Comic Book Review - Extreme Carnage Alpha #1

Rob reviews Extreme Carnage Alpha #1...

With Knull finally defeated and the Marvel Universe back into a sense of normality it's not a question of if - but when the next "crisis" is going to arrive. 

Thankfully we don't have to wait long as Carnage has made its gruesome return. With the Symbiote world in a state of flux, just how will they react to Carnage's return? 

Part political thriller, part horror Extreme Carnage gets off to a brilliant start. Straight from the opening page writer Philip Kennedy Johnson deals with the aftermath of Knull's unsuccessful invasion as Senator Peter Krane has a plan to rid the Earth of every alien - both good and bad. While the Senator with the help of both Alchemax and the Friends of Humanity stir the pot on the surface, a much larger threat is stirring beneath the waves. Our first glimpse of the Carnage Symbiote is deep in the ocean as it goes from host to host as it moves up the marine food chain. It's not long before Carnage finds itself on an unfortunate fishing vessel which after a lot of killing sees the Symbiote arrive within the United States. 

Flash Thompson is the hero within this opening act and whilst Carnage slaughters his way across the sea, we catch up with Thompson as he's working in a homeless shelter. However, his Symbiote senses the return of Carnage which in turn throws Thompson - now as Anti-Venom straight into the gaze of Iron-Man. Stark, who has his own Extremis bonded Symbiote (more on that later) is also aware of Carnage's return and as such recruits Thompson to help track him down. It's not long before the duo realise that Senator Krane is the Symbiotes target and Thompson sets off to confront Carnage. However (avoiding spoilers) there's a twist in the tale and it's one that Flash Thompson - and I didn't see coming...

What Extreme Carnage does well is that it's already acknowledged that what has come before. The King in Black event while epic in scope, really shook up the Symbiote world and it's great to see Johnson explore the aftermath within this opening. It's hard not to imagine Senator Krane as an amalgamation of real-life, especially with his xenophobic comments and a large following of supporters. 

I always admired Flash Thompson when he was Agent-Venom. The character was a welcome change from Eddie Brock and we got to see the Venom Symbiote - and Thompson - in a different light. Having Flash within this opening is an interesting choice, yet it's a much-welcomed one. With Agent Anti-Venom we're able to explore both sides of the coin and this is approached by Flash working with Iron-Man and trusting his bonded Symbiote. Considering the side-story of Senator Krane I couldn't imagine any other character tackling the subject. Especially as Thompson is both Human and Alien. 

Another interesting addition is the Symbiote that Iron-Man has locked up. Having a highly intelligent killer bonded with Extremis is a literal time bomb, and it's one I'm fully expecting to explode as Extreme Carnage continues. 

The artwork within Extreme Carnage is quite impressive. Carnage leaps straight off the page as Manuel Garcia, Cam Smith, Marc Deering, and Roberto Poggi bring the character to life through its various hosts and horrific actions. When the action kicks in it's particularly horrific which not only continues that signature Carnage motive it also highlights just how dangerous the character can be. And much like the art, this is all brought to its horrific life by Guru-EFX.

In contrast to Carnage, both Anti-Venom and Iron-Man have a somewhat clean reserved style to their designs. 

Extreme Carnage Alpha #1 gets this new arc off to a good start. Philip Kennedy Johnson explores the aftermath of The King in Black with quite a politically charged story that not only mirrors real-life it also highlights the MU's issues. The use of Flash Thompson is a great addition and it's going to be interesting to see how himself and the various other Symbiotes tackle this new threat. My only hope is that this arc stays as a Symbiote affair and doesn't devolve into an Avengers-style mash-up. With Scream being featured within Extreme Carnage: Scream, I can't wait to see what's next.

Rating 9/10 

Rob Lake - For more comic book and video game chat why not follow Geek Culture Reviews on Twitter and Facebook @GeekCultureRev