Share this
Venom gets used to the Philly life and Toxin is on the hunt!
Venom #31
Written by Cullen Bunn
Art by Declan Shalvey
Published by Marvel
Synopsis: Flash has moved into his new home and prepares to get used to his new life by patrolling the streets of Philadelphia.
Good: In my opinion this was a very strong issue of Venom and a great start to the new direction this book is leading. First off we finally got some closure between Flash and Peter; this is set before the events that led to Spectacular Spider-Man so it is actually Peter that Flash is talking to. Throughout this series the relationship between Flash and Pete has always been a highlight but I’m a little disappointed that Peter never found out Flash was Agent Venom.
The art works really well in this book and in my opinion has always been a strong part of the series. The panels with Agent Venom in the night look really good and the scene with the quote “Eat your Brains” looked amazing.
It’s interesting to see Flash actually be able to turn into the beast form of Venom while still calm, or he at least appears to be. Another really good part is the steps Flash took to cover his tracks to make sure Venom being in Philadelphia never goes public. I also like the idea of Flash having medicine that can help him control the symbiote; the idea of him wanting to control it himself while being smart enough to keep that medicine around if he ends up failing, really adds to his character. Just like the last issue, this one ends with momentum building towards a ‘Venom vs. Toxin’ Round Two fight. I’m really excited to see them fight each other again and can’t wait for the next book.
Bad: I enjoyed all of it, but there were some panels, the flashback ones to be more specific, that had different colouring. I understand what the inker was going for though. The page with Peter and Flash had red lighting with the characters skins looking purple and the page with Flash and his mother uses too much yellow for my taste, but it’s a small issue and it didn’t really take away from my enjoyment of it. I really was hoping that there would finally be that moment where you see Peter finding out Flash is Venom, but in the end nothing. It’s a moment I’ve been hoping for since I first started reading the series and I am disappointed. Another small issue that can be brought up is his new neighbour. The standard alcoholic who has no issue threatening a guy in a wheel chair BUT he only appears on one page so it’s not a major, and it did lead toward something in the end.
Overall: In the end this was a really strong issue of Venom. Flash beat up bad guys, Venomed (Is that a word? It is now!) out on purpose, and he used more of the potential his suit has. I’m very excited to see Toxin’s return and I’m looking forward to the next issue.
Rating: 4/5
Do you think Philadelphia is the right place for Venom?
Add comment