A new Venom series by David Michelinie kicks off today, set in the early days of Venom when eating brains and killing Spider-Man was all he desired. Armed with longtime Venom artist Gerardo Sandoval, the two pit Venom against some major villains in this new series, one of which is unique and never before seen. If you’re a fan who likes their Eddie Brock back to the way he was, this series will keep you fed.
Venom: Separation Anxiety #1 opens with Venom raging over wanting to kill Spider-Man for what he did to the Symbiote. Michelinie firmly establishes when this story takes place before diving into some shady work being done under the geis of government research. This research involves big-time supervillains, the main one being Zebediah Killgrave.
This story does something a little different. It ties in the classic character Betty Brant and actually gets Eddie back on the reporting beat as a photographer. In one key scene, Eddie rejects helping her, reminding us he’s not going back to his old ways so easily.
One reoccurring problem this issue has is the overabundance of setup. Not only is Betty given a short scene, but also Zebediah Killgrave. Michelinie is doing a good job catching up with everyone on who these characters are, but it doesn’t feel very efficient. By the end of the issue, it’s mostly a series of scenes like one where two soldiers remind us of Killgrave’s powers. Another example is a page devoted to Eddie explaining to the reader why he’s pretending to be blind, but that’s a whole page when it probably didn’t have to be.
Look at those toes!
Credit: Marvel
Sandoval’s art certainly amps up the value of action and entertainment. Whenever Venom is on the page, he’s hulking and huge, with plenty of Symbiote tendrils and wisps to amp up his alien nature. The way the mask consumes Eddie’s face with jagged teeth is quite cool, and Eddie has a hulking demeanor. This Venom looks like he could take on the Hulk on a bad day.
Regarding the writing of Eddie’s, Michelinie doesn’t skip a beat, and his voice is loud and clear. Given that he’s done a few of these prequel series now, it shouldn’t be a surprise, but his vigilante heroism, mixed with anger and spite, helps define him. It’s ever-present throughout the issue. This is classic Venom through and through.
However, the cliffhanger is one of the coolest aspects of the issue. I honestly didn’t see it coming, and it not only raises the stakes but makes Killgrave even more compelling as a main villain. One gets the sense this could be a foe even Venom can’t anticipate.
Fans of classic Venom will get their fill of action, Eddie angst, and trippy Symbiote action in Venom: Separation Anxiety #1. There’s no denying this back-to-basics version is fun, bringing you back to your childhood when Venom was the enemy of all bullies with a big, toothy grin.
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