Venom #3 – Review

by Rick Remender (writer), Tom Fowler (artist), John Rauch (colorist), and Joe Caramagna (letterer)

The Story: Trying to stick it out to halt the shipment of Antarctic vibranium, Flash starts losing control of the symbiote.

The Review:  I had a really strong sense of foreboding when I saw that Tony Moore didn’t draw this book.  He was such an integral part of the book and, while I know the man isn’t the fastest artist, seeing him gone after two issues is really disheartening.

That said, Marvel could do a lot worse than Tom Fowler, that’s for sure.  Fowler tries his best to stay consistent with the style Moore had established for the book and, by and large, he succeeds.  The tone and look that have worked so well are pretty much intact.  This is thanks in no small part to colorist John Rauch staying on, as he continues on with his smudged, Euro pulpy style.  Fowler also does a great job in showing the symbiote’s gradual gain of control, as Flash’s suit grows increasingly inhuman, spiky, and weird looking.

Unfortunately, Fowler seems to struggle with the high-octane fight scenes.  There are several panels here where it’s a real struggle to figure out what exactly is going on.  At some points, it looks like a chaotic mess of black stuff.  It took away quite a bit from the comic overall, given how much action there was this much.

Which is a damned shame, because while it’s not quite the masterpiece of last month, Remender turns in solid work here.  I really liked his reveal of Jack O’ Lantern’s boss, which is another semi-obscure, old school, cheesy villain.  Between this guy and Jack O’ Lantern, I love the goofy, retro rogues’ gallery Remender is fashioning here.

Weekly Comic Book Review’s Top Picks

Dean’s Top Picks

Best From The Past Week: Rocketeer Adventures #1 – And…I’m not even a Rocketeer fan.  But, I do love seeing three anthology stories with art by John Cassaday, Mike Allred and Michael Kaluta.  That’s some hot art, right there.  The stories are fine, but with art like this the stories really don’t matter.  Dave Stevens, the creator of the Rocketeer has been dead for ~3 years and it’s nice to see that top-notch creators still have a passion for his character.  I’m not in favor of seeing Rocketeer be launched as an ongoing series with some C-list talent, but if IDW can keep bringing this level of creator to the table, they can publish Rocketeer stories for as long as they want.  Runner-up: Li’l Depressed Boy #4

Most Anticipated: Strange Adventures #1 – I’m a complete sucker for anthology series because you always have the possibility of catching lightning in a bottle.  Featuring work by Scott Snyder, Brian Azzarello, Eduardo Risso, Jeff Lemire and others this should be pretty hot.  It is also really nice to see Vertigo launching something new as they haven’t put out a new piece of intellectual property since I Zombie last summer.

Other Picks: American Vampire #15, Detective Comics #877, Butcher Baker the Righteous Maker #3, The Walking Dead #85, Hack/Slash #4

Alex’s Top Picks

Best From The Past Week: DMZ #65 – It was a bit of a breather last week as far as the number of books went, but that doesn’t mean there was a lack in quality.  DMZ #65 took it this week, for me, showcasing everything that has made the series such a success for Vertigo. Everything you’ve ever liked about Wood’s DMZ was right here.  Good stuff.

Most Anticipated: Strange Adventures – I don’t think I can remember the last time I had such a huge stack with one book so clearly ahead of the rest of the pack as my most anticipated.  The concept for Strange Adventures excites me so much.  A big anthology of retro sci-fi, with creators like Paul Cornell, Jeff Lemire, and Peter Milligan?  The first chapter of the new comic by Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso?  The first comics work of science fiction author, Lauren Beukes (whose two novels, Zoo City and Moxyland, you should really check out)?   There’s even a cool Paul Pope cover.  What more could you ask for?If there was ever a comic I really want to succeed, it’s this one.  $7.99 is a high price, but a bargain for an unbelievable package like this.

Other Picks: Action Comics #901, Detective Comics #877, Green Lantern Corps #60, Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors #10, Green Lantern #66, American Vampire #15, Amazing Spider-Man #662, Captain America #618, FF #4, Iron Man 2.0 #5, Mighty Thor #2, Secret Avengers #13, Secret Warriors #27, Venom #3, Wolverine #9