Venom #12 – Review

By: Rick Remender (writer), Lan Medina Nelson DeCastro (artists), Marte Gracia (colors)

The Story: What happens in Vegas…could get all your loved-ones killed.

The Good: I have a confession to make: this is the issue of Venom I have been waiting for. Don’t get me wrong, I love what Rick Remender has done to rehabilitate the character. Making the main source of tension the interplay between symbiote and host allows Venom to have a purpose outside of being a Spider-Man support character. Flash’s complicated past and stressed relationships give him compelling motivations and a pathos Eddie Brock never achieved. But honestly, I have really wanted to see Venom absolutely rage out. In this issue, Lan Medina finally gives us that release, and it feels like a dam has been broken. After surviving a road trip with his nemesis, Venom is forced to break into a casino and steal an item for the Crime Master. Unfortunately for everyone, the symbiote guesses what the package is, and that sends it into a rage. We’ve seen Flash lose control of Venom a few times in this run, but never like this. Here, Jekyll is completely stripped away to give us raw, unadulterated Hyde. Venom looks monstrous, grotesque, and more intimidating here than he ever has since this ongoing began. When Jack O’Lantern sees that Flash has lost control he steps in to try to bring Venom to heel; boy, is it gratifying to watch Jack realize he’s bitten off more than he can chew.

It’s fascinating to watch Flash resist, struggle, and finally succumb to the symbiote. There’s a moment where Venom is gracefully smashing down an armored door that encapsulates beautiful contrast between rage and serenity in this takeover; as he soars through the air, Flash thinks, “Something in my system…a reward…an opiate…the symbiote is putting me to sleep.” Then the door comes down, and all hell breaks loose. It’s truly an operatic moment. From there, the narration stops, and it’s Venom’s show. When the narration returns at the very end, saying nothing but the words, “Do it,” it’s hard to say who’s issuing the command.