Image via Sony
The reputation of Carnage, one of Marvel’s most horrific villains, looms large. Created in the ‘90s by writer David Michelinie and artist Mark Bagley, the character is the second most popular symbiote character behind Venom. Serial killer Cletus Kasady inhabits the monster, fueling it with his own sadistic personality. The result is a truly terrifying villain, one who takes considerable pride in his decidedly devilish work. Perhaps culture’s obsession with serial killers is why Carnage and Cletus have long resonated.
While Cletus made his silver screen debut in the post-credits tag for the first Venom movie, audiences will see much more of him when he takes center stage in the (absurdly) named sequel, Venom: Let There Be Carnage. Considering the character’s legacy, Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock will have his hands full trying to take down the powerful combination of Cletus and Carnage. To help you prepare for the upcoming film, we’ve rounded up five of the best Carnage and Venom comics to read. Dive in—and be ready for a scare as you get more acquainted with one of Marvel’s most evil foes.
'Venom vs. Carnage'
Where to read: Marvel Unlimited | Amazon
What you see: The fight of the century
Out of all the comics on this list, Venom vs. Carnage seemingly appears to be the most directly influential storyline for Let There be Carnage. Written by Peter Milligan with art by Clayton Crain, the two symbiotes go head to head in a battle over their offspring, the symbiote eventually known as Toxin.
The four-part mini-series is a pretty self-contained and easy-to-read tale that accurately gets to the heart of what makes both Venom and Carnage tick. Plus, it’s full of fun surprise appearances and adds quite a bit of mythology to the existing canon around the two.
'Absolute Carnage'
Where to read: Marvel Unlimited | Amazon
What you see: A modern Carnage classic
Absolute Carnage is the first big crossover event of writer Donny Cates and artist Ryan Stegman’s re-defining Venom run, which just concluded its epic tale earlier in 2021. The story features a newly returned Carnage who reappears with a vengeance to hunt down and kill anyone in the Marvel Universe who has ever worn a symbiote. The true reasoning behind Carnage’s motives is better left discovered in the series, but the event provides plenty of big, exciting moments that are bound to entice comic book fans.
Cates and Stegman render Carnage’s chaotic vision in horrific clarity, making this a worthy successor to Maximum Carnage. Yet, for as much as we tend to associate Carnage with Spider-Man, he’s more of a foe for Venom. As such, Cates and Stegman ensure he’s the center of the chaos here, making it a must-read for any symbiote supporter.
'Venom: Lethal Protector'
Where to read: Marvel Unlimited | Amazon
What you see: Birth of other symbiotes
Venom’s first solo series, Venom: Lethal Protector, saw Eddie Brock head west as writer David Michelinie and artist Mark Bagely began the character’s transition from villain to anti-hero (ergo, the title of the series). The series also explores who Eddie Brock was before he met his symbiote, fleshing out the character’s background considerably.
While the first Venom movie pulled a lot from Lethal Protector in terms of setting up Brock’s history and his San Francisco locale, there’s still plenty of great storytelling here to revisit ahead of Let There Be Carnage—even if it’s just to get a slight refresher on the character.
'Carnage'
Where to read: Marvel Unlimited | Amazon
What you see: Carnage at his scariest
Cletus Kasady isn’t anywhere close to being a likable character, but the 2015 Carnage series (written by Gerry Conway with art by Mike Perkins) goes out of its way to remind its readers of Kasady’s monstrous roots. What unfolds throughout Carnage is sort of a Mindhunter-like series that details not only Cletus’ carnage but also the FBI agents in pursuit of his reign of terror.
The two forces enter into a deadly game of cat and mouse, one that results in a book that’s decidedly more of a horror comic than any other title on this list. It’s a refreshing, albeit terrifying, take on the villain—with a story that’s likely to haunt you for a long, long time.
'Maximum Carnage'
Where to read: Marvel Unlimited | Amazon
What you see: The most iconic Carnage story
We saved the best for last; there’s a chance if you’re familiar with Carnage at all, it’s because of the highly popular Maximum Carnage storyline, which was even adapted into a video game. As part of a massive crossover between Spider-Man titles in the early ‘90s, Carnage breaks free from prison and rounds up a handful of Spidey’s foes—including Shriek (who will appear in Let There Be Carnage), Doppelganger, Demogoblin, and Carrion—as the group literally paints New York City red on a massive killing spree. Spider-Man is forced to put aside his differences with Venom to bring Carnage down, as the two team up together.
Maximum Carnage wasn’t the story that first introduced Carnage (Amazing Spider-Man #344 is his debut). Still, it is the most well-known Carnage story, one that cements his status as a terrifying villain in the Marvel universe. If you want to know why fans are so amped about the character making his silver screen debut, this is the story for you.