Axis: Carnage & Hobgoblin

Not bad.

The carnage story wasn't up to much quite forgetable the hobgoblin as a superhero tonny Robbins had a lot of promise and was enjoyable might have made a good standalone series

Both AXIS Carnage and Hobgoblin are some of the finest books I've ever read from Marvel in the past few years. The event that made Hobgoblin and Carnage good, AXIS, was messy (as many Marvel events tend to be) but it was worth it just for these two mini-series. There's also Superior Iron Man which was good too. Both books are hilarious in their own way.Carnage is about the titular supervillain trying his best to be genuinely good. Being a mentally ill maniac, this is not easy. Watching him try to fight his instincts makes Carnage (or Carnage-Man as he goes by) surprisingly endearing and it often ends in quite funny results. I won't spoil any jokes, you need to read it to believe it. The art in the Carnage book is really nice. Normally I'm not a fan of Carnage with white teeth (I prefer Carnage with black teeth) but this art makes it work. It allows him to be more expressive. My only real complaint is that neither Eddie Brock or Flash Thompson show up. It'd be great to see Carnage-Man run into his old enemies and try to convince them he's a good guy but we don't. Especially Eddie since Sin-Eater, the man who helped Eddie lose his job, shows up as the main antagonist. Still even with that in mind, AXIS Carnage is a fun romp. Rick Spears' story telling is superb and German Peralta's art is really fitting for the tone.Hobgoblin is just as good, but in a different way. The thing that keeps you reading here is Roderick Kingsley's (Hobgoblin) moral ambiguity. It's not clear whether Hobgoblin is in it for the money or because he feels truly compelled to be good. Mostly it leans to the former but there are times where it leans to the latter. He's still the same greedy person he's always been but now he sells the identities and equipment of heroes rather than villains. He's trying to make himself out to be a self-help guru of sorts, an instructor for up-and-coming heroes. But there are still fun nods to Hobgoblin's past such as the "Ned Talks" program. Not only that but some of the funniest parts are the two advertisement parodies in the book, mocking PSAs and the classic Marvel fruit pie comics. It might seem absurd that Kingsley already has a parade in his honor by the end, but you've got to remember that there's a lot Hobgoblins running around stopping crime. You might be wondering how come so many people are quick to trust a wanted criminal too, but then you remember these are the people who were okay with Norman Osborn being top cop of the country. Kevin Shinick really knows his Hobgoblin and Javier Rodriguez is second only John Romita Jr. when it comes to drawing the classic Hobgoblin.Overall, I'd have to give this book five stars. Both stories included are fantastic, I fully recommend you buy this book even if it's just for Carnage or Hobgoblin rather than both. But I still suggest you read both, they're worth your time.

A fantastic read and a brilliant twist on my favorite MARVEL villain. Wonderful artwork and a well told plot. Carnage is hilarious and I'd love to see where they would go with this in future titles.