"Carnage: Prophecy of the Darkhold"

 

            The following is a review of the graphic novel “Carnage: Prophecy of the Darkhold” as presented in Marvel Modern Era Epic Collection format.

            Separated from the Carnage symbiote, serial killer Cletus Kasady was serving his sentence in Kramer Penitentiary in Hague, New Jersey, placed in general population. The symbiote was under observation on Spider-Island 2. One day in prison, Kasady was violently assaulted and was not expected to survive the night. The symbiote on Spider-Island 2 died, but a smaller piece of the symbiote was also being researched in Morse Laboratories in Albuquerque. Scientist Carla Unger stayed late to run a test on a piece of the symbiote one night. Carla’s test was interrupted by a phone call from Carla’s irate husband Will, who demanded Carla return home. Suddenly, the piece of the symbiote Carla was testing went into Carla’s eye. Carla destroyed the remainder of the symbiote and returned home. Will screamed at Carla, and Carla turned into Carnage and Carnage made sure Will would never yell at Carla again. Carla then went on the run. The symbiote and Carla were not compatible and Carla could not survive merging with the symbiote, so the symbiote steered Carla towards a gas station so the symbiote could claim a new host. The symbiote continued going through hosts, hoping to reunite with Kasady. Kramer Penitentiary’s Doctor Jenner, hoping to become the new Carnage, made sure Kasady was not an option for the symbiote to return to. The symbiote managed to make its way to Kramer Penitentiary’s warden, who found Kasady in the morgue. Jenner tried to coax the symbiote to bond with Jenner, but the symbiote left the warden and re-bonded with Kasady, whom the symbiote was able to resuscitate. Carnage took out Jenner. Carnage found the man who attacked Kasady, a man who had been paid by Jenner to take Kasady out, and Carnage got revenge for Kasady. Carnage then tore through the prison and escaped.

            Carnage took out a diner on the Kansas State Line. In New York City, Wade Wilson/Deadpool saw a news report about Carnage’s attack and decided that since Deadpool and Carnage thought on similar wavelengths, Deadpool would be the one who could put an end to Carnage once and for all. Deadpool tracked Carnage down to outside Tulsa, Oklahoma and Deadpool attacked Carnage. The two fought, and Deadpool managed to overpower Carnage. Deadpool was about to take out Carnage for good when Carnage’s lover Frances Barrison/Shriek joined the fight and the two were able to defeat Deadpool and escape. Upon reviving, Deadpool tried to get his gear from his storage locker, but due to missed payments, the contents had been auctioned off. Deadpool tracked down the buyer, Doverton, who helped Deadpool relocate Carnage and Shriek. Deadpool found Carnage and Shriek on a highway and took out Carnage’s car, knocking out Shriek. Carnage and Deadpool fought again, and Carnage once again defeated Deadpool, then kidnapped a family and forced the family to take Carnage and Shriek on a road trip, leading to the base of Mercury Team, a government task force given symbiotes and assembled to take out Carnage. Mercury Team failed to take out Carnage, with the reverse effect actually happening. Deadpool found the facility too late, but the symbiotes joined with Deadpool. Carnage and Shriek took over Carrington Cottage Psychiatric Hospital. Deadpool tracked down Carnage and Shriek. Deadpool tricked Shriek into thinking Shriek had attacked Carnage, and Shriek ran off. Carnage and Deadpool fought again, and Deadpool used the symbiotes to trick Carnage into attacking Shriek. In horror, Carnage surrendered to the police. Deadpool separated from the symbiotes and went off in search of his next target.

            During a superhero fight, a spell was cast that inverted the moral centers of several heroes and villains, including Carnage. Carnage found himself compelled to do good. However, Carnage’s methods were those of a vigilante and not a true hero. The deceased serial killer the Sin-Eater returned and continued his murderous spree, taking out newscaster Chris Rollins. Carnage saw Alice Gleason reporting the murder and decided Carnage needed Alice’s help to learn how to be a true hero. Sin-Eater targeted Alice, and Carnage rescued Alice from Sin-Eater. Alice promised she would teach Carnage to be a hero. Alice began to give Carnage lessons. The police believed Carnage had kidnapped Alice and began a manhunt for Carnage. Sin-Eater continued looking for Alice. The police caught up with Carnage and attacked Carnage, and Carnage was separated from Alice. During that time, Sin-Eater abducted Alice. Carnage vowed to find Alice. Carnage tracked down Alice and confronted Sin-Eater. Carnage let Sin-Eater absorb Carnage’s sins, and Sin-Eater grew to enormous size. Carnage fought Sin-Eater and confessed Carnage’s worst sin of all, which was enough to destroy Sin-Eater. Alice then shot Carnage and tried to turn Carnage over to the police, but Carnage was able to escape and realized he would have to learn to be a hero on his own. The inversion spell was eventually broken, and Carnage reverted back to his old ways.

            Before the inversion spell was broken, Sam Alexander/Nova revealed Nova’s secret identity to Carnage. The reverted Carnage decided to go after Nova. Carnage went to the diner in Carefree Arizona where Sam’s mother Eva worked. Nova flew in to rescue Eva and fought Carnage, telling Carnage that Nova had given Carnage a fake name and that Sam Alexander was not Nova’s real name. After escaping Carnage, Sam went to school. Carnage followed Sam to Carefree High School to attack Nova again. Sam’s sister Kaelynn put on Sam’s Nova helmet and flew above Carefree High School to trick Carnage into believing that Sam was not really Nova. Carnage went on a rampage on Carefree’s Main Street. Sam came back as Nova and fought Carnage. Nova defeated Carnage, and Carnage revealed that Carnage wanted to get rid of Nova because Carnage didn’t want anyone alive to remember Carnage when Carnage was good. Nova then delivered Carnage to Ryker’s Island in Manhattan.

            United States FBI Special Agent Claire Dixon went to Afghanistan to recruit Air Force Colonel John Jameson to use the Air Force’s test sonic defense system to catch Carnage.

            Kasady caught a new bulletin detailing that Manuela Calderon, survivor of Kasady’s first confirmed mass murder at St. Este’s School for Boys, was hired to oversee security operations at Grey Ridge Mine in West Virginia. The FBI was using Calderon as bait to lure Carnage in. Also assigned to that detail were Claire Dixon, John Jameson, and Eddie Brock/Toxin. Brock’s symbiote was on a switch and would only be activated if Dixon saw fit. Carnage arrived at the mine to end Calderon. Calderon lured Carnage to the sonic cannons, but the force of the cannons caused a cave in, causing Carnage and several FBI agents to fall into the mine. Jameson and a team were sent in to rescue the agents trapped in the mine with Carnage. Dixon was suspicious of Managing Director of Grey Ridge Investments, Barry Gleason, since Gleason had assured Dixon a cave in could not happen. The team was tracking Carnage until the power went out. Gleason had disappeared before the power outage. Eddie and Calderon found the main control panels at the power station had been smashed but were able to turn on the backup emergency generators. Dixon lost radio contact with Jameson and Jameson’s team. Jameson’s team was attacked by Carnage, and when the team used their sonic weapons, the roof collapsed. Dixon, Eddie, Calderon, and a team went in to rescue Jameson and Jameson’s team. Gleason gassed the agents still remaining in the Executive Office Building. Trapped with Carnage, Jameson turned into the Man-Wolf. Gleason took out the agents topside and went into the mine. Man-Wolf and Carnage fought until Carnage removed the gem that caused Jameson to transform into Man-Wolf, and Carnage knocked Jameson deeper into the mine. Dixon, Calderon, and Eddie arrived, and Dixon was about to let Toxin out when Gleason shot the switch out of Dixon’s hand. Calderon jumped after the switch. Eddie fired a sonic cannon, causing another cave in. Gleason found Carnage and brought Carnage to a temple hidden in the mine. Gleason was part of the Cult of the Darkhold. The Darkhold, an ancient magical book, prophesied the Red Slayer, whom the Cult of the Darkhold believed to be Carnage, could awaken the elder god Chthon if the blood of the Red Slayer was spilled on the altar. Calderon pressed the button and allowed Eddie to transform into Toxin. The Cult attacked Carnage and caused Carnage to bleed on the Darkhold. Carnage was able to possess the Cult. Toxin, Calderon, Dixon, and Jameson found Carnage and the Cult. Gleason read from the Darkhold, Calderon tried to take the Darkhold from Gleason but only succeeded in ripping out a page. Jameson transformed into Man-Wolf again, but Calderon was able to calm Jameson enough to cause Jameson to revert back to human form. Dixon, Calderon, and Jameson escaped from the mine. Carnage wanted to obtain the Darkhold to obtain more powers. Toxin found Venom. Dixon ordered Jameson to activate the sonics to trap Carnage in the mine, not caring if Eddie was trapped as well. Jameson activated the sonics, but not at full power, giving Eddie a chance to escape. Carnage escaped and confronted Calderon. Calderon tried to use sonic weapons on Carnage, but the Darkhold spell caused Carnage to be immune to sonics. Calderon detonated a bomb, but Toxin rescued Calderon from the explosion, and Carnage got away. Carnage found Gleason and put an end to Gleason, then stole the Darkhold.

            Dixon took heat for the botched attempt to catch Carnage, particularly for using Calderon as bait and using Toxin. Dixon was approached by Victoria Montesi from the Children of Midnight, a group who had similar interests with Dixon’s. Carnage went to San Francisco to see Roger Felwood Junior, the man who sold Gleason the Darkhold, demanding Felwood teach Carnage how to use the Darkhold. Felwood told Carnage that Carnage needed to spill blood on an altar and told Carnage about Brother Gregori and the Chthonic Brotherhood in Jakarta, Indonesia. Dixon went to recruit Jameson and Calderon to join Dixon and Montesi in recovering the Darkhold. Calderon agreed as long as Eddie was allowed to join the operation. Eddie was being held in an FBI Black Site Prison Compound. Man-Wolf broke Eddie out, and Eddie joined Montesi’s operation. Carnage and Montesi’s group headed to Jakarta. In Jakarta, Carnage met the Darkhold Dwarf, who tried to warn Carnage away from using the Darkhold. The Chthonic Brotherhood abducted Carnage using magical runes to defeat the symbiote. Carnage escaped confinement. Brother Gregori told Carnage about an altar on an uncharted island. Carnage and Brother Gregori chartered the boat the Caspian Sea and headed for the island. Montesi and the operation went after the Caspian Sea. The operation discovered members of the Chthonic Brotherhood whom Carnage had infected who were dying and were then attacked by several of the still-living Carnage-possessed Brotherhood members. Carnage abducted Dixon and bonded her with a symbiote, now called Raze. Jameson and Singh, Montesi’s second-in-command, placed explosives, and Jameson had to transform into Man-Wolf to protect the explosives. Singh was able to cause Jameson to revert back to human form. Montesi released Toxin, who fought Raze. The explosives went off, with not all of the operation managing to escape. Boater Jubulile Van Scotter found an injured Cletus Kasady in a raft at sea and brought Kasady onto Jubulile’s boat the Cinga. Kasady recovered and tried to possess Jubulile. Jubulile escaped on a raft and blew up the Cinga. The surviving members of the operation found Jubulile adrift at sea. Jubulile gave the operation members the coordinates of the island where Carnage was headed.

            Okay, now that we have the plot synopsis out of the way, we’re ready to move on to the Tim Cubbin bits of this review. As I always do in my reviews, I’m going to start by giving my own personal opinions about the book. Some of my long-time readers will recall that Carnage is my favorite Marvel villain. I highly enjoyed the stories in this book. I love when Carnage gets his own solo series, and I love that he actually got an ongoing series rather than just limited series like he had gotten in the past. “Superior Carnage Annual” #1 was enjoyable, seeing Doctor Jenner trying to have Kasady offed so he could be the new Carnage, only to end up meeting his own demise was a great turnaround. The “Deadpool Vs. Carnage” limited series was great, seeing two of the craziest characters in the Marvel Universe fight each other was highly entertaining. The “Axis: Carnage” limited series was entertaining, seeing Carnage trying to be good and not going about it the right way, then battling the Sin-Eater, it was a great story. The Nova story was fun, seeing Sam doing all he could to protect his secret identity after making the mistake of unmasking in front of Carnage was an enjoyable read. “Night Work” was a good set-up piece and an interesting way of showcasing Carnage. “The One That Got Away” was an excellent storyline, in my opinion, I loved how it had so many twists and turns, particularly the mine hiding the temple and Gleason being a member of a cult that wanted Carnage and including Man-Wolf and Toxin as secret weapons gave for some fantastic fight scenes. “Sea Devil” was also fantastic, I liked how the operation became a team, and I liked how the two storylines had such a complex narrative that was allowed to run on for so long and left off with a promise for more instead of just being a short, limited run. All that said, however, we must not forget that this is a graphic novel, and the artwork has to be taken into account when I do my reviews as well. The art in “Superior Carnage Annual” #1 could have been better. I felt like the characters had a lot of unnecessary markings and lines on their faces that detracted from me liking them, and I feel like I actually could have enjoyed the artwork if it were not for the facial markings. Otherwise, I felt like Salva Espín, Germán Peralta, John Timms, and Mike Perkins did fantastic jobs illustrating the rest of this book. Another thing I critique in my reviews is the title. I evaluate how appropriate I feel this title is for this particular volume. This book did have a few choices for title given, “The One That Got Away” and “Sea Devil” top among them, yet the editors picked “Prophecy of the Darkhold” which wasn’t even a title of an issue collected in this volume, and I have to say that I actually do feel like this is a good pick. This title applies to about half of the entire book, so I feel like it is a majority enough that it’s appropriate to slap this title on the cover. Speaking of the cover, I also assess if I feel the cover is a proper representation for the volume. What I’m primarily looking for is for the cover to deliver on the promise it shows on the front of the book on the pages contained within, with a secondary look that it also captures the main essence of the book and illustrates what the book is mostly about. The cover of this book is rather stylized, showing Carnage with his mouth open and his tongue sticking out wrapping around in curls, with members of Montesi’s operation standing on Carnage’s tongue. So, essentially, yes, this does not actually happen in this book, but I feel like it does capture the essence of the book, since it features Carnage and characters like Man-Wolf, Toxin, and Victoria Montesi on it, so I do feel like it actually is an appropriate cover for this book. Overall, I found this book to be an enjoyable experience, but the one artist could have been better.

            Next up, we are going to discuss accessibility. I know I’ve been over this meaning over seven dozen times at this point, but I know that every time I do a review, I have new readers who have never read one of my reviews before and have no earthly idea what I mean when I say “accessibility” about a book, so for those of you who already know my whole spiel already, please bear with me while I explain myself to the newbs. So, when I use the word “accessibility” in application to a book, what I’m saying is how easy it is for a reader who has absolutely no outside knowledge of Carnage or Marvel Comics in general to obtain this book, read the comics cover-to-cover, and understand everything as it is written without reading anything else. I will say that this book does have problems with accessibility. This book is marketed as Vol. 2, but that’s not the problem. It doesn’t continue directly out of the previous volume. The problems are the “Axis: Carnage” limited series and the “Nova” story. “Axis” was an event that several Marvel series at the time tied in to, and Carnage’s part in this seems to be missing a beginning and a resolution to properly explain his involvement in the event. “Nova” was an ongoing series at the time, and this book only contains two complete issues of the series and had an ongoing narrative that these two issues were part of but were not the beginning of this narrative. Aside from these two factors, the rest of the book isn’t too hard to follow, but not having outside knowledge of the “Axis” event, nor the Sam Alexander/Nova character made be slightly detrimental to comprehending this particular volume. If you’re brand new to Marvel Comics and looking for a point to jump in on, I would not recommend this book as a first choice.

            We are finally up to the segment where I give the book a numeric score. I know some of my readers consider this segment the most important segment in the entire review, but I’m not marginalizing the importance of my other segments either. Every segment in this review has value, but it is true that the numeric score is extremely vital to my reviews. I should start off by first explaining how exactly I score a book. I score on a scale of exact whole numbers ranging from one through ten. One is the lowest score I can possibly give, and that means that this book was one of the worst things I have ever had the misfortune of reading in my entire life, and this book does not deserve to be printed any further and I pray other people don’t make the same mistake I did and buy this book. However, ten means this book was sheer perfection and one of the best things I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading in my entire life, and I will not understand how this book will not be a bestseller. It is not easy for a book to get a ten from me. I have to be able to find absolutely no complaints about the story, the art has to be consistently visually appealing throughout the entire book, and the title and cover have to be proper representations of the content of the book. I will say that while I found the story in this book to be highly entertaining, there is a little something about it that I don’t find to be deserving of reaching the status of perfection, and the art also had a little room for improvement, but the title and cover were, in my opinion, appropriate for this volume. So, all said and done, when dishing out my score, what I’m serving is… an eight! This was a highly enjoyable read for me.

            Next up, we’re doing the recommendation segment. The points of this segment are first to say if I, Tim Cubbin, would personally recommend this book to you, my reader, and second to say who would be a good audience for this book, based on the characteristics of the book. As to the first point, yes, I would definitely recommend this book. If you’re reading this review and have been interested in reading this book based on what you’ve been reading me write, I would definitely tell you to hop on to your favorite online retailer, go to your local bookstore, comic shop, or library, or try to find this from a friend and give this book a read. As to the second point, I feel like this is a horror comic, so fans of the horror genre could possibly find this book entertaining. This book could also be enjoyable to people who enjoy reading about fictional paganistic cults.

            Okay, we are now in the home stretch. I do have a little bit more to say before I wrap this up. The first thing is, I’ve been doing this blog for six years now. In that time, I’ve posted over two hundred times. If you have some free time left after finishing this review, feel free to check out timcubbin.blogspot.com for more content. I have posted short stories, poems, essays, articles, and editorials, as well as plenty of other reviews. My reviews include prose novels, manga, comic book events, and over seven dozen other reviews of Epic Collections just like this one. The current focus of this blog is to review Marvel Modern Era Epic Collections and Ultimate Epic Collections. I’m a devoted Marvel fan and purchase every single one of those as soon as I can after they are released and put up a review as soon as possible. If you have the time and are interested, feel free to search for my review of “Carnage: Carnage U.S.A” for more Carnage content. I post on a basis of at least once every two months, but I’m usually a lot more active than that, it all depends on how many releases there are a month. In case you’re interested, my next review is going to be “Spider-Gwen: Ghost-Spider: Into the Gwenverse” which you can expect to see posted within the next four weeks following the posting of this review. I plan to keep on doing this blog for as long as I can, so don’t expect it to stop anytime soon. I would like to state that everything I post on this blog is my own personal opinion. I do not expect any of my readers to agree with what I write. If you’ve read this book as well, please feel free to drop a comment letting me know what you think of this book, whether you agree with me or disagree, I would enjoy reading what you think. I would love to hear from any of my readers about anything, you’re always welcome to leave me a comment, what you think about my posts, things you want to see, things you want me to change, I’m all eyes. Please like, share, retweet, tell your send to your friends, promote me out there, I’d love to reach more people. That’s really all I have to say for now. Until next time, Tim Cubbin… out!