Spoiler Warning: Plot and or ending details follow
Written by: Mike Costa
Art by: Gerardo Sandoval
Publisher: Marvel
It’s been over a month since I’ve done a, “Good ideas, bad execution,” review! I hope you’re as excited as I am. The thing is though, I’m not sure the ideas here are actually good, and I’m not sure the execution is exactly bad. Venom #1 is muddled to say the least.
I’m not “in the know” when it comes to Marvel, so Venom being a good guy(ish) now is surprising. That’s our starting point; he’s down on his luck and looking for another host. I guess he’s like a bum, which is a good idea. He’s also cutting himself on his own edge which is bad execution, but that’s maybe forgivable for a guy named Venom.
It made me cringe, but I’ll allow it.
O’l good guy(ish) Venom ends up finding a guy that isn’t good, which I feel like is a good idea in theory but a boring one in execution. I’m not one to feel sympathy for the symbiote—he made Peter Parker dance like an idiot in Spider Man 3—and anyways, this dichotomy of good super powers + evil villain feels played out even for Marvel.
There’s your bookend for Venom #1. Everything in the middle is a big heaping pile of, “I don’t care.”
The book tries to make me care though! I’ll give it another point in the “good idea,” category. I couldn’t tell you the name of the main character, but he’s a soldier who’s down on his luck. Let’s call this good execution because I’m feeling benevolent. Apathy and edge are his selling points though, and that’s bad execution.
The book also starts in medias res, which is a good idea; however, it doesn’t make me care about anyone right away which is bad execution. Between Venom’s edge and no-name’s apathy, there’s nothing structurally sound to grasp onto. Plus, there are so many damn words. It’s not Green Arrow bad, but it’s bad enough to make me cringe. I won’t allow this.
I like the artwork, and there are some really clever panel layouts, so we’ll call that good idea and good execution.
I hate how Marvel sensors its swear words as if we’re all children. That’s a bad idea and bad execution. Seriously Marvel, fuckin’ stoppit.
Now is the point where I tally everything together, but let’s call this review a good idea with bad execution because I’m not going to do that. I honestly don’t know how I would. Math is stupid. I can, however, give this comic a score, which I will now do presently! How exciting.
