The day has finally come to find out who Venom is, and if you haven’t had it spoiled for you yet, don’t pass up on All-New Venom #5! And for that matter, don’t pass up on Venom Unleashed as editor Jordan D. White unpacks the reveal. Speaking of which, how is the reveal in this issue? Tantalizing, to say the least.
All-New Venom #5 blends two plots leading towards the big reveal on the final page. Plot A involves Robbie Robertson confronting Paul about who Venom could be. Plot B wraps up where we left off with Venom fighting M.O.D.O.K. The two plots intertwine nicely to ramp up the action while detailing clues Robbie has discovered as the series unfolds. The scripting is tight and well-paced, keeping you on the edge of your seat.
If you think the Robbie scenes are boring, think again. Artist Carlos Gomez does a good job of capturing Robbie’s certainty as he unpacks details with Paul. As you go through things, you’ll be tempted to go back and check the previous issues. This subplot serves the mystery element of the series well.
I got your nose!
Credit: Marvel
Meanwhile, the action is as intense as ever, with Venom and Sleeper (with Rick Jones being used by the symbiote) taking on M.O.D.O.K. Given how often M.O.D.O.K. is a comedic element in stories, we forget he’s also an S-tier villain, as he shows in this action scene. While Venom throws him for a loop, he’s also capable of incredible destruction power. Of course, seeing Venom jam symbiote tentacles into M.O.D.O.K.’s nose is comical, though it’s also gross and violent. One could argue that drawing one action scene across two issues is some unfortunate decompression for the plot, but it’s filled with slick moments.
Gomez particularly goes off with energy effects and webbing in this action scene. While the heroes are hurtling to the city floor, you’ll be on the edge of your seat. Frank D’Armata flushes this comic with pinks, which adds to the chaotic nature of the action scene. D’Armata is also great at creating lighting effects on costumes, making Venom and Sleeper look slick as heck.
Another highlight of this issue that Ewing has been great at is toying with symbiote abilities. For instance, Sleeper pulls off a clever move, but using symbiote constructs is also well done.
Regarding the elephant in the room, Venom, I could see satisfaction levels going different ways. On the other hand, there’s a lot to explore with Venom due to their past relationship with the symbiote. On the other hand, Marvel continues to push this character as a hero, and fans seem not to be into it.
As far as the mystery, while Robbie helps make it not entirely out of left field who Venom is, it is still a shock, for good and bad. On the one hand, Dylan is leading readers in the wrong direction the whole time, which is frustrating, but it’s also a smart way to make it his fault.
All-New Venom #5 delivers an exhilarating mix of mystery and action, with tight scripting, dynamic art, and a thrilling showdown that keeps the stakes high. A surprising but potentially polarizing identity reveal ensures fans will be talking about this issue for weeks to come.
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