Carnage: Black, White & Blood #1 Review: a Gory Mess

It’s no understatement to say that Carnage is the closest thing Marvel has to the Joker. While not nearly as iconic as the Clown Prince of Crime, Carnage is a sociopathic killer who challenges his nemesis in ways that no other villain does. While this has led to more than a few fondly regarded stories, the new anthology series Carnage: Black, White & Blood is a perfect example of why the character doesn’t stand on his own.

Telling three distinct stories, Carnage: Black, White & Blood is the latest in Marvel and DC’s set of anthologies that seek to reduce classic characters to their core elements and their core colors. Marvel previously saw success in the format with the similarly named Wolverine: Black, White & Blood so it makes sense for them to try and make lightning strike twice with their goriest character of all, Carnage. The anthology’s three stories Love Story, End of the Trail, and You Are Carnage are all wildly different but have the same problem.

Love Story from writer Tini Howard and artist Ken Lashley is probably the weakest of the trio. It’s a confusing story where Carnage espouses his own twisted brand of love. End of the Trail from writer Benjamin Percy and artist Sara Pichelli is the most straightforward and probably the best of the bunch. It’s a simple story of a lawman tracking down Carnage in the old west. You Are Carnage from writer Al Ewing and artist John McCrea isn’t the best story, but it is the most interesting. It’s a choose your own adventure comic where readers are asked to roll dice to see whether they can control Carnage and make him a hero. Though the story is innovative and fun to play as a game, it’s unfortunately restricted by being one-third of an anthology, meaning the story just isn’t long enough to really stretch its legs. Though each of the three stories has their strengths and weaknesses, they all run into the same problem that even the greatest comic creators would struggle with; Carnage just isn’t that interesting.

One of the things that makes Carnage a compelling villain for Spider-Man is that he’s an unpredictable force. While his sadistic nature and power make him a strong villain, they just don’t make an interesting protagonist. He doesn’t want anything other than violence, and even that desire is never presented as psychologically complex. Both the Joker and Carnage perpetuate outdated ideas about mental illness that make their sadism come across as hollow. While these traits are problematic in any context, it’s easy to overlook them when these villains are facing off against their hero. Carnage pushes Spider-Man in a way that other villains don’t. Making Carnage work as a protagonist though would require changing so many fundamental aspects of the character that he’d be unrecognizable.

Unfortunately, this taints the entire anthology. Love Story tries to examine Carnage’s twisted thoughts on love, but the character just isn’t psychologically deep enough to carry a story like that. End of the Trail works better because it pits Carnage against a nobler force, but doesn’t have enough time to explore its protagonist. You are Carnage is similarly a solid idea, but ends up lacking any of the deep psychoanalysis that writer Al Ewing previously used to redefine the Hulk. All of the creators on Carnage: Black, White & Blood are A-listers who have produced remarkable comics, but they’re restrained by a character who doesn’t work as a protagonist. Fans of Carnage will undoubtedly be pleased with the anthology’s gore, but readers looking for something more substantial should look towards other anthologies.

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Evan Mullicane
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Evan D. Mullicane is an editor, critic, and author based out of California’s Bay Area. He received his bachelor’s degree in creative writing from San Francisco State University in 2016. In his free time, he enjoys reading graphic novels and writing fantasy.

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