By: Rick Remender (writer), Lan Medina Nelson DeCastro (artists), Marte Gracia (colors)
The Story: What happens in Vegas…could get all your loved-ones killed.
The Good: I have a confession to make: this is the issue of Venom I have been waiting for. Don’t get me wrong, I love what Rick Remender has done to rehabilitate the character. Making the main source of tension the interplay between symbiote and host allows Venom to have a purpose outside of being a Spider-Man support character. Flash’s complicated past and stressed relationships give him compelling motivations and a pathos Eddie Brock never achieved. But honestly, I have really wanted to see Venom absolutely rage out. In this issue, Lan Medina finally gives us that release, and it feels like a dam has been broken. After surviving a road trip with his nemesis, Venom is forced to break into a casino and steal an item for the Crime Master. Unfortunately for everyone, the symbiote guesses what the package is, and that sends it into a rage. We’ve seen Flash lose control of Venom a few times in this run, but never like this. Here, Jekyll is completely stripped away to give us raw, unadulterated Hyde. Venom looks monstrous, grotesque, and more intimidating here than he ever has since this ongoing began. When Jack O’Lantern sees that Flash has lost control he steps in to try to bring Venom to heel; boy, is it gratifying to watch Jack realize he’s bitten off more than he can chew.
It’s fascinating to watch Flash resist, struggle, and finally succumb to the symbiote. There’s a moment where Venom is gracefully smashing down an armored door that encapsulates beautiful contrast between rage and serenity in this takeover; as he soars through the air, Flash thinks, “Something in my system…a reward…an opiate…the symbiote is putting me to sleep.” Then the door comes down, and all hell breaks loose. It’s truly an operatic moment. From there, the narration stops, and it’s Venom’s show. When the narration returns at the very end, saying nothing but the words, “Do it,” it’s hard to say who’s issuing the command.
The Bad: Medina clearly spent the lion’s share of his efforts on the scenes of Venom running amok, because the intro and outro to this issue completely underwhelm. Paramount to this is the setting. Las Vegas is one of the most gaudy, sensually overwhelming places in the country. But I’ve seen Gotham City drawn more festive than this. The casino Flash breaks into looks like a Moose Lodge decorated for Halloween, and while the depiction of the city gets better as the issue goes on, it also becomes more inconsistent; in one place, Venom stands still, but the background changes from one panel to the next. Early on, there are also some considerable storytelling problems. Part of Flash’s plan to break into the casino involves taking on the appearance of a security guard, but the sequence is so rushed that it’s not particularly clear who he has become or where he is going. Shading on the floor creates the odd optical illusion of people standing on platforms above one another when they are actually all standing on a level surface, and Jack-o-lantern tells Venom to head for the 89th floor of a building that we can tell by the exterior is no more than forty stories high.
Remender makes his share of sloppy choices as well. When Flash looses control in the highly guarded area he’s just broken into, Jack O’Lantern simply flies through a window to confront him. What?! Why did Flash just sneak past security and destroy that massive armored door if he could have gone in a window? Why would there even be a window in a room with so much security? For that matter, why did Crime Master even send Flash out here when Jack could have done it just as easily? This is lazy writing, something I don’t accuse Remender of often. I hope I won’t have to again.
Conclusion: Venom #12 is a mixed bag. The emotional impact lands solidly, some of the visuals are great, but the issue is bookended by lackluster art and there are some serious logistical oversights. I enjoyed it, but this book has been better.
Jumping on point?: You could pick this up and understand what’s going on without any prior knowledge, but this issue is most effective in places where it delivers on the buildup from the many running themes. You’d probably comprehend it, but not fully appreciate it.
Grade: B-
-Jim Middleton
Some Musings: -I won’t discuss what the package is that Venom is picking up, aside to note that this is not something I would expect to find locked up at a casino. I hope an explanation is provided eventually.
Filed under: Marvel Comics, Reviews Tagged: | Comic Book Reviews, Crime-Master, Flash Thompson, Jack O' Lantern, Jim Middleton, Lan Medina, Marte Gracia, Marvel Comics, Nelson DeCastro, review, Rick Remender, Spider-Man, Venom, Venom #12, Venom #12 review, WCBR, Weekly Comic Book Review
