As this five issue mini series concludes, it is fair to say that this was entertainment for entertainments sake. There were no lasting effects to Marvel continuity thanks to the Carnage arc. No real character development, and so on.
Not surprisingly, Clayton Crain's artwork is the pillar on which this series stands. The subject matter couldn't have been more fitting to Crain's style. Flowing, oozing, lines matched with dark gloomy settings. Crain must have been in his glory, because I know I was! My biggest thrill however, has to have been Crain's Spider-Man. I really liked the way he posed Spider-Man, and the gritty colouring really cast the web slinger in a new light.
The story itself, was not too bad. Zeb Wells did his best to create this stand alone story, and for the most part he did a pretty good job. Overall, his strength would have to be the layers of characterization he developed. It can't be easy trying to utilize so many characters in a story. Not only did Wells do it though, he managed to overlap all of their scripts , making them meaningful to the whole.
As has been true many times in the past, Iron Man makes a sensible partner for Spidey. Both play off each other nicely, balancing humour with effective hero work.
Wells left the whereabouts of Carnage at the end of this story up in the air. In fact, the same can be said about super-villain Shriek; who was a nice addition to this story by the way. This, of course, opens the door(s) to all kinds of future adventures involving the various Spidey dopplegangers. And let's not forget, every Spider-Man fan must be drooling over the return of the unforgettable psycho, Cletus Kasaday.
If you are interested, maybe check this book out in trade paperback format. If would make a great little coffee table read that you could return to from time to time.