Reading Venom: Black, White & Blood #3 was a genuine surprise for me. It’s not just that all three stories are excellent, but also that top-tier talent has been recruited to bring them to life. What’s even better is that each story focuses on a different version of the Lethal Protector, offering plenty of variety. Whatever else you can say about Marvel’s Black, White & Blood series, it knows that variety isn’t just the spice of life, but also the spice that makes this type of storytelling work.
First up is “Stalker Syndrome” by David Dastmalchian and Philip Tan. Taking place during Web of Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #18, it lives up to its title by following Eddie Brock in his early days as Venom, as he stalks Peter Parker and eventually shoves him into the path of a subway train. What makes this such a compelling – and creepy – story is that Dastmalchian literally frames the story as though it’s from Eddie’s point of view. You only hear his thoughts, which are bubbling over with hatred, malice, and the refusal to take responsibility for his own actions. It’s a stark reminder of how much Venom has changed as a character over the years.
Tan’s artwork fully leans into the first-person perspective of Dastmalchian’s script. Most of the art showcases things from Eddie’s perspective: his hands shaking with rage as he crumples up a newspaper, his reaching out to shove Peter onto the subway, and his reflection being dwarfed by the Venom symbiote. Literally putting the reader in Venom’s shoes is a neat touch, but what really makes it pop is how Tan hews close to Todd McFarlane’s original interpretation of Venom – hulking mass, toothy grin and all.
Marvel
The following story, “Toxic Relationship”, takes place in the world of What If Peter Parker Became The Punisher? That one-shot saw Spider-Man taking a decidedly more lethal approach to crime fighting (complete with web-shooters that sprayed bullets as well), until he gave it up for a life with Gwen Stacy. Yet somehow, the unfriendly neighborhood web-slinger ends up in his universe’s version of Secret Wars and gets his own symbiote…complete with homicidal tendencies.
Carl Potts, who penned What If Peter Parker Became The Punisher?, returns to write “Toxic Relationship” and gives us a good look into his version of Peter during the process. Despite his desire to put his antihero life behind him, the power that the symbiote offers is far too tempting. Damian Couciero also deserves props for how he draws this version of Venom, incorporating the Punisher’s signature skull symbol into Venom’s massive white spider emblem. I do feel the ending is a bit too neat, but for what it’s worth this is a welcome return to a interesting take on Spider-Man.
Finally, Takashi Okazaki brings another tale of Ninja Venom with “The Scarlet Armored Samurai”. Suppose you guessed that Okazaki would illustrate Carnage as a samurai. In that case, you’re absolutely right – and he makes it extremely terrifying, with the blood-red symbiote growing armored plates and a helmet that matches Cletus Kasady’s sinister smile. Okazaki also makes the best use of the “Black, White and Blood” color scheme, especially in a moment where an army of Venom ninja take on the Carnage samurai…resulting in a blood-soaked victory for one of the combatants.
Venom: Black, White & Blood #3 delivers a mix of brutality and ingenuity, with all three stories featuring a unique hook. Future writers should use this issue as an example of what to do when they board a “Black, White & Blood” anthology, or an anthology series in general.
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