COMICS!! Review: Venom #4

For those not in the "know", Flash Thompson (childhood bully to Peter Parker yet biggest fan of Spider-Man) has taken over as the Marvel Universe's Venom. Thanks to Rick Remender and Tony Moore, this potentially puzzling successor to the legendary mantle has been nothing short of amazing. Now 4 issues in and with the first arc of the Venom story concluded, does the series have a bright future, or has Flash peaked even before his career has begun?

Soldier of Misfortune

Issue #4 continues the chaotic path from the previous three, with Flash trying to get control of a raging Symbiote, attempting to end the dastardly schemes of the Crime Master and save his girlfriend Betty Brant, AND having to face off against Spider-Man as well. The action is told in a stream of consciousness much like that of a noir story, and the tension rises as the fight between Venom and Spidey escalates. Of course, Betty's life being on the line doesn't help matters, and throw the new Jack o' Lantern (and a whole lot of misunderstandings) into the mix, and this issue is action packed.

Remender's writing really works for this series, and this issue in-particular makes good use of his introspective style. We even get a small portion of the story told by one of Crime Master's henchman which proves both entertaining and enlightening. It's interesting that Flash has run the gamut of being a capable para-military character to one who has come to struggle much more with his current role. This is the first issue in which I actually felt Flash wasn't a hero in the least. I also can't help but love Remender's new version of Jack o'Lantern. He's essentially just a scary henchman, but he's scarier and cooler than the character has been in a long while. Of course, the artwork by Tony Moore is also top-notch. He captures a grittiness and danger that a Spider-Man related series doesn't typically go for. That's part of the fun of it all.

Very Special Forces

Obviously, I think very highly about Venom. So the last question is, should you pick up #4? Well, if you haven't been following the series up to this point... then no. Don't do it. What you SHOULD do is go back, pick up the first three issues, and THEN pick up #4. It's not a great jumping on point (in fact, it's kinda terrible), but it deserves a spot in your collection.

Venom #4 easily gets 4.5 stars out of 5. It's quickly becoming one of my most-anticipated books to pick up each month.