I was ten when the Maximum Carnage story arc began. It was also first story arc I was ever introduced in the world of graphic novels - ahem! comic books. (The second taking place a few years after with the Age of Apocalypse.)

Looking at it now, I can remember what I loved about the arc. However, it's not the same feeling I got when I was ten - go figure. It seems that the story gets too wordy - for instance, Spider-Man's internal monologue gives us the information rather than letting us come up with it alone. And the moral - for lack of the better word - is what you find in a lot of the old story arcs - despite all that surrounds us, there is still good in the world and it's worth fighting for (whoa! talk about Lord of the Rings). All in all, the book is still a fun read. ( )

Carnage is a great character, important to accentuate the morals shown by all other characters in the Marvel universe. Good read. ( )

Inane, one-damn-thing-after-another storytelling. Mary Jane is super annoying. The art is a mixed bag -- Spidey, Venom and Carnage are drawn well but a lot of characters just look wrong. Skip it. ( )