The dinosaur-punching continues.
Venom closes out its first story arc of the new Eddie Brock era in pretty decent shape. While the series' art style remains a hindrance as often as a help, the generally more lighthearted tone, the goofy team-up with Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur and the continued emphasis on the dysfunctional relationship between Eddie and his suit all serve to make Venom a markedly better book than it was a six months ago.
Spider-Man and the X-Men writer Elliot Kalan pretty much defined the villain Stegron for the modern Marvel era with the line "But I don't want to cure cancer. I want to turn people into dinosaurs." This arc taps into that same, silly appeal as Venom and his temporary sidekick fight to prevent Stegron from morphing a new wave of hapless civilians into human/dino hybrids. The stakes aren't incredibly high, though writer Mike Costa does get some good mileage out of exploring the bond between Lunella and DD and her pain at the thought of losing her trusty partner. And in a way, that bond between girl and dinosaur serves as a lighter reflection of the co-dependent relationship between Eddie and the symbiote. But as before, this premise mostly just an excuse to pit Venom against monsters bigger than he and balance out the gritty darkness that dominated the book in its early issues.
It's also a premise that makes the most of artist Gerardo Sandoval's talent for drawing hulking, monstrous figures. His Venom oozes power and rage, dominating the page even when grappling with enemies much bigger than him. Sandoval's exaggerated dino characters also stand out. And this issue once again serves as a reminder of just how much the right coloring can improve a book. Dono Sanchez-Almara's bright colors help bring a sense of life and whimsy to the series that was sorely lacking in the Lee Pace days.
That being said, the improved colors can't make up for the fact that the human characters just aren't up to par. There's little sense of life or emotion to the figures, despite the exaggerated nature of Sandoval's art. The facial work is too murky. Not to mention that this issue suffers from very inconsistent backgrounds and environments. A detailed cityscape in one panel will make way for a flat, formless gradient in the next.
Art troubles aside, the series looks to be headed in a solid direction as Eddie wraps up his first mission. The next arc shows the potential to put a fun spin on an old trope from Eddie's world. That element should also serve as a crucial test for this series. Is it content to merely recycle familiar beats of the past, or can it find ways of pushing the character forward despite all the ways Venom has circled back around to his '90s status quo?
The Verdict
Venom has improved quite a bit in recent months, even if the artwork tends to struggle whenever Eddie Brock is out of costume and not clobbering dinosaurs. The tone is silly, yet tinged with a necessary darkness as Eddie and the symbiote slowly come to terms with one another all over again. The challenge for this series going forward will be balancing nostalgic comfort with an ability to push Venom in new and unexpected directions.
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