10 Comics You Loved As A Teen (But Should Never Return To)

4. Maximum Carnage

Maximum Carnage
Marvel Comics

The nineties were a... confusing time for comics. Everything was extreme, edgy or some variation on either word, and while the X-Men were still Marvel's most profitable super-team, its most popular solo hero was still everyone's favourite friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man.

Spider-Man's popularity had approached astronomical levels while Todd McFarlane handled art duties, and this just so happened to coincide with the rise of Venom as a key force in Spidey's comics. The two forged a fearsome rivalry, but then Marvel decided Eddie Brock could be better utilised as an anti-hero rather than as a straight up villain.

Enter Carnage, a Symbiote offspring that attached itself to notorious serial killer Cletus Kasady while he and Brock shared a cell. Carnage embarks on his own wave of terror, and so it falls to Spidey and Venom to track him down, and put a stop to him before more innocents are hurt.

And that's basically it. Maximum Carnage features a cool team-up between Spider-Man and Venom that would get any fan excited, but in reality it embodies some of the most dated tropes of that particular decade.

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Content Producer/Presenter
Content Producer/Presenter

Resident movie guy at WhatCulture who used to be Comics Editor. Thinks John Carpenter is the best. Likes Hellboy a lot. Can usually be found talking about Dad Movies on his Twitter at @EwanRuinsThings.