Venom #41

I know I am a bit late on this review, but I was on leave and didn't have access to picking up my books, so deal with the late review! Anyway I must say compared to the standard I expect from Venom, this issue I felt was somewhat sub-par. Yes, I am always critical of Venom. Why? Because I like the character, I like his story. I am a big fan of Flash Thompson as Venom, and it upsets me when he isn't treated well. With this being his second to last issue, I want his final run to be flawless. Honestly, I don't want it focused on Andi.

This issue picks up with Venom visiting Daimon Hellstrom in prison and getting the full story. Hellstrom sent out copies of himself into the world to "explore every angle" of viability of the upcoming "Descent", where one of the Hell Lords becomes the new Devil, and a marked steps up to become a Hell-Lord. If you read last issue, you know someone has been hunting and killing the marked, stacking the deck for who will be selected. We also know from last issue that Flash is no longer marked, but Andi now is. In visiting Hellstrom Flash learns this, and immediately sets out to save Andi.

Andi, back in Philadelphia, is hunting Lord Ogre. She blames him for her father's death, and she intends to end Ogre. She finds him, and there is a dialogue exchange in which she hesitates in her goal. In all we've seen of Andi the past few issues, I found it somewhat out of character and unbelievable. She never has to make a final decision, however, as Venom shows up and breaks them up. With a mere shoulder block, knocking Andi from Ogre, Venom seems to break Ogre's arm. Which begs the question: why has Ogre been around this long? What has taken Flash so long? If I have one major complaint about this entire Lord Ogre story from start until now, it has been it's pacing. Ogre is just a guy. A guy we still, really, don't know much about. But he is a regular guy. He's strong, yes, but there has been no indication he is anywhere peak human, let alone super-human, or that he is any sort of criminal genius. He is just...a...guy... So why has this story been going on so long? The pacing has been very off.

Anyway, Venom and Andi share a silly "big brother little sister moment" (something else I am growing weary of in their relationship) before being interrupted by Crossbones and Master Mayhem, who have been hunting the hellmarked. Thankfully, the book picks up here as mayhem summons endless waves of demons leading to a battle between Venom, Mania, and the demons. Lord Ogre is thoroughly an afterthought here, especially when you see what happens, which also bothered me. Andi realizes something about herself now, something Flash figured out back in the Monsters of Evil arc, and it turns the tide, allowing Flash and Andi an escape. Again, something that bothered me. Crossbones and Mayhem are really not serious threats to someone like Venom alone, let alone with Mania. So why run? So frustrating.

They return to Flash's apartment and Flash wants answers as to what in the heck is going on. We are treated with a great exchange between Flash and Venom, the actual symbiote. Their relationship and mutual need is explored and fleshed out in, what I think, is a really cool scene. Flash realizes what he must do to save Andi, which sets us up for the next issue.

Jorge Coelho's artwork in this book is not bad when I comes to symbiotes and action, but his faces are far too cartoonish for this type of a title. It makes the seriousness and graveness of the situation seem less so, because the character's facial expressions are almost comical in their reactions. Honestly, I prefer former artists like Declan Shalvey and Kim Jacinto by a long shot.

My gripes with this are many. Some of them have already been listed above, but there are a few more. If this is supposed to be Venom's last arc, I expected much better. Cullen Bunn has been a good writer overall, but this story feels rushed and hacked together. I understand he's working on borrowed time with Venom getting cancelled, but in my opinion it would have been better to simply ignore the whole Mania angle and just have Flash and Venom cut loose in a battle again Hell for their collective souls. It could be action filled, develop the story between Flash and the symbiote, and lead to Flash's redemption (in his own mind at least he feels he needs to redeem himself) and a turning point for the character. Instead we have a thrown together rush story of a new-ish symbiote, a spoiled hipster girl with an attitude problem, still dealing with Lord Ogre, and a throwback to an area of the Venom run I would have preferred forgotten. I know I am being rough, but as I said before I am a huge fan of Flash and Venom and hate to see them treated this way.

Please don't understand, overall this is not a bad issue. I would probably be less critical if Venom wasn't coming to an end, as not every issue can be a five-star grand slam. But with the end so near, I just expect better and want Venom to go with a bang, not a whimper. The story is not bad, but I was never a big fan of the whole demon-possession angle from the start. Some people may love this review, by all means try it out yourself. In fact, I encourage you to look into Venom from issue 1 if you can. It is a great series. This issue, however, just didn't connect with me and didn't impress for what I know Venom is capable of.