There’s an all-new Venom in, well, All-New Venom #1, and nobody knows who they are… not yet, anyway. But there are suspects.
As with every crossover event, the recently-concluded Venom War ended with a major development for the symbiote side of the Marvel Universe: neither Eddie Brock nor his son Dylan ended up with custody of Venom. Instead, it went to a third, unrelated host. As for who that new host is, however… we don’t know yet. Writer Al Ewing is building a mystery as to who Venom bonded with, and we have some suspects.
It’s all laid out in this first issue, but All-New Venom #1 posits the new host as being one of the following: Madame Masque, Luke Cage, Robbie Robertson, and Rick Jones. Some are likelier than others, but each has a reasonable hypothesis behind them. It’s very reminiscent of Red Hulk’s introduction, which was drawn out into a mystery of its own until, ultimately, they revealed it to be Thunderbolt Ross. Whereas that one was sort of obvious to most, I can’t really say who the new Venom is based on just this first issue. While that makes it fun to guess, there’s really not much to go on here, which in turn makes it a slightly underwhelming reading experience. That’s the inherent problem with these sorts of #1s: there’s so little space for plot and character that launching straight into an identity who’s-it leaves the reader a little unsatisfied. But I’m always willing to let Ewing cook, and I think I will be tuning in to the next few issues to find out what’s what.
(Personally, I’m putting my money on Rick Jones, because they make a point of saying he’s lacking a superhero alias at the moment and the others just seem unlikely to me, especially Luke and Masque; so does that mean it’s Robbie all along? He would be the most unexpected…)
While the script of All-New Venom #1 leaves a little to be desired, Carlos Gómez turns in some beautiful art here. There’s lots of detail on the page, and although most of the issue takes place in one courtroom, Gómez gets to draw a fun fight scene showing off what the new Venom can do. It’s a great showcase despite the limited opportunities offered by the script, and I’d love to see what else Gómez can do in further issues. Color artist Frank D’Armata deserves a mention as well, with some lovely lighting and a great rendering of the gold on the new Venom’s symbiote, which is really flashy and unique. (Which, in turn, convinces me it’s Rick because of his flamboyant personality…)
All-New Venom #1
4.99
Credits
- Writer: Al Ewing
- Artist: Carlos Gómez
- Color Artist: Frank D'Armata
- Letterer: VC's Clayton Cowles
- Cover Artists: Adam Kubert & Frank D'Armata
Credits (cont)
- Editor: Jordan D. White
- Publisher: Marvel Entertainment
