Welcome back, Spidey fans! I hope this month’s Spider-Tracer article finds you as well as can be. With this year marking the live-action debut of Carnage in “Venom: Let There Be Carnage”, as played by Woody Harrelson, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to put together a list of must read Carnage stories, just as I’ve done in the past for Mysterio. I’ll be placing this list in chronological order so as to make things easy to follow for newer readers, as well as giving you guys an idea as to where you can find these essential stories. With that being said, let there be… Carnage!
- “The Amazing Spider-Man” #s 361-363
While Cletus Kasady first appeared in issue #s 344-345, Carnage himself doesn’t show up until #s 361-363. It’s interesting to see that writer David Michelinie planted the seeds for Carnage’s debut over nearly 20 issues. Now, whereas Venom has some morals, albeit twisted ones, Carnage has none. And, to parallel his other nemesis, Spider-Man, Carnage is all power, and no responsibility; also, while Spider-Man fights to protect life, Carnage will end a life on a whim without so much as a second’s thought. It’s those twisted actions, combined with his then-new powerful symbiote (Carnage can form bladed weapons from his alien costume in addition to possessing many powers and strengths similar to, but greater, than Venom) that forces Spider-Man to team up with Venom, who up to that point, had done everything in his power to try and kill Spider-Man. This is a fun read, and sets up 30 years of Carnage stories to come. It also establishes Carnage as a terrifying threat; you definitely wouldn’t want to run into Carnage in a dark alley after reading this one. How far is Spider-Man willing to go to take Carnage down? You’ll have to read to find out! You can find this set of three issues in the “Carnage Classic” trade paperback on Amazon.
- “Maximum Carnage”
You didn’t think there would be a list like this without this story, did you? While this story does have its fair share of criticisms (going on too long probably being the biggest complaint, as it was 14 issues) it’s worth reading and watching characters like Spider-Man nearing their breaking point and having to use every ounce of their will power to not become like the popular anti-heroes of the 90s (Venom and Morbius, I’m looking at you!). At the end of the day, the story does make for an entertaining read in this writer’s opinion, and is definitely worth reading. Both of the “Maximum Carnage” and “Amazing Spider-Man: Epic Collection” editions of this book appear to be sold out at the moment on Amazon, so if you come across it for a good price, jump on it, or else you may need to settle for a digital edition of this one. However, you can hunt down the individual issues, which include “The Amazing Spider-Man” #s 378-380, “The Spectacular Spider-Man” #s201-203, “Spider-Man” #s 35-37, “Spider-Man Unlimited”, Volume 1, #s 1-2, and “Web of Spider-Man” #s 101-103. It’s worth noting that Shriek makes her debut in this story; she’ll be making her live action debut in “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” later this year as well.
- “The Amazing Spider-Man Annual” #28
Up until this point, Spider-Man has never managed to defeat Carnage on his own, but that’s just what he has to do if he has any hope of saving Kasady’s childhood friend from the murderous psychopath! I can hear you asking “Wait, Cletus had a friend growing up?” This issue gives us a great look back that further fleshes out Kasady’s past, all thanks to co-creator David Michelinie and artist Steven Butler. This issue, from what I can tell, has only ever been collected in the “Spider-Man’s Greatest Villains” tpb, which is long out of print. You’ll either have to track it or the actual annual itself down to read this one!
- “Planet of the Symbiotes”
As if an invading army of symbiotes wasn’t bad enough, Spider-Man, Venom, and the Scarlet Spider (that’s right, this takes place during the “Clone Saga”!) must also deal with an escaped Carnage! Unfortunately for our heroes, fighting Carnage is never easy, and this time is no different: Carnage has found a way to absorb the symbiote invaders, and becomes a fifty foot giant as a result! Nuff said! As of writing this, there are three copies of the tpb left in stock on Amazon; be sure to grab yourself a copy before they’re gone!
You can also hunt down the individual issues, which included: “The Amazing Spider-Man Super Special” #1, “The Spectacular Spider-Man Super Special” #1, “Spider-Man Super Special” #1, “Venom Super Special” #1, and “Web of Spider-Man Super Special” #1.
- “Web of Carnage”
Ever wonder what it would be like to have Carnage’s voice in your head, compelling you to kill? No? Well neither did Ben Reilly, but that’s just what happens to him in “The Amazing Spider-Man” #410, “The Spectacular Spider-Man” #233, “Spider-Man” #67, and “The Sensational Spider-Man” #3. Ben’s in for the fight of his life against, perhaps, the most sadistic foe he’s ever come across. You can check this story out in the “Spider-Man: Ben Reilly Omnibus Vol.1” or “Spider-Man: The Complete Ben Reilly Epic” Book 3; sadly, it looks like Amazon is out of both of these books at this time. But if you can find a good deal on either book, go for it! Alternatively, you can check out the majority of this story in the “Spider-Man: The Many Hosts of Carnge” tpb, which also contains a few issues from other stories on this list, as well as a few extra stories, too.
- “Spider-Man: Carnage in New York”
I hope you weren’t expecting all comic books, as this story comes from a novel crafted by David Michelinie and Dean Wesley Smith. Carnage escapes from confinement and steals a vial of serum that will turn anyone who comes into contact with it into a murderous killer! And wouldn’t you know it, the vial contains just enough to infect everyone in New York City! It’s up to Spider-Man to save the city he loves from becoming like the evil Cletus Kasady. The story does have an immediate sequel titled “Goblin’s Revenge” where the Green Goblin teams up with Carnage and that, too, is a fantastic read! You can track the novel to “Carnage in New York”, or you can pick up the Audio CD which came out a couple of years ago.
https://www.amazon.com/Spider-Man-Carnage-York-David-Michelinie/dp/1974978915
- “Minimum Carnage”
This story takes place when Flash Thompson was Agent Venom and when Kaine was the only Scarlet Spider. Our heroes find themselves in an adventure spanning Earth and the Microverse. Much like in “Maximum Carage”, our heroes will find themselves pushed to their limits… only this time, one of them actually has enough and hits their breaking point. To find out who it is, you’ll have to read this great crossover, which you can find in the “Minimum Carnage” tpb; although Amazon itself appears to be out of stock. Or, if you enjoy looking for the individual issues, check out “Minimum Carnage” Alpha and Omega, “Scarlet Spider” #s 10-12, and Venom Vol.2, #s 26-27.
- “Axis: Carnage”
The Sin-Eater returns in this three issue miniseries, but he’s no match for your friendly neighborhood… Carnage! That’s right. Not only is Carnage one of the Marvel Universe’s most terrifying villains, he’s also been one of its most terrifying heroes! After an inversion spell goes wrong in the main “Axis” event, Carnage becomes a hero, and maaaaaan is he still one scary dude! It’s a bizarre take on the villain, one that must be read to be believed (I swear it really happened!)… You can either track down the three individual issues of this miniseries, or you can pick up the “Axis: Carnage and Hobgoblin” tpb. Amazon is out of it, but there are some sellers on there that have it for a decent price.
- “Absolute Carnage”
Carnage comes calling for anyone that’s ever worn a symbiote in this huge crossover, all to make way for Knull, the god of the symbiotes. It’s up to Venom and a host of other heroes, ranging from Spider-Man to the Avengers, to stop him from completing his evil plan. While the omnibus is sold out on Amazon (which contains all of the one-shots and miniseries), if you just want the main story, you can pick it up here:
And there you have it, readers; enough Carnage stories to keep you busy until the “Venom” film sequel hits on September 24th, provided all goes well, of course. Which Carnage story is your favorite? Did yours make the list? Either way, let me know in the comments section below!
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I’ve always really liked Carnage but even I have to admit it’s tough to find really good comics featuring him. Even some of the stories on this list like “Maximum Carnage” and “Planet of the Symbiotes” I didn’t like at all. There are a few on this list that I haven’t read though, so I’ll have to check them out.
@Evan Berry – I have Carnage in New York too so you aren’t alone. Don’t remember it very well though (I’m considering picking it up on Audible to refresh my memory, they just released a load of the older novels).
That’s quite a great list you got there! To me the best carnage story has always been the very first. He was incredibly scary and crazy there. I think overexposure made carnage lose its edge and creepiness.
I personally would have remove maximum -and minimum- carnage. The first was a bloated mess that, while it had some very interesting parts (I personally love it) didn’t live up to its potential. To me venom: carnage unleashed was a more concise, more visceral take from that story.
Minimum carnage was… Underwhelming I guess? I didn’t really like it and can barely remember what it was about. However I loved carnage USA. It was scary, creepy, and showed carnage at it’s most unhinged and dangerous .
Carnage:mindbomb and carnage: what a wonderful life also deserve a shoutout. They were phenomenal dives into carnage psyche.
Finally ASM 430/431 (I think) with carnage cosmic. Kasady was scary and seeing a cosmic powered carnage was a threat. But I guess it threads the same ground that web of carnage did (one of my all time favorite Spidey story!).
Are you gonna make a top ten worst carnage story? That could be very fun!
@Andrew C – “do you realize this list has no number 6”
I’m hoping this was a “There is no rule six” Monty Python reference.
@Andrew C – He says in the first paragraph that he’s putting the list in chronological order to make it easier for people who want to read these stories. So I don’t think these are ranked this way.
*Oh wait… Web of Carnage is listed as 5. Bill, do you realize this list has no number 6?
I’ve read everything here, except the novel, and I’m surprised that Carnage’s first story is way down at number 10. Personally I still think it’s the best. 8 (that surprisingly decent 1994 Annual) and 6 (Web of Carnage) are also good. The rest I don’t care for at all. No amount of retrospectives about Maximum Carnage will ever convince me it was anything but hot garbage.
“Carnage has found a way to absorb the symbiote invaders, and becomes a fifty foot giant as a result!” Pretty sure this isn’t the last Carnage story where he becomes a 50-foot giant.
Here’s the obligatory “10 must-read Carnage stories – there are that many???” comment.
I actually own the Carnage in New York novel. Until now, I thought I was the only one who read it!
That may, in fact, be the only Carnage book I own. Not to get Socratic, but I always wondered how insane Carnage could actually be if he knows and declares himself insane.
Not a comment on Bill’s article, but to Carnage I say “bleh.”