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Scream: Curse of Carnage #1-6
Scream, Vol. 1: Curse of Carnage
Out of ABSOLUTE CARNAGE comes a new symbiotic sensation - and it'll be a Scream! Patricia Robertson, Andi Benton, Donna Diego...their stories have all been leading to this. Now, one of Venom's original offspring - and quite possibly the strongest - stars at last in her own ongoing series! But in the wake of Carnage's assault, what remains of the Scream symbiote? Does it even have a host? What are its intentions? And what will a pair of web-slinging wallcrawlers have to say about Scream's presence in New York? Meanwhile, a darkness has formed in the waters surrounding the Big Apple - something evil that beckons Scream with a siren song...
Collecting: Scream: Curse Of Carnage (2019) 1-6
Collecting: Scream: Curse Of Carnage (2019) 1-6
120 pages, Paperback
Published May 19, 2020
6 people are currently reading
76 people want to read
About the author
Clay McLeod Chapman
181 books1,728 followersBooks. Children's books. Comic books. Film.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
January 15, 2021
Meh. Andi Benton (Mania) has bonded with a new symbiote and fights an uninteresting big bad in Grendel's mother (called Big Mother in this, presumably because she's huge.) The story really gets bogged down in these long flashbacks replacing Beowulf with Thor in the retelling of Beowulf's fight with Grendel's mother. It's narrated presumably in a translation of Beowulf. (If you ever read Beowulf in high school English, you know it's an unbearable read written in old English verse.) It's beyond tedious to read and the font makes it worse.
The book was a victim of COVID-19. It ends with issue 6 which is the start on a new arc, so of course, that story is left hanging. I thought Garry Brown and Chris Mooneyham were ill-suited to this book. Their styles are very scratchy and a symbiote should be slick and smooth.
The book was a victim of COVID-19. It ends with issue 6 which is the start on a new arc, so of course, that story is left hanging. I thought Garry Brown and Chris Mooneyham were ill-suited to this book. Their styles are very scratchy and a symbiote should be slick and smooth.
October 7, 2020
Here we have the first victim of COVID-19 in the Marvel line. Cancelled after six issues (and the sixth issue was digital only; not that that makes any difference to me as I have to read all my comics digitally) this book won’t be mourned by me, I’m afraid.
It was OK, I suppose. I do think horror is the way to go with symbiote-type books, although I question the need for any symbiote books other than Venom (I could live without even that, to be honest; I'm not a huge fan). It fails to add anything to the mythos, really, and I don’t really like this new tendency to make the symbiotes massively overpowered.
It was OK, I suppose. I do think horror is the way to go with symbiote-type books, although I question the need for any symbiote books other than Venom (I could live without even that, to be honest; I'm not a huge fan). It fails to add anything to the mythos, really, and I don’t really like this new tendency to make the symbiotes massively overpowered.
March 26, 2020
SUPER FAST REVIEW:
So I read this in single issues because a variant for the first issue was really cool and the issue itself was pretty promising. The first issue acts like this will be a cool mix of horror and crime drama set in the Marvel universe which should be pretty bad-ass right? Well, issue 2 just all of a sudden goes “Nope, we’re gonna give you what a fantasy story on drugs about symbiote creatures would look like!”
That wouldn’t be bad if it weren’t for feeling like the first issue tricks people looking for a very different type of story. The fantasy thing could still be fun though except it’s drawn out due to the author trying too hard to be poetic or whatever. That of course leads to a weak storytelling and me losing interest in the story and characters here.
I will still say the art is nice, it’s pretty unpredictable and the ending is pretty good for a first story arc. I won’t be reading more of this though. Hell, I’m probably not gonna keep these issues in my collection.
2/5
So I read this in single issues because a variant for the first issue was really cool and the issue itself was pretty promising. The first issue acts like this will be a cool mix of horror and crime drama set in the Marvel universe which should be pretty bad-ass right? Well, issue 2 just all of a sudden goes “Nope, we’re gonna give you what a fantasy story on drugs about symbiote creatures would look like!”
That wouldn’t be bad if it weren’t for feeling like the first issue tricks people looking for a very different type of story. The fantasy thing could still be fun though except it’s drawn out due to the author trying too hard to be poetic or whatever. That of course leads to a weak storytelling and me losing interest in the story and characters here.
I will still say the art is nice, it’s pretty unpredictable and the ending is pretty good for a first story arc. I won’t be reading more of this though. Hell, I’m probably not gonna keep these issues in my collection.
2/5
August 17, 2021
BERRO! Quem imaginaria que um dia Venom ganharia uma mensal só sua no Brasil? E quem imaginaria que Grito, uma das simbiontes mais classe Z das que já existiram ganharia um especial só seu no Brasil? Pois é, amigos, isso aconteceu! Mas quem é leitor da Marvel das antigas que nem eu vai estranhar que Grito não é mais Donna Diego, a primeira hospedeira do simbionte. Agora quem "veste o traje" é Andi Benton, que surgiu nas histórias do Agente Venom Flash Thompson como Mania. Laiá-laiá, é a dança dos simbiontes, um pra lá um pra cá. Esta edição especial foi vendida como um elo entre Carnificina Absoluta e Rei das Trevas, mas né, não é bem assim. O interessante é que ela traz a história da Mãe do Grendel, que, como ficamos sabendo enfrentou Thor - que ficou conhecido como Beowulf no universo da Marvel. É ela quem Grito enfrenta nesse encadernado. O roteiro é no mínimo instigante, mas são os desenhos que são sofríveis, muito muito ruins. Além disso, fica claro que a edição seis de Grito daria continuidade a uma série mensal, mas que acabou sendo cancelada. Ou devido às baixas vendas ou à pandemia do COVID-19. Mas é isso, um quadrinho que passa o seu tempo, mas que é bem dispensável.
May 8, 2020
Andi Benton was the symbiotic superhero Mania. Now, she's something else entirely. With a new symbiote comes new problems, as Andi strikes out on her own in the wake of her massive losses during Absolute Carnage. But she'll have to get acquainted with the Scream symbiote quickly, because there's a big problem coming, and Scream's the only one that can stop it.
First, I'm a little surprised that this book isn't written by Cullen Bunn, since Andi Benton is his baby, but oh well. Second, I kind of wish it was written by Cullen Bunn, because he might have made the latter half a bit more comprehensible. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Scream's first solo series pits her against some fallout from Donny Cates' Venom series, including a character I never expected to see but who makes perfect sense in the grand scheme of things. Clay McLeod Chapman digs into Andi's family issues as she struggles with learning where she fits in the world now that she's alone, and it leads to some great conversations between her and the aforementioned bad guy.
Where Curse Of Carnage falls apart is the latter half, which tells the origin of the villain through flashbacks, but covers them with extremely obtuse prose that wants to be Beowulf and just ends up being Boringwulf. The font chosen for these pages is also extremely hard to read, so I found myself skipping past them to get to the present day story instead.
The artwork is also a bit of a problem. Chris Mooneyham starts off as the main series artist for about two issues, before having to share with Garry Brown; both of them are much darker and scratchier than I'd like, especially since symbiotes are meant to be sleek and slick. It's never entirely incomprehensible like the flashback story, but I'm not a huge fan overall.
Scream: Curse Of Carnage is a book with good ideas, good themes, and a good direction for it's story. A narrative mishap and some dodgy artwork drag it back from being truly great, but it's definitely moving in the right direction. We'll see if it lasts long enough to get there.
First, I'm a little surprised that this book isn't written by Cullen Bunn, since Andi Benton is his baby, but oh well. Second, I kind of wish it was written by Cullen Bunn, because he might have made the latter half a bit more comprehensible. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Scream's first solo series pits her against some fallout from Donny Cates' Venom series, including a character I never expected to see but who makes perfect sense in the grand scheme of things. Clay McLeod Chapman digs into Andi's family issues as she struggles with learning where she fits in the world now that she's alone, and it leads to some great conversations between her and the aforementioned bad guy.
Where Curse Of Carnage falls apart is the latter half, which tells the origin of the villain through flashbacks, but covers them with extremely obtuse prose that wants to be Beowulf and just ends up being Boringwulf. The font chosen for these pages is also extremely hard to read, so I found myself skipping past them to get to the present day story instead.
The artwork is also a bit of a problem. Chris Mooneyham starts off as the main series artist for about two issues, before having to share with Garry Brown; both of them are much darker and scratchier than I'd like, especially since symbiotes are meant to be sleek and slick. It's never entirely incomprehensible like the flashback story, but I'm not a huge fan overall.
Scream: Curse Of Carnage is a book with good ideas, good themes, and a good direction for it's story. A narrative mishap and some dodgy artwork drag it back from being truly great, but it's definitely moving in the right direction. We'll see if it lasts long enough to get there.
February 9, 2021
3.5 Stars.
Picking up where the Absolute Carnage standalone left off, Andi Burton still has the Scream symbiote. Other symbiotes loyal to the coming King in Black, Knull, want her to join back into the fold, but both Andi and Scream aren't having it. Fighting off depression, Andi finds herself staying at FEAST (yes, under the care of Aunt May!) but is temporarily lured away by the return of her mother. When she turns out to be another symbiote in disguise, Andi's depression and desire to be rid of the chaos a symbiote causes, leaves her no other option than suicide, which she attempts by jumping in the river.
This is where things become chaotic, as the bay is apparently home to a huge "motherly" symbiote, wanting to reunite with Knull, even referring to herself as Grendel's mother at point. The battle with Scream goes back and forth quite a bit, till Andi realizes she is not only powerful with Scream on her side, but is also never alone, which is the main drive of her depression. United, and stronger than before, Scream is able to kill the symbiote mother by hanging her from a city skyscraper.
For the second story (which leads into the next Volume) kids are abducted, and it has gained the attention of both Punisher and Sandman, who obviously are going to fight each other about it. Scream gets involved (as it is her book) and we find out at the very end that Demagoblin (a female version of Demogoblin, which itself is an alternate version of either Green Goblin or Hobgoblin) is behind the abductions, having used a creepy old couple as her proxies.
Overall, the book is pretty good, but relies heavily on the popularity of the recent crossover, and upcoming King in Black storyline, keeping symbiotes at the forefront of the Marvel Universe. It will be interesting to see if the title lasts past that.
Pretty good, but not essential, so only give it your time if you love symbiotes and need some symbiote-love between AC and KiB.
Recommend.
Picking up where the Absolute Carnage standalone left off, Andi Burton still has the Scream symbiote. Other symbiotes loyal to the coming King in Black, Knull, want her to join back into the fold, but both Andi and Scream aren't having it. Fighting off depression, Andi finds herself staying at FEAST (yes, under the care of Aunt May!) but is temporarily lured away by the return of her mother. When she turns out to be another symbiote in disguise, Andi's depression and desire to be rid of the chaos a symbiote causes, leaves her no other option than suicide, which she attempts by jumping in the river.
This is where things become chaotic, as the bay is apparently home to a huge "motherly" symbiote, wanting to reunite with Knull, even referring to herself as Grendel's mother at point. The battle with Scream goes back and forth quite a bit, till Andi realizes she is not only powerful with Scream on her side, but is also never alone, which is the main drive of her depression. United, and stronger than before, Scream is able to kill the symbiote mother by hanging her from a city skyscraper.
For the second story (which leads into the next Volume) kids are abducted, and it has gained the attention of both Punisher and Sandman, who obviously are going to fight each other about it. Scream gets involved (as it is her book) and we find out at the very end that Demagoblin (a female version of Demogoblin, which itself is an alternate version of either Green Goblin or Hobgoblin) is behind the abductions, having used a creepy old couple as her proxies.
Overall, the book is pretty good, but relies heavily on the popularity of the recent crossover, and upcoming King in Black storyline, keeping symbiotes at the forefront of the Marvel Universe. It will be interesting to see if the title lasts past that.
Pretty good, but not essential, so only give it your time if you love symbiotes and need some symbiote-love between AC and KiB.
Recommend.
October 28, 2020
Luego de leer la historia de Iron Fist de este escritor y recibir su recomendación para leer este título, debo decir que McLeod tenía razón, este libro es mejor que su Iron Fist. Aquí nos enfocamos casi al cien por ciento en un solo personaje, que por coincidencia se llama Dani. Una mujer muy joven pero ya afectada por los embates de la vida. Sin tener un hogar al que pueda colgar su abrigo, es poseída por el simbionte Scream, un vástago de Venom. Así entramos en la cabeza de cada personaje de Scream y Andi.
El primer arco trata de familia. El villano principal está buscándola para calmarla como su hija y volverla parte de sí misma. Haciendo así muchas alusiones al origen de Scream y al del villano. Tomando en consideración como Flash Thompson sirvió de mentor para Andi.
El horror de este libro está presente en todo el título, tomando diferentes formas de miedo y principalmente uno con el que me identifico, el temor a las profundidades acuáticas. Pero también juega con diferentes tipos de miedo que Andi siente y hace sentir a otros. Claro, como es un cómic de superhéroes, no puede faltar la acción, muy bien ilustrada y secuenciada. Tan fluida que me mantuvo atento a cada panel como su propia unidad.
Dentro de esta historia, hay un canto que hace referencia a la pelea entre Beowulf y el dragón, lo cual referencia más arriba a Knull y que tan peligroso es él al decir como nació el villano principal.
En fin lo recomiendo, no soy muy fan del horror, principalmente porque lo encuentro en películas para asustar a la audiencia y no hacerte sentir miedo por la seguridad del protagonista, pero tanto este como el Iron Fist de McLeod, me hizo sentir el peligro que corre cada personaje en cada panel.
El primer arco trata de familia. El villano principal está buscándola para calmarla como su hija y volverla parte de sí misma. Haciendo así muchas alusiones al origen de Scream y al del villano. Tomando en consideración como Flash Thompson sirvió de mentor para Andi.
El horror de este libro está presente en todo el título, tomando diferentes formas de miedo y principalmente uno con el que me identifico, el temor a las profundidades acuáticas. Pero también juega con diferentes tipos de miedo que Andi siente y hace sentir a otros. Claro, como es un cómic de superhéroes, no puede faltar la acción, muy bien ilustrada y secuenciada. Tan fluida que me mantuvo atento a cada panel como su propia unidad.
Dentro de esta historia, hay un canto que hace referencia a la pelea entre Beowulf y el dragón, lo cual referencia más arriba a Knull y que tan peligroso es él al decir como nació el villano principal.
En fin lo recomiendo, no soy muy fan del horror, principalmente porque lo encuentro en películas para asustar a la audiencia y no hacerte sentir miedo por la seguridad del protagonista, pero tanto este como el Iron Fist de McLeod, me hizo sentir el peligro que corre cada personaje en cada panel.
December 29, 2020
This iteration of Scream shows a lot of promise. The book has a good lead in the form of Andi (Agent Venom’s former sidekick, Mania), it has one of the best supporting cast members in comic history, Aunt May, and the book is coming out during a time when symbiotes are actual characters and more popular than ever. So what went wrong? For starters the book has a good bit of filler. Scream encounters the main antagonist of the book, Big Mama (Marvel’s iteration of Grendel’s Mother from the Beowulf myth) and then just repeatedly gets captured and breaks free. The forms Scream takes to escape are cool (shout outs to the art team for all their cool monster designs), but when the same thing happens again, and again, and again in the SAME SPACE for multiple issues the book gets very boring and feels padded out for no reason. Another strike against the book is the way the flashbacks are handled. I’m all for seeing more of Thor fighting symbiote dragons, but the accompanying narration was excruciating. I don’t know if the text was the story of Beowulf verbatim, but I remember hating the old English of the original myth and this was a slog to read through. Eventually I stopped reading the text in these sections and just followed the visuals, as the art did a great job showing the action and Thor traveling throughout the realm hunting Big Mama. I don’t really have any strong feelings about this book being cancelled, but I hope Andi gets another shot at stardom sometime soon.
March 30, 2022
It was clear Absolute Carnage was going to be a springboard for other stories, and one of the prominent characters was Scream. But it's not the Scream we first encountered in Venom Lethal Protector but a new one with the same symbiote. It's a long story.
I wasn't expecting much from this title, but I got it on sale so that was that. And I was rather surprised with the book as a whole. It's certainly an effort to tell a somewhat darker tale versus your typical Marvel story, and even darker than some Venom stories in recent years. Combined with Chris Mooneyham's rather severe art and the resulting story has (or at least had) a lot of potential. This may be the best that Scream has ever looked versus the often cartoony depictions of her unusual color palette and Medusa-like tendrils.
It's still a rather strange adventure - one that ties into the King in Black event (or at least that backstory) combined with (of all things) older stories of Thor and Beowulf. But it did make for a compelling adventure in the end.
I wasn't expecting much from this title, but I got it on sale so that was that. And I was rather surprised with the book as a whole. It's certainly an effort to tell a somewhat darker tale versus your typical Marvel story, and even darker than some Venom stories in recent years. Combined with Chris Mooneyham's rather severe art and the resulting story has (or at least had) a lot of potential. This may be the best that Scream has ever looked versus the often cartoony depictions of her unusual color palette and Medusa-like tendrils.
It's still a rather strange adventure - one that ties into the King in Black event (or at least that backstory) combined with (of all things) older stories of Thor and Beowulf. But it did make for a compelling adventure in the end.
September 26, 2023
A frustratingly inconsistent book, this volume that spins out of the events of the Absolute Carnage crossover tries to blend Lovecraftian horror, crime, symbiotes and Olde English literature has some great moments and good ideas but in the end, can't hold together so many disparate threads and genres. Where it really falters is the usage of Beowulf, casting Marvel's Thor as the hero fighting Grendel (inventively reimagined as a giant symbiote) for long passages that could and should have been much shorter. The most intriguing part of this story is Andi Benton's experiences with the Scream symbiote but they (desperate being the main character) end up feeling sidelined in what is ultimately a cluttered story that can never really decide what it wants to be.
August 17, 2024
It’s unfortunate that this series was cancelled just as it was growing into its second arc. I suspect Scream: Curse of Carnage will be a story that people will appreciate more as time goes on, given how it situates the history of the symbiotes further into the history of the larger Marvel comic universe. Andi as an unhoused host of the symbiotic Scream also makes for a compelling character while the art evokes the tone of a horror comic as the narrative consistently blurs genre lines through the addition of police procedurals and mystery.
March 6, 2025
Another symbiote heavy story that losing sight of the interesting elements. Here, Andi Benton, formerly Venom's sidekick, Mania, is back and infected by the Scream symbiote. Getting a look at her family history and how it effects her now was interesting. Unfortunately, the antagonist was god awful. The history of Knull and his dragons is boring and mostly lame. Any connection to that is equally so. The book really needed to focus more on Andi. The art had a John Buscema-esque quality and fit the story well. Overall, Andi is the star, Scream is the backup, and the rest was fodder.
April 26, 2022
I wanted to like this a lot more than I did. The art was okay, the story-telling was mediocre at best.
The first arc took 5 issues, and it could have been told in 1 or 2. The dragging out of the story was really disappointing. We do see growth in Andi/Scream, and that in and of itself was good.
I would be curious to see where the next story went, but it got cancelled (not surprisingly).
On to bigger and better things for Scream!
The first arc took 5 issues, and it could have been told in 1 or 2. The dragging out of the story was really disappointing. We do see growth in Andi/Scream, and that in and of itself was good.
I would be curious to see where the next story went, but it got cancelled (not surprisingly).
On to bigger and better things for Scream!
February 3, 2021
I love and I enjoyed the different makeup of Scream after absolute carnage. But this was a let down. It had a moody feeling but no great depth and zero energy to it. The saddest part is the is the best part is the last issue which sets up a cancelled arc and if a little nonsensical the cross over was still fun to read.
Love to see scream return soon but maybe more boisterous next time
Love to see scream return soon but maybe more boisterous next time
January 5, 2025
MY BEAUTIFUL MONSTER CHILD IS A SEA MONSTER.
Hit and miss otherwise, I'm always a little meh on the Knull stuff and it's got that thing where Issue #6 is entirely tacked on to lead into another title, which doesn't read well in tpb form.
BUT MY BEAUTIFUL CHILD IS A SEA MONSTER.
Hit and miss otherwise, I'm always a little meh on the Knull stuff and it's got that thing where Issue #6 is entirely tacked on to lead into another title, which doesn't read well in tpb form.
BUT MY BEAUTIFUL CHILD IS A SEA MONSTER.
February 27, 2021
I like the character and the story but one of the artists on this book is so much better than the other. It's a shame Marvel didn't stick with one guy.
March 26, 2021
2.75.
I’m just not in love with this current Marvel sympiote run ion run. It all just seems the same.
I’m just not in love with this current Marvel sympiote run ion run. It all just seems the same.
May 6, 2024
2.5 rounded up. The art was a little odd and weirdly jagged. Wasn’t a fan. The main character was also a little lackluster.
June 27, 2022
This was surprisingly good!
I didn't know what to expect but I read it of course because it's an Absolute Carnage tie-in so I kinda had to, because I'm problematic like that.
So, this character Scream, is super boring. Not interesting at all, even the suit is ugly and you just look at the character and you say yeah, TOP 5 Boring Characters of All Time. Why bother? Especially if you read previous issues with her, like the whole symbiote team with her with the old series or the new, Separation Anxiety, they both were mediocre at best and just a bunch of different colored Venoms running around. Big Whoop.
And finally, I started reading this with the lowest of expectations, but to my surprise it was nice and interesting and dark and very serious at times, dealing with loss and mental problems and an amazing artwork added to all that, it was just a solid read. At least until issue 5, and then it went downhill from there cuz it took a little different route but you'll understand if you read it.
Anyway, sadly, it stopped in issue #6 and said To Be Continued.. but it never did. Series got cancelled because it was in the middle of the pandemic and it was one of those titles that got the axe.
Oh well, it's worth your time if you're reading the Absolute Carnage event or if you wanna read Venom but you read everything about him so you want something similar.
I didn't know what to expect but I read it of course because it's an Absolute Carnage tie-in so I kinda had to, because I'm problematic like that.
So, this character Scream, is super boring. Not interesting at all, even the suit is ugly and you just look at the character and you say yeah, TOP 5 Boring Characters of All Time. Why bother? Especially if you read previous issues with her, like the whole symbiote team with her with the old series or the new, Separation Anxiety, they both were mediocre at best and just a bunch of different colored Venoms running around. Big Whoop.
And finally, I started reading this with the lowest of expectations, but to my surprise it was nice and interesting and dark and very serious at times, dealing with loss and mental problems and an amazing artwork added to all that, it was just a solid read. At least until issue 5, and then it went downhill from there cuz it took a little different route but you'll understand if you read it.
Anyway, sadly, it stopped in issue #6 and said To Be Continued.. but it never did. Series got cancelled because it was in the middle of the pandemic and it was one of those titles that got the axe.
Oh well, it's worth your time if you're reading the Absolute Carnage event or if you wanna read Venom but you read everything about him so you want something similar.
June 4, 2020
This was a good deal better than I thought it would be.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews