Let's start with Venom as always. This figure is a retool of the Amazon exclusive Symbiote 3-pack version that came with Riot and Agony. The base body is reused from Omega Red, which was also reused for the Animated Series version of the character. This build is bulkier and more on-line with how Venom is usually depicted than the 2016 Absorbing Man wave version or the Knull 2-pack version. Though cast in black plastic without any shading or color beyond the white of the symbiote and on the hands, the sheen of the black plastic does work somewhat for a character who is meant to be made up of black slime. The proportions work generally well, though the head is a bit higher up than normal while the shoulders are lower than they should be. The joints are pinned though having them be black along with the rest of the figure doesn't hurt the look much. Of note are the forearms with more sculptwork beyond the usual musculature found in the rest of the toy.
His head sculpt is new to the figure, and it is very McFarlane esque with that grin and eye shape. The teeth could be better painted in the middle, but they work fine enough. I do feel the eyes could be a little closer to each other, even if it's not as bad as the lenses on Maximum Profit Spider-Man. The articulation is standard for the Marvel Legends line, with a (limited) double ball neck joint, shoulder rotation, outward arm movement, butterfly joints, bicep rotation, double jointed elbows, wrist rotation, inwards wrist hinging, a diaphragm joint, a reverse ab-crunch, ball-jointed hips, thigh rotation, double-jointed knees, and ankles that hinge as well as pivot. He comes with an alternate head reused from the 3-pack with differently-shaped eyes and a wild tongue as well as clawing hands.
For a comparison with Spider-Man and some other Venoms, here he is with the recent Secret Wars version of the webhead as well as the Marvel Select and King in Black versions of the monstrous symbiote. Select and KiB are taller because the former is from a separate line and the latter is a retool of the Sonyverse Venom made in 2020, hence the toes from that design but with holes meant for bat wings (and tendrils for a reissue to go with 2021 Carnage). The new Venom's height works fine for regular Earth-616 continuity, but his height varies from artist rendition to story-specific events
As for Carnage, this figure is a reuse of the 2020 Venompool wave version of the character, only with a new head meant to represent a more ferocious version of the character. The black on the body is not just painted separately but also raised in relief, which I GREATLY appreciate in an era where the average Hasbro Legends figure has their details painted on rather than sculpting it thoroughly. Though the paint apps are not perfectly aligned to the sculptwork, it's still done competently on my copy at least. The small tendrils poking out of the forearms and calves are nice to have and thankfully flexible enough to not impede with articulation, and even they have some paint apps on them. The asymmetrical claws are also a treat, and they fit the more bloodthirsty nature of this symbiote.
His head sculpt aims to be more modern and animalistic than normal, and while it is sculpted and painted nicely, I wish we had the option to swap out the head with a more classic version with the black teeth. The articulation is mostly the same, though the ab crunch and waist swivel combo is used and he has boot rotation. I really hate how gummy the joints are on my copy, especially with the skinnier build and me worrying they could shear off that easily. Thankfully, he can use his axe and knife and/or stabbing weapon with easy. He also has extra tendrils that go on his back, making him even more aggressive than his father symbiote.
Here they are sandwiching Spider-Man as one would expect these two to do in a battle. The scale with the RYV body next to this Venom also works fine if you prefer Spider-Man to be a little closer to the 90s bulk (though it is't 1:1). Carnage is shorter than he should be, with him being slightly over 6'1" in-universe and requiring to be taller than Peter Parker. Maybe a shorter Spider-Man would be your choice for better scale between these three, but it depends on what you're after. Regarding recommendations, both figures could use more accessories, though they are still good versions of the characters to get if you never got comic Venom and Carnage in your collection. I say they could use more accessories since reusing parts could allow for more opportunities to have an extra head or two as well as various hand options.
Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (for both)
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