The Amazing Spider-Girl: Comes the Carnage collects The Amazing Spider-Girl #7-12 written by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz with art by Frenz, inks by Sal Buscema, colors by Gotham, letters by Dave Sharpe, and edited by Molly Lazer. The story picks up after May “Mayday” Parker, the daughter of Peter and Mary Jane Watson-Parker, told her parents she could not give up being Spider-Girl due to her sense of responsibility inherited from both parents. The story quickly returns to May’s doubts about being Spider-Girl after seeing how superheroics have affected the Ladyhawk twins, though thankfully this is short-lived. While her parents may never fully feel comfortable letting their daughter don the webs, they know that with great power there must also come great responsibility.

Having earned her parents’ tacit trust, Mayday finds herself drawn into a S.H.I.E.L.D. operation involving the symbiote Carnage when a U.S. team of supervillains – similar to the Suicide Squad in DC – loses it in transport. The resulting chaos and carnage draws in her family, friends, and fellow superheroes leading to lasting fallout for May. Carnage is certainly a threat, but this version is relatively tame despite his threats. DeFalco and Frenz explain that the Carnage Mayday fights was sampled. From the original rather than the one Spider-Man fought, so this explains some of his limitations. The focus on May’s family and friends, in particular a story from Mary Jane’s point of view, stand out as strengths in this collection. These issues add depth to May’s world and help show the consequences of wearing the webs. ( )