So far, I’ve enjoyed Absolute Carnage. It’s an event that’s done a fine balance into the horror/gore genre without completely crossing a line. It also has been fairly friendly to new readers. Absolute Carnage: Scream #1 continues that balance but tips a bit too much into unfriendly for new readers.

Written by Cullen Bunn, the comic sees the return of Scream, one of the rainbow of symbiotes that exist. The comic does an excellent job of delivering that horror tinge to what is a superhero story at its core. The resurrection of Scream has a nice creepy factor to it. But, the comic relies a bit much on Scream’s past to really be enjoyable.

The art by Gerardo Sandoval helps a bit. Absolute Carnage: Scream #1 has some twisted moments building off of the reader’s imagination. Victor Nava‘s ink, Erick Arciniega‘s color, and Cory Petit‘s lettering help deliver the chaotic nature of the issue. The resurrection scenes have a gruesome quality about them. The New York scenes have some solid panel work that emphasizes the hunt that’s going on. The art, like the other Absolute Carnage issues, is key at delivering the tone of it all.

The comic is good but not great. There’s a reliance on knowing two characters and without that, it lacks the punch to really sell the issue. Still, as it progresses the action will likely be the draw and hopefully more explained. Absolute Carnage: Scream #1 is an interesting piece of the bigger puzzle but doesn’t quite stand on its own yet.

Story: Cullen Bunn Art: Gerardo Sandoval
Ink: Victor Nava Color: Erick Arciniega Letterer: Cory Petit
Story: 7.0 Art: 8.05 Overall: 7.0 Recommendation: Read

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review