REVIEW: ‘Carnage,’ Issue #13

Carnage #13 is published by Marvel, written by Alex Paknadel, art by Fran Gálan, colors by Erick Arciniega, and letters by Joe Sabino. This is part 3 of the Carnage Reigns crossover. Cletus Kasady already possesses an extremely powerful symbiote created by Tony Stark, but he seeks to gain something even more powerful within Stark Unlimited.

With this being the title of the villain of the crossover, the focus shifts to Carnage and his lackey, Kenneth. He has been languishing underneath New York for a while, but now it is time to move and increase his status. He is already extremely powerful, and the place he is trying to get to in Carnage #13 makes him almost unassailable. Using the basis of Gerry Duggan’s Invincible Iron Man run, there is a machine that Stark Unlimited possesses that is terrifying in its scale when you attach a symbiote to it. The comic is a techno-horror, implementing the sci-fi parts of an Iron Man comic with the slasher brutality of Carnage. The murders are grizzly, but the real surprise comes at the end of the issue. Kasady gets a rematch with those that pushed him back in the previous issue. But how the comic’s finale is written leaves fates unknown in a shocking fight.

Paknadel writes a fantastic Carnage. That unfettered arrogance and love of misery makes him arguably the most terrifying villain in Marvel. You can do nothing to bargain with him to keep yourself alive. You encounter Carnage, and you die. That’s it. Paknadel uses Kenneth as a puppet for Carnage to make this issue even more horrifying. He has had a pet that has simply been worn down and led along as a witness to the slaughter. The book’s cast expands in the second half of the issue, with the recurring figures of the crossover launching into action. The relationship between Miles and Scorpion is getting close to wholesome now they are partners.

The art is mysterious and unsettling. What I noticed quickly was the relative lack of the Symbiote, with a preference for showing Kasady in his human form. But he is just as creepy and inhuman, even if he looks like one. The angular face and hungry grin bask him in evil. He sits on a throne of his creation, with tendrils wrapping themselves around his naked torso. Those aspects create a notion that he can change in a heartbeat, his danger always a second away.

In contrast, you have Kenneth. His eyes are hidden behind round glasses like he is trying to obscure himself from responsibility, and he is always hunched. The violence can be sudden and extreme. And I think how horror and technology are mixed within this art style is the best I’ve seen in a long time. The other costumed characters look fantastic, too, the double act of Scorpion and Spider-Man representing a hilarious size difference.

The colors are dark but emotive. Most of the issue is covered in the dark red that makes up Carnage’s flesh, with a brighter yellow that is created by the technological heart of the suit. Imposing these shades enforces Carnage’s dominance in this issue. The lettering features some of Carnage’s signature word balloons, but not as much as might be expected due to how much time Kasady spends uncovered.

Carnage #13 raises the level of the crossover even further. Passing the ball to the villain, Paknadel embraces a new form of horror within the world of Carnage. Still bloodthirsty and Symbiotic in nature, using armor and technology to deal death and cause havoc. It’s an avenue that neither Carnage nor Marvel has explored much in the past but is executed terrifically in this issue.

Carnage #13 is available now wherever comics are sold.