Venom #1 Review

Writer: Danny Cates / Artist: Ryan Stegman / Marvel Comics I’ll be honest. I haven’t read too many Venom stories where he’s the hero. Aside from Flash Thompson’s Agent Venom, I’ve always preferred the character as more of a sadistic villain or a horror movie monster. I’m hoping this new Venom series is good enough to change my mind, and after this first issue, I’m not quite sure I’m there yet. For a while, Eddie Brock has held the Venom Symbiote and they’ve enjoyed a mutually beneficial relationship. All that changes. In fact, I like how the book opens with Eddie at odds with the Symbiote’s recently erratic behavior. I really like how writer Danny Cates shows the effect being Venom has on Eddie’s life. Seeing him in peril, living in squalor and trying to control this monster inside of him does a great job of showing how unnatural and unhealthy their relationship is. While they are connected more than ever, they haven’t scaled down the fact that it’s dangerous to be bonded to a Symbiote.

Eddie trying to hold the monster back that is the highlight for me. Now, where the book loses me is yet another change to Venom’s backstory. Over the past few years, Marvel has revised the history of the Symbiotes over and over again. First, it was the reveal in Guardians of the Galaxy that they are actually a peaceful race, then the retcon of Deadpool having worn and corrupted the Symbiote suit before Spider-Man ever got his hands on it. Now, the Symbiotes were on earth for years before Spid…