Writer: Donny Cates
Penciler: Ryan Stegman
Inkers: JP Mayer & Jay Leisten
Colour Artist: Frank Martin
Letterer: Clayton Colwes
Flashback Artist: Mark Bagley
After 19 issues of Venom, 5 Web of Carnage one shots and 5 issues of Absolute Carnage, we have finally reached the end of Act one of Donny Cates’ Venom epic! Will questions be answered? Will new questions be asked? Will it stick the ending? Read on to find out!
(Warning: Spoilers Ahead!)
SCRIPT
The answer to those questions is an emphatic yes. Donny Cates uses this issue to both wrap up numerous plot threads and set up stories for upcoming arcs. and, you know what? I think it greatly improves the ending . I know a lot of people are upset that the story is open-ended, and believe Absolute Carnage should have had a definitive ending, but I love the open ending. I love it how strengthens bonds between certain characters; if the ending was definitive, Eddie’s decision to kill Carnage in order to save Dylan’s life would lose a lot of it impact. The fact Eddie would willingly awaken Knull, and seemingly doom Earth ( along with the entire universe), makes the love between Eddie and Dylan so much stronger. But you could only have that moment with an open ending. The ending feels very reminiscent of The Empire Strikes Back, for the way that it leaves you in this moment of absolute despair. The heroes are at their lowest,and it will only get worse. It makes me want to know what comes next.
I’d like to talk about the story for a second, and the specific things that I enjoyed. I love the character dynamics that Donny Cates writes for certain characters. For example: Eddie and Carnage. I love how Donny writes them, from Carnage’s view, as a Father-Son relationship. It’s a nice element to have, especially as Dylan is clearly shown to be, at least, part Symbiote. It’s a nice twisted- mirror, possible foreshadowing for a potential story down the road. A story where Eddie has to stop Dylan from doing something deadly. Another character dynamic I enjoyed, was the one between Eddie and Spider-Man. I read in an interview that Donny Cates wanted to show Eddie and Spider-Man as Brothers who have a very complicated relationship. After reading this issue, and the previous four, Donny Pulled it off perfectly, and created a dynamic that I hope gets picked up by other writers in the future. Quickly going back to Dylan. I would like to say Donny does a tremendous job of slowly revealing just what exactly Dylan is. it’s been a thread that Donny has been developing since Dylan first appeared back in Venom #9, and i can’t wait to see it unfold in future stories. Dylan isn’t defined by the mystery of his identity, though. Dylan is a fully- formed character with a strong personality, who I genuinely care about. and that is a clear sign of Donny Cates’ stellar writing.
I love the feel of this comic. Absolute Carnage feels like Terminator 2, or a number of 80’s films. This is due, in no small part, to the way that the story never slows down. Absolute Carnage is always building towards the next big thing. The next action set-piece. Even the smaller moments are building the threat of the villain. where T2 builds-up the threat of Skynet and Judgement Day, Absolute Carnage spends every page building the threat Carnage and knull pose. Both Climax in an all out fight to the death, and this issue is Absolute Carnage’s Third Act, ‘Terminator 2’, Climax. And I got to say, Donny Cates pulled it off perfectly.
ART
I’m going to Start this by saying Ryan Stegman is the greatest Artist working in comics today. His work in this issue- and every issue of Absolute Carnage- is absolutely jaw-dropping. Ryan’s art is so dynamic and electrifying, you can’t help but be left speechless while looking at it. I’m in love with the way Stegman positions his Characters within the panel. he always chooses the positioning that will maximise the reaction Donny Cates is aiming for. There’s one panel in particular that was really striking to me. It’s the panel of ‘Satan Carnage’ on page 7, panel 1. The size of Carnage compared to Venom, combined with the perspective, really shows how doomed Eddie is, and how absolutely terrifying Carnage is. It gives me chills every time I look at it.
If I had to select one thing that makes Ryan’s art so breathtaking, I would have to pick the way he draws faces. Stegman’s art is so energetic and cartoon-y, his faces are always full of life and emotion as a result. I implore you to turn to any page and look at a character’s face. within that face, you will see so much emotion. You can see everything that character is thinking and feeling from the face alone. For example: look at the Grendel Symbiote on page 19. Here, you have a design that has no distinct features, but the way Stegman draws the eyes and smile, you get a clear notion that The Grendel Symbiote is arrogant and bloodthirsty. It’s things like this that make Stegman’s art so beautiful: the ability to tell a story through a single image.
JP Mayer and Jay Leisten are Inkers on this issue and knock it out of the park. They add so much depth and texture to Stegman’s pencils. With the shading on Eddie’s face to show how beat up he is, they really add to the tension, and make the already high stakes even higher. Frank Martin joins on colours and, likewise, does a tremendous job. From the dirty greens of the rain, to the glowing whites and yellows of Carnage’s eyes, Martin builds a truly unsettling atmosphere that matches the Issue’s tone perfectly. And finally, Clayton Cowles provides the lettering. Clayton is one of the top letterers working today, and this issue proves why. The way Clayton gives both Carnage and Venom individual word balloons is genius. it proves how alien they are, not just to humanity, but to each other as well. Also, the choice to give an injured Spider-Man weak, squiggly-lined balloon boxes is a nice touch that adds to visuals from Stegman’s art. Also, Clayton uses onomatopoeia to great effect. They are perfectly positioned, and compliment the impact of the art and script, perfectly.
IN CONCLUSION
Absolute Carnage #5 is a fantastic conclusion to over 2 years of story. It answers a great deal of Questions, but sets up a whole load of new ones, which will no doubt be answerd in the coming months. with great writing and some amazing art, Absolute Carnage #5 is a must read.
Rating: 8/10
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