411’s Comic Reviews: Web of Venom: Cult of Carnage #1, Avengers: No Road Home #10 More

Hello and welcome to 411mania’s weekly Comic Book Review! Each week we’ll be serving up a warm dish of reviews (and previews) from Marvel, DC, and anything else that captures our interest. What did you pick up this week? Let us know in the comments.Want to write a review? If you can write at least one review a week, consistently, email me at [email protected]!

The Replacer #1

Preview by Steve Gustafson

The 1990’s. Tragedy strikes the Beharrell family in the form of a debilitating stroke. Now the youngest child in the family is convinced his paralyzed father didn’t truly fall ill but is possessed by something sinister. He believes a demon, THE REPLACER, has come to take away his jolly, agreeable, tech-obsessed Dad. But no one seems to see the monster — and with every passing day, his father falls deeper into the clutches of evil.

Based on Zac Thompson’s true story of coming to terms with a disabled parent, THE REPLACER is a complete 64-page graphic meditation on loss, tragedy and fear told through the eyes of a nine-year-old — a horror tale about learning to walk again, even if a demon has to teach you how to do it. A bizarre mashup of IT, The Exorcist and The Diving Bell and The Butterfly, with stunning visuals by Arjuna Susini (Made Men), THE REPLACER is not for the faint of heart.

Bloodborne #11

Preview by Steve Gustafson

Creative team Ales Kot, Piotr Kowalski and Brad Simpson craft an incredible dialogue-free, “silent” issue that continues the story of fan-favorite Eileen the Crow. Delve deeper into the world of Sony and FromSoftware’s gothic gaming hit, Bloodborne with this special issue…

A Song of Crows (3 of 4)! Delve deeper into the world of Sony and FromSoftware’s gothic gaming hit, Bloodborne! Writer Ales Kot and artist Piotr Kowalski continue their acclaimed run – and fan-favorite Hunter Eileen discovers a truth that may drive her mad!

Dark Red #2

Preview by Steve Gustafson

Rural vampire Chip is dragged from his boring life as a late night convenience store clerk and into a monstrous conspiracy, as he protects the ravishing vampiress Kamille from the Order of Eventide.

Can Chip be the hero he always saw himself as?

Tim Seeley (BRLLIANT TRASH, Hack/Slash, Grayson) and Corin Powell (Ghostbusters, Bat-Mite) bring you a contemporary and horrifying tale of vampirism in the heart of America — one that’ll make you jump right out of your boots.

Web of Venom: Cult of Carnage #1

Review by Steve Gustafson

Whenever I see a new book with Venom slapped on the cover, I sigh a little and wonder how much more I can take of Marvel’s renewed push of the popular symbiote. When I see Carnage, my patience is even more limited.

Fortunately, writer Frank Tieri is able to squeeze some new life out of Carnage and with a scenario that is very hit or miss. Tieri keeps things fairly tight and focused with a solid batch of characters.

Misty Knight visits Doverton, Colorado to find missing agent/former astronaut/Man-Wolf John Jameson. Carnage had destroyed this town not too long ago and once Misty finds John, things really amp up.

Tieri nails the script and Danilo S. Beyruth nails the mood on the story, with a big clue being in the title. The story feels a bit big and covers a lot of ground, which may give new readers who aren’t up on their Marvel history a few moments of pause.

The Venom corner of the Marvel Universe continues to grow, which may end up being its undoing but at the end of the day, it’s a surprisingly good book and one worth picking up.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Avengers: No Road Home #10

Review by John Pumpernickel

‘No Road Home’ was a bit uneven and I was cautiously awaiting the finale to see how they would stick the ending. Looks like they almost nailed it but the overall story still left me feeling a bit empty.

The creative team of Jim Zub, Al Ewing, Mark Waid and Sean Izaakse do the characters justice but it was a story that I felt had been told before and one that we didn’t need to see again for a while. Fans of nostalgia will appreciate the book and payoff but something didn’t quite connect with me and it might take a few readings for me to figure out why.

One thing I can heartily recommend is the artwork. If you like seeing characters a-plenty, pick this up. We get some familiar faces with some new ones mixed in, setting up some interesting future books.

Avengers: No Road Home #10 is a good, not great issue, that wraps things up in the usual “event style” way: a set up for future stories. A soft recommendation.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

That’s all the time we have. Tell us what you’re reading below and see you back here next week! You can now find our reviews on ComicBookRoundUp.com! www.ComicBookRoundUp.com