“Superior Carnage” #4 of 5 was released today. It is a simple little serial worth the read; a branch off of the ongoing “Superior Spider-man” series starring the body of Peter Parker, and the mind of Otto Octavius. In issue #3 The Wizard, a.k.a. Bentley Wittman, a powerful telepath with the ability to control minds, is realizing his final mission. He wants to take City Hall, and own New York City for a short time to both get back in touch with his son, and take one last whack at creating a legacy. In order to accomplish this he has recruited our favorite bloodthirsty symbiote Carnage.

There are two problems – Cletus Kassady, Carnage's host, has been lobotomized, so he has no mind to control. And this symbiote, unlike Venom, is biologically a part of its host. In other words it cannot move from one host to another like Venom (thank all things Holy).

So The Wizard seeks a way around this, and by blood transfusion transfers the symbiote to Dr. Karl Malus, a brilliant, wheelchair-bound surgeon whose role has not quite come to fruition in the series. Now The Wizard has a capable host, and a mind to control. The complications amplify. The Wizard is days from falling into dementia, which will progress inevitably to death. His creation and sidekick Klaw is constantly malfunctioning. His Frightening Four is actually a team of three. Dr. Malus is technically two characters but . . . you get the idea.

This all may seem convoluted with me summarizing, but it fits tightly within the story. Kevin Shinik pens this series, which explains its tight narrative. He has worked a lot in television, and has won several awards including an Emmy for a Christmas episode of Cartoon Network's Robot Chicken. For those who have written for television the comic medium is a welcome format.

In issue #4 Spider-man confronts The Wizard and his partners in the mayoral office of City Hall. (J. Jonah has been banished to the bunker) A battle ensues where Otto learns (none too well despite his bragging of a superior mind) that the symbiote does not set off his spider sense. In another idiot move Otto takes out The Wizard, who has probed his mind and learned the truth of his identity. With The Wizard knocked senseless Carnage is loosed from his control.

Hey, if you'd fallen ten stories and landed on the roof of an eight passenger van you probably couldn't focus your cognitive abilities, either.

Carnage's freedom lets him go on a murderous rampage, and I mean murderous. He ends up in a jacket composed of the Spider Squad's tongues, and stabs Klaw through the chest. As he dies, Klaw becomes a living bomb, and explodes. This explosion apparently kills Dr. Malus, and levels an as yet unknown section of New York City.

So where is Carnage? As we head into issue #5 we get two magnificent goodies. Seriously I can't wait to read it. First, The Wizard is the new host, and second, The Wizard knows the truth of Otto Octavius's possession of Peter Parker!

What's going to happen? Because we all know that inevitably Parker will make a return. Will this be the catalyst that resurrects our friendly neighborhood Spider-man? We can only hope.

On a side note, Mr. Shinik – feel free to write liberally for Marvel, DC, IDW, Dynamite, Dark Horse, Image, or Vertigo. We will be reading.