Finding solace at the bottom of the bottle
I admit I have been following Venom at arms length ever since issue one, however after this issue I think it may become one of my frequent reading titles. So how has Rick Remender's Venom fallen under my radar for so long? well I have been preoccupied by the awesomeness of Remender's other title Uncanny X force! but i digress. This issue wraps up Flash Thompson and Jack-O-Lantern's awesome roadtrip to Vegas, when it is revealed that the package that the two are charged with picking up is none other than the symbiote Toxin! However the past couple of months have understandably been hard on Flash, with the passing of his father and the deteriorating relationship between him and Betty Brant; top that all off with an extended period bonded with the venom symbiote and the blackmail of Crime master and his goons. This issue is the point in which Flash's last gasps of staying above water are overtaken with the stress of the job. he looses utter and all control of the Venom symbiote and becomes everything he has fought so hard overcome. To give an example as to a story that sticks out within my mind that is similar to Flash's would be the Frank miller Daredevil story in which Daredevil is pushed to the edge of exhaustion. The Art has been an absolute treat, Lan Medina's work really captures the energy of Remender's script. Likewise Venom has been one of the most thoughtful reads of my comic pile because many of the problems within this series resonates with a lot of truth within reality, aspects such as loss and sacrifice have really turned Flash into a very enjoying and thoughtful read. 5/5
