Edge of Venomverse #1
Writer:
Matthew Rosenberg
Art Team:
Roland Bochy, Adam Gorham, Daniel Brown
Marvel
Comics
Release
Date: June 28, 2017
Cover Price: $3.99
You Get Venom, You Get a Venom, We All Get
Venom’s!!
Who asked
for a Marvel character focused mini-event/crossover centered on the Venom
symbiote? Well my friends ask you shall receive
because the Edge of Venomverse has arrived on our doorstep in an attempt to
secure your summer comic book dollars. So does the first issue do a good job
establishing this events premise or are we all sucked in because that cover is
just so damn beautiful … let’s find out that and more inside.
The Edge of Venomverse,
which is the precursor to the actual series Venomverse releasing this fall, ironically
enough starts out with the focus on our cover character this issue, Laura
Kinney, better known to the masses as X-23.
However instead of the modern day iteration here, were treated to a
throwback movie-esque version of her as a more feral youngster, seeking revenge
on those who wronged her.
X-23 tears
through the facility making mincemeat of the guards sent to take her down,
until she’s eventually cornered in an area of the building where escape seems
impossible. With a quick slice of her
claw however Laura reveals a deeper secret held within this facility, springing
open a canister containing a Venom type symbiote which covers Laura as the
scene ends with familiar narration box any Venom fan recognizes.
Flash forward
two months, to a group of kids checking out an abandoned building, who quickly
run into X-23 hiding out in the place. Laura scares them away, for fear of
harming them, but into danger outside as they encounter some unsavory people
the group themselves were trying to avoid. The kids take off attempting to run
away from these ‘bad dudes’ and just when it looks like one is cornered and in
for it, X-23, fully engulfed in a symbiote costume, steps in to save the
day.
The story
jumps again to weeks later, we see Laura hanging out with the group of kids she
scared away and saved earlier, running some small time scams on local
businesses. They bring a tad of heat of
themselves, as a task force hunting down Laura is drawn to the scene, resulting
in a fight and a few reveals for the reader. Laura has appeared to share her
symbiote with the kids she keeping company with and the group makes quick work
of the unprepared troops sent their way.
The issue
winds down as the group attempts to run for cover from the backup troops however
they eventually become cornered in a vault type of room with literally nowhere else
to go. The troops begin to cut through
this vault door forcing the symbiote to take actions into its own hands.
The symbiote
begins seemingly sucking its donated and dispersed parts back to Laura, which causes
a spiral-esque effect, which in turn forms an interdimensional portal? Hey its comics, crazy things happen, but this
is what I understood and it was a weird turn in the book. Regardless of your
opinion of this bit it’s hard to deny it was a confusing story development and
pulled me out of my investment in what happened up to this point, leaving our
friends of Laura stranded, and leading to a cliffhanger that just happens for
reasons and wasn’t very well setup. Anyway
the book ends with Venom-Laura face to face with a Venom Captain America, as
the first hints of interdimensional time hopping are seeded here going
forward.
Overall the
Edge of Venomverse seems to be an else worlds, or out of continuity story (so
far anyway) that will showcase a variety of different type of Venom symbiote
type characters running through a load of different worlds on a mission of some
sorts so far. That’s the issue here
although the first issue was interesting enough story wise I don’t have an idea
of what the bigger picture for this event is right now so it’s not clear why I
need to buy it.
Other than the cover
which is amazing, the art on the inside of the book is serviceable but a little
rough looking character design and color wise for my liking. Laura/X-23 should look like a more
interesting character on the inside of these pages than she comes off being,
and I’m not sure why they went with a younger else worlds version of her here
other than to capitalize on some movie hype, because the character design looks
very similar.
Bits and Pieces
Edge of
Venomverse does a decent enough job of providing an intriguing first issue but doesn’t
make the overall point of the story being published overtly clear just
yet. In a crowded summer comic book
market it’s tough to make a case for this mini-event to warrant much attention
just yet, unless some must see moments happen quickly, recapping a version of X-23's origin isnt that just yet ... but hey at least its not $4.99!
6.0/10
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