In The Grip Of The Red Poison: ‘Venom #24’ Reviewed
by Josh Davison
Mild Spoilers Ahead
Eddie Brock was extracted from the island before the Avengers blew it to bits. He’s now in a hospital bed in New York with the Avengers watching over him. His other, the Venom symbiote, is dead. All that is left for Eddie to do now is move on. Is that possible? His situation worsens when Captain America informs Eddie that they’re taking Dylan away for his own safety. On top of that, Eddie has been in a coma for months and Knull has already arrived.
Venom #24 finds Eddie on the other end of “Venom Island.” He survived, if barely, but he lost Venom in the process.
Of course, things aren’t always what they seem and if you have a guess at what’s actually going on here, then you’re an observant reader. Of course, the situation summarized above is far too dire and final to be the truth.
I won’t spoil what has actually happened, but I will say that this ruse probably takes up more of the comic than it should. By the time you get to the truth–and by then you’ve likely already seen through the red herring–the book is about half over.
That doesn’t mean that the book is out of surprises though. We get to see what Dylan has been up to back in New York, and the extent of his newfound powers are shocking. It leads to a solid cliffhanger too.
Mark Bagley continues to be a masterful Venom artist. He has a way of making the symbiotes look their sleekest and he makes Carnage look downright terrifying. He’s also great at crafting visual texture and expressive faces and those qualities really shine in this issue. Andy Owens tops it off with skillful inkwork and color artist Frank Martin ensures that each page really pops.
Venom #24 doesn’t advance the story a whole lot, but it is largely enjoyable and leads to a killer cliffhanger. We get insight into Eddie’s worst fears and the extent of Dylan’s powers. On top of that, we get to see it rendered by the masterful team of Bagley, Owens, and Martin. As such, this one still gets a recommendation. Feel free to check it out.
Venom #24 comes to us from writer Donny Cates, artist Mark Bagley, inker Andy Owens, color artist Frank Martin, letterer VC’s Clayton Cowles, cover artist Mark Bagley with Andy Owens and Frank Martin, and variant cover artist Rock-He Kim.
Final Score: 7.5/10