Comic Book Review - Venom #1

Rob reviews Venom #1...

Since Knull's defeat there's been a change within the status quo of the Symbiotes. Eddie Brock now finds himself sitting on the black throne, and under his direction the Symbiotes are being used as a force of good. While Eddie is gallivanting about the wider universe his son, Dylan Brock is facing his own issues back on planet Earth.

So, story wise Venom #1 opens up in media res. Dylan has bonded with Venom, and an unknown military force is setting up shop within a motel parking lot. We then flash back to 12 hours previously as Eddie leads his Symbiotes on a rescue mission deep in outer space. As the rescue mission turns sour, a figure from the future hits Eddie with a dire warning. It's this warning that brings Eddie back to Earth and back into Dylan's life.

Aside from its narrative Venom #1 also sees a change within its creative team too. Al Ewing and Ram V take the helm for this new series and its one full of change - yet retains it's familiarity. What the duo does well is adding their own spin to the characters, yet remaining mindful of what's come before. Where as the story takes place after Knull's defeat its still a driving force behind Eddie's motivations, and his fatherly instincts towards both Dylan and the Symbiotes. 

This new direction is all shown via two alternating viewpoints as scenes intersect between Eddie and Dylan. It's a nice touch that not only dives into each characters motivations, you also get to see the driving force between what happens next. There's a lot to take in as Ewing and V throw us from one end of the galaxy to the next with various plot lines playing out at once. While on the surface it seems a but mismatched, come the issues end it all fits together pretty well.

 Art and lettering comes courtesy of Bryan Hitch, Andrew Currie, and Alex Sinclair. Each veteran is at the top of their game as presentation matches the high intensity of Ewing and V's script. Action scenes are packed full of horror, with the scenes in the escape pod being especially harrowing. Character work is also spot on, with a great distinction being used to tell the various Symbiotes apart - it also helps too that Eddie has named his space crew too! 

Sinclair's choice of colour is also a great match. Every page is an explosion of colour, yet its balanced out well with some exceptional shadows. Sinclair also balances this out with some soft more dimmer tones as we follow Dylan on his Earthbound journey. Everything just flows together effortlessly 

Overall Venom #1 is a great launch issue. It's got everything here that makes the character great - and more. Considering Venom and its Symbiote pals have been part of the Marvel Universe for decades, its great to see even more of these characters doing what they do best. And with the Brock's in tow, this ones going to be very interesting...

Rating 9/10

Rob Lake - For more comic book and video game chat why not follow Geek Culture Reviews on Twitter and Facebook @GeekCultureRev