In the interim period between King in Black's conclusion and October's comic series relaunch of Venom sits Extreme Carnage. The Marvel event is another symbiote-centric story, showcasing the homicidal symbiote serial killer, Carnage. The symbiote is back and has his sights set on destroying an anti-alien human rights group leader. But like all things Carnage does, two plus two doesn't always add up to four. Sadly, the conclusion to the event doesn't live up to the beats of prior events. Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson with artwork from Manuel Garcia and inks by Cam Smith, Extreme Carnage: Omega arrives when fan enthusiasm surrounding Andy Serkis' Venom: Let There Be Carnage is at its height.

Up until this point, Carnage has slowly been corrupting his 90s siblings -- Phage, Agony, Riot, and Lasher -- to become part of his hive, hatching a wicked plan to expose symbiotes to the world while vindicating Senator Arthur Krane’s anti-alien narrative. Extreme Carnage: Omega opens with Flash Thompson, Silence, and Toxin racing against time to prevent Carnage from reaching his goals. Flash's war buddy, Hank, almost thwarts their plans. However, the timely assistance of a fan-favorite symbiote helps bring things back on track. With their forces bolstered, a final battle looms, with new allies, added complications and horrors. Unfortunately for everyone involved, Carnage flips everything on its head.

RELATED: Venom and Carnage's Disgusting Movie Relationship, Explained

Carnage, Phage, Agony and Lasher wreck havoc in Extreme Carnage: Omega

Phillip Kennedy Johnson -- fresh off his spectacular run on DC's The Last God and Marvel's Aliens relaunch -- tries his best to wrap up Extreme Carnage. However, the event as a whole is a play-by-play of Carnage's laziest tropes: a return from death, a large-scale plan to cause chaos, and heroes fighting the good fight against Carnage. These beats have been repeated over and over since Carnage's inception. While Johnson writes some good action and symbiotic violence, the comic's setting and revelation feel lazy. Yet, as the narrative converges to a symbiotic meltdown, the plot successfully manages to pull off some serious twists.

While the writing may be tenuous at best, Manuel Garcia and Cam Smith's art hits the right notes for the kind of story that's being told. Garcia's line-work, especially for the fluid symbiote, pops in certain sequences. There are several close-up sequences of Carnage and other symbiotes in full-page glory that look stunning, and these images give you the best feel for what Garcia is capable of if given a freer reign. Colorist Guru-eFX's colors engage the audience with their distinct symbiote color-coding and the gore, but they tend to be limited by the scope of the action in more fast-paced sequences. The overall feel is kinetic and frantic, which is great since it matches the stakes of Johnson's writing.

RELATED: Venom 2's Carnage Forces the Return of a Deadly Law - But Is It Justified?

Carnage and Anti-Venom fights in Extreme Carnage: Omega

Extreme Carnage is an event that can't help but feel like a tie-in promotion to October's Venom: Let there be Carnage. Using symbiotes as victims hunted by human rights groups is probably not the best attempt at social commentary, nor a good background for an event centered around a bloodthirsty alien serial killer. More than any other character, Carnage has been more subject to déjà vu storylines over his long and bloody career, so maybe it would be best to retire the symbiote slayer for a while in lieu of better storylines. Even though Extreme Carnage: Omega moves at a breakneck pace, the event's ending leaves much to be desired.

KEEP READING: Venom vs Superman: How the Symbiote Embarrassed the Man of Steel