The Venom symbiote has reunited with Eddie Brock. Unfortunately, the once happy couple appear to be having some issues—namely with the symbiote grievously harming a priest who had tried to help Brock.
Writer: Mike Costa
Artist: Gerardo Sandoval
Publisher: Marvel Comics
First Read Reactions:
- Easy way to my heart: Making fun of pretentious college film students.
- Whoa whoa whoa! I said “make fun of” not “maim and kill!”
- VENOM VS. SEWER DINOSAUR WOHOO!!!!
- Okay, I’m totally rooting for Eddie here, but mad props to the dino for exposing the classic Venom Tongue as a huge liability in a fight.
- Always handy when the bad guys/monsters have corporate logos clearly marked and stamped on their chests.
- It’s going to take a lot more than Venom showing up to the office with a dead dinosaur to rattle Liz Allan.
- It’s rare that we get to see Eddie Brock be a genuinely funny wise ass, but his observations about Vincent Stegron are pure gold.
- Uh oh…
The Verdict
Venom vs. Dinosaurs? A story with Vincent Stegron as the main villain? Be still my childhood’s heart!
Don’t let my nostalgic freakout fool you, though. Venom #151 is a lot more than a Saturday morning cartoon schlockfest. It also features a smart and surprisingly funny script from Mike Costa, who writes Eddie Brock with a dry wit in place of his usual righteous bluster.
Also, the artwork Gerardo Sandoval is outstanding. I’m obviously biased because of my love for dinosaurs, but the guy draws the hell out of them—and trust me, he gets to draw them A LOT.
Add in Liz Allan being a total boss along with some fantastic fight sequences, and this is by far the strongest issue of the new Venom series to date. The only thing that bothered me (aside from the monster with the company logo stamped clearly on its chest) was how quickly we seem to have discarded the narrative with the priest. I’m sure we’ll get back to it soon, but Eddie’s actions and reactions to what he learns about Alchemax/Stegron seem to have pushed what should have been a traumatic incident completely off the radar.
Other than that, though, Venom #151 gives me high hopes that this series is finally turning things around and meeting the potential of its great creative team. Turns out you don’t need to renumber anything—just add dinosaurs and a good script to produce a great issue.
Join the AIPT Patreon
Want to take our relationship to the next level? Become a patron today to gain access to exclusive perks, such as:
- ❌ Remove all ads on the website
- 💬 Join our Discord community, where we chat about the latest news and releases from everything we cover on AIPT
- 📗 Access to our monthly book club
- 📦 Get a physical trade paperback shipped to you every month
- 💥 And more!
