Marvel Comics‘ new Venom series from writers Al Ewing and Ram V is off to an explosive start. The King is dead and his mortal husk destroyed. Eddie Brock finds himself displaced from the current timeline and at the end of reality. He leaves behind his son, the symbiote Venom, with explicit instructions to not bond with the Klyntar. Truth be told, not even Dylan wants anything to do with Venom as it reminds him of his father. All that changes when Alchemax comes for the boy and the symbiotes. With Ram V writing a nail-biting, emotionally-driven climax, Venom #5 shifts focus to the newly anointed King in Black who finds himself in uncharted waters.
Venom #5, written by Al Ewing with artwork from Bryan Hitch, Andrew Currie, and Alex Sinclair, reveals the mastermind behind all of the Brock family’s miseries. After siccing the symbiote Bedlam upon Dylan and Venom, Meridius returns to his Garden of Time in the future. There he welcomes a freshly reconstituted Eddie Brock and introduces him to the other Kings in Black who have fallen through the time stream. While Meridius acts warm and friendly, his highbrow attitude does not go unnoticed. As Eddie meets the sarcastic Wilde and sheepish Tyro, another King named Finnegan approaches him with ominous foreboding. Before he can utter any words, Bedlam appears out of nowhere and starts killing the symbiote, prompting Eddie to take matters into his own hands.
The current Venom series runs on a tandem narrative with writer Ram V exploring the last few issues from Dylan’s perspective. However, the story, like the titular character itself, is incomplete without the shared experiences of both the protagonists. Al Ewing, the author of the critically acclaimed Immortal Hulk run, completes the circle of storytelling in Venom #5. The issue is heavy on exposition, introducing readers to a wealth of new characters and a symbiotic world that comes with its own set of rules. Ewing takes the story in a different direction, subverting expectations of finding Eddie in the limelight. Instead, it is Meridius who takes the oar of the narrative and propels it through the river of time. His narration feels like a monotonous memoir, exuding anger, spite, and menace while boasting of things he has done and revealing his true face.
Artist Bryan Hitch’s crisp linework gives the symbiotes’ amorphous anatomy a lucid form. His intricately detailed art pops out every vein on their musculatures, gives shape to the unique morphology of the Garden, and presents the characters in dynamic postures and intense multi-angle close-ups. Meanwhile, inker Andrew Currie’s bold contour lines and dark shades give weight to the symbiotes’ movements. Each of the Kings in Black has a discernable look, especially Meridius, whose horned crown and flowing cape give him a royal appearance. Colorist Alex Sinclair mixes a wide range of colors to bring the issue to life. He uses bright shades to paint the heavenly Garden of Time and muted tones to create a claustrophobic vibe in the Brock apartment.
Venom #5 takes a breather from the fast-paced action and emotionally-charged storytelling and instead focuses on the insidious other-worldly threat manipulating events from behind the veil of time. While the readers are privy to such knowledge, the protagonists are not, which adds suspense to the narrative. Yet much of the background surrounding the enigmatic new villain has not been unrevealed. This book is a direct continuation of the first issue and recaps events from Meridius’ perspective, bringing the story to a full circle. Venom #5 opens up new avenues in this symbiotic adventure and ends on a narrative hook that will bring readers back to the next issue.
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