Comic Books

Venom #3 Review

January 18, 2017

After being bonded to an honorable host for a while, the Venom symbiote is struggling to make peace with its new homicidal douchebag host.

Venom #3 (Marvel Comics)

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Observations

The symbiote’s home planet seems terrifyingly cool.

Now THAT’S how you do a collage.
Dang. This symbiote has a bigger “No One Dies” complex than Peter Parker.
I’d take the deal, Lee. This agent’s cajones trump your sociopathic tendencies any day of the week.

Hell yeah, Mac Gargan. Hell yeah.

Is it Good?

After the last issue, I was pretty close to dropping this book. Venom #3 may not be a perfect comic by any stretch, but it was definitely good enough to convince me to stick with it a little longer.

For starters, Gerardo Sandoval’s art is the best it’s been, particularly on the gorgeous two-page spread and the issue’s best sequence—when the symbiote attempts to (FINALLY) tear itself from Lee and bond with a much more desirable host. Mike Costa may have too good a job at making Agent Wambaugh likable, because I was rooting like hell for him to become the Venom.

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But as unlikable as Lee continues to be, it was nice seeing the symbiote show a bit more gumption beyond its incessant whining and inconvenient hijinks. It was also great seeing Mac Gargan finally start to take a more active role in all this. We all knew it would happen eventually, but the final page is still a surprising (and wonderful treat). He also continues to do a good job portraying Black Cat in her new role as a city crime lord.

I still can’t stand Venom’s bland and trope-laden main character, but at least Costa is surrounding him with a supporting cast that’s starting to make things interesting. Combine that with Sandoval’s excellent artwork, and Venom might still have a chance to permanently bond itself to my pull list.