Broken Frontier

Spider-Man's most polarizing villain is about to return. We'll reintroduce him to you today.

Marvel had a pretty good thing going with Venom. You had Eddie Brock, a disgraced reporter that blamed Spider-Man for his downfall. Bonded to Brock, you had an alien symbiote that was formerly bonded to Peter Parker/Spider-Man and was pretty mad it was forcibly removed from it's host. Together, they formed Venom, a bad guy with all of Spider-Man's powers, only stronger and tougher, who knew all of Spider-Man's secrets and was invisible to Spidey's Spider Sense.

Venom had the makings of a pretty good arch-enemy for Spider-Man. Only one problem--he became too popular. Fans liked him too much. Slowly, he became less and less a villain and more an antihero.

But with Venom becoming a hero, Webhead was losing a pretty good villain. What was Marvel to do? Come up with a new villain that was almost exactly the same as Venom only with less redeeming qualities. What they came up with was Carnage.

Carnage was Cletus Kasady and he was a bad man even before he became a bad guy. How bad? So bad he even pushed his own grandmother down a flight of stairs, killing her. And he had the opportunity to be a cell mate of symbiote-less Eddie Brock. Being that Marvel really couldn't keep Venom from being Venom for very long, the symbiote and Brock staged a prison cell reunion.

It just so happened that the symbiote was pregnant and gave birth to a lil' baby symbiote. The offspring entered a cut on Kasady and bonded with his blood. And Carnage was born.

Carnage had all the same powers of Venom only was much stronger, plus the ability to make weapons from his costume. And he had none of the morals of Venom--he was a stone cold killer with no sense of remorse.

Some fans considered Carnage the best thing since sliced bread. He was essentially the uberpopular Venom only more extreme. But some fans considered the character pushing grim and gritty too far. Spider-Man faced off against killers before, but never the like of Kasady, and none set up to be idolized.

When we last saw Carnage, it was in New Avengers #2. He had the misfortune of escaping from the superhuman prison, the Raft, while the Sentry was on the scene. The Sentry took Carnage up into space, grabbed each of Kasady's arms, and tore him in two. A grim and gritty end for a grim and gritty villain. And one that is pretty hard to come back from.

While there are probably still pieces of Kasady floating around the upper atmosphere, Carnage is back and going after Spider-Man and Iron Man. How did it survive? Who is he (or she)? And how will fans react to its return? We’ll all see starting this week.

Also out this week:

Amazing Spider-Man Presents: Black Cat #4:

Black Cat, Catwoman to Spider-Man’s Batman, is wrapping up her first solo series since being reintroduced into Spider-Man’s continuity. And to show that she will remain a special part of the continuity, her series ends with a bang as she comes face to face with the Kraven family, the antagonist of the recent “Grim Hunt” storyline in Amazing Spider-Man.

Although the character is very popular (she was rumored to be part of Sam Raimi’s aborted fourth Spider-Man film), that popularity hasn’t translated to sales. This series’ home was outside of the Diamond 100. Even though she is tying into a major storyline (after it ended, but who’s counting?), it doesn’t look like that fact helped a whole lot. This might be the last Black Cat series for a long while.  

Jen Van Meter (W), Javier Pulido (A), Marvel Comics, $3.99. Final Issue.

A Sickness in the Family:

Comic fans might only be familiar with Denise Mina through her brief run on Hellblazer, but she is an accomplished crime author and playwright, with eight novels and two plays to her credit. So it is only natural that she would partake in Vertigo's Vertigo Crime imprint. And her involvement is a doozy.

Getting together with the family over the holidays is usually murder, but the Ushers have taken it to a whole new level. Members of the family are dying off one by one on Christmas Day. Each family member is dying a violent death. Is their house cursed by an evil spirit--or a family member with a score to settle? Each is a distinct possibility, but the true answer will shock you.

Denise Mina (W), Antonio Fuso (A), DC/Vertigo Comics, $19.99, Original Graphic Novel.

G.I. Joe: Origins #20:

David Lapham's career trajectory continues to surprise me. Starting out being an artist at Valiant and Defiant Comics, he survived the death of both of those companies to create the crime thriller Stray Bullets, which garnered him an Eisner Award for Best Writer/Artist. Instead of being typecast as a crime writer, he has worked in many other genres, including superhero, horror and esoteric drama.

Now a career that has taken him from Warriors of Plasm to Batman to Young Liars takes him to the G.I. Joe universe. Lapham is the new writer in this series, and is joined by Werther Dell'Edera on art. The new arc will also introduce a new character into the G.I. Joe mythos.

David Lapham (W), Werther Dell'Edera (A), IDW Publishing, $3.99. Ongoing Series.

Untold Tales of Blackest Knight #1:

Considering that the Blackest Night crossover had about 100 different issues in total, it would be hard to believe that there could be any tales from the crossover yet to be told. Having one story left untold in all the tie-ins, miniseries and one shots is extraordinary, having four is unthinkable.

Yet, here we are with a special one-shot that relates four stories from DC's previous event. An all-star gathering of comic book superstars come together to let us know what Ragman, Donna Troy, Animal Man and Scarecrow were doing during the crossover (or, in some cases, what was done to them). A must have for the Blackest Night completists out there.

Various (W/A), DC Comics, $4.99. One-Shot.

Pilot Season: Forever #1:

Top Cow’s Pilot Season is back, and this time around, they are going for something different. This time around, a one-shot try-out will be released every week for six weeks. Six books will enter, only one will leave. Of the six, only one will go on to a series of its own.

Things start off this week with this one shot. It is set in the near-future and deals with a young doctor who has just begun working for a pharmaceutical company. The drug company distributes a new wonder drug called Longevity, which counteracts the effects of aging and extends human life. But every drug has its drawbacks, and the young doctor is about to find out the drawback is found at the company that has just hired him.

Brad Ingelsby (W), William Harris (A), Top Cow Productions/ Image Comics, $3.99. One-Shot.

Vampire Boy:

If you have marveled at Eduardo Risso’s artwork in 100 Bullets and thought that you’d like to see his moody use of blacks and shadow applied to the horror genre, well, you’re in luck. This week, an award-nominated Spanish graphic novel he collaborated on with legendary European author Carlos Trillo comes to the United States. And in it, Risso explores the world of the vampire.

The titular character is a vampire who was cursed with the immortality that being a blood sucking fiend brings when he was a small child. While he has matured mentally, he is forever trapped in the body of a small boy. While he looks for an end to his curse, he must fight off an enemy that is just as immortal as he is.

Carlos Trillo (W), Eduardo Risso (A), Dark Horse Comics, $24.99. Original Graphic Novel.

Midnite Movies: Motel Hell #1:

The Godfather, Citizen Kane, and Motel Hell: which of these three does not belong? If you answered number three, you’re right. Motel Hell probably wouldn’t make many lists of classic films. Even Hollywood, in its rush to remake every horror film of the 1980s has overlooked it. But the campy horror flick would qualify as a midnight movie, so it fits IDW’s new sub-heading.

This will update the 1980 film. The original focused on a brother and sister named Vincent and Ida who run a motel and farm. The farm is renowned for its meat, which is based on a secret family recipe. The secret is that the meat is made from human flesh. The siblings kidnap people, plant them up to their head in their garden and pluck them out when they are ready to be processed. Their scene is interrupted when Vincent falls in love with one of his victims. Hilarity, bloodshed and gore ensue. 

Matt Nixon (W), Chris Moreno (A), IDW Publishing, $3.99. Three-Issue Miniseries.

Tiny Titans/Little Archie #1:

A long-running trend in many forms of media is taking adult characters and make babies out of them. Mickey Mouse and The Muppets have gone through this process, and they aren't the only ones. DC's Teen Titans are the latest property to go through this youth movement. Tiny Titans is the pint-sized version of the classic teen team.

But one of the pioneers of this trend has been Little Archie. The pee-wee version of Riverdale’s favorite teenagers first arrived on the scene back in 1956 and has been around ever since. Now, the forebearers of the movement are teaming up with the new kids on the block in this special miniseries which teams Little Archie up with the Tiny Titans.

Art Baltazar & Franco (W), Art Baltazar (A), DC Comics/Archie Comics, $2.99. Three –Issue Miniseries.

Strange Tales II #1:

Marvel’s first effort at letting the biggest names in independent comics loose in the Marvel Universe was a critical success. So much so, that we are now getting the obligatory sequel so even more indie superstars can take part in the fun. Get ready for another round of wild and wacky takes on your favorite characters.

This time around, the creators involved include Rafael Grampa, Kevin Huizenga, Jeff Lemire, Dash Shaw and many more for issue number one, with Los Bros Hernandez, Tony Millionaire and Jeffrey Brown amongst the creators to follow. Each issue will be 48 pages with no ads. If you are an indie fan who secretly wishes he could read mainstream books, then this series is for you!

Rick Remender (W), Dan Brereton (A), Marvel Comics, $3.99. Ongoing Series.

Star Wars: Knight Errant—Aflame #1:

It’s a good thing to remember that the Star Wars franchise started off as an exploration of teenagers growing into adulthood. Luke Skywalker was only a teen working on his uncle’s farm when his adventures took him into far flung reaches of space and made him into a man. The latest installment into the Star Wars franchise returns to this principle.

Kerra Holt is an 18-year-old, freshly minted Jedi, albeit living a millennia before Luke. And ineffectual Republic has pretty much let the Sith take over large portions of the galaxy. The Jedi have tried to fight back the best they could. Kerra has joined a group of Jedi volunteers and has headed deep into Sith territory. His first test as a Jedi will be a trial by fire.

John Jackson Miller (W), Federico Dallocchio (A), Dark Horse Comics, $2.99. Five-Issue Miniseries.

Knight & Squire #1:

Younger readers of Batman might have found it charming that Scottish writer Grant Morrison created an English version of the Dynamic Duo in Knight and Squire. It isn’t as charming as you might think, because the Knight and Squire are so old they’re close to being able to collect a pension.

The Knight first appeared way back in 1950 in Batman #62 but hasn’t appeared much in the modern era. He was one of the forgotten Silver Age characters Morrison loves so much. And people must have liked Morrison’s treatment of the character, too, because the once forgotten character is now getting a miniseries of his own. British writer Paul Cornell makes sure the British character stays authentic.

Paul Cornell (W), Jimmy Broxton (A), DC Comics, $2.99. Six–Issue Miniseries.

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William Gatevackes is a professional writer living in Mamaroneck, NY with his wife Jennifer and daughter Vanessa. He also is a comic reviewer for PopMatters, has written for Comic Foundry magazine and is the comic book movie editor for Film Buff Online. Links to his writing can be found at his website, www.williamgatevackes.com.