to what Carnage means to Officer Gao. The tale is concise and layered in emotion through striking imagery.
Cory Petit handles the lettering for the entire issue excellently. Subtle differences, like changing the speech bubble pattern for Cletus when he is and isn't appearing as Carnage, make a huge impact. Excellent lettering in bubbles and narration boxes alongside top-notch sound effects make this book a blast to read. This book is big and delivers exactly what it says it will. It's the start of the next chapter in the saga of Carnage, and it's certain to be a wild ride. With Carnage Reigns Alpha #1 -- Paknadel, Ziglar, and the entire creative team deliver a pulse-pounding issue.