Venom #7 Goes And Breaks Our Hearts

The last six months of Venom has been all about breaking down the symbiote powered anti-hero. We’ve thought it may involve building him back up afterwards. Venom #7 shows that perception may be wrong.

Regular writer Donny Cates is joined this issue by guest artist Iban Coello, color artist Andres Mossa and letterer Clayton Cowles. After the high octane first arc, this is a quieter story. However, it may have long term consequences for the series.
[**Spoilers ahead!]
The entire story takes place in one room, as Eddie Brock finds himself in a locked room with a terrifying opponent- the Maker. This evil version of Reed Richards wants something Eddie has stolen from him, but the symbiote may have done this while Eddie is blacked out. But that comes with an even more terrifying realization – the symbiote may be brain dead!

Cates’ story is a tense locked room mystery, but not in the traditional sense. The confrontation between Eddie and the Maker is smart and twisty. He also shows in a heartbreaking moment a protagonist that may have been affected in a very different way than we normally see in the “things will never be the same!” churn of superhero comics. Like his other, Eddie may also have been affected in a deep way, either with PTSD or a TBI, in his conflict with Knull.
One small quibble with the script, though, is in a cliffhanger that doesn’t have the intended impact. The actual moment used is much less of a “jaw dropping” moment than the realization a page or two earlier about the symbiote’s brain damage. It’s a minor thing that doesn’t quite land, but doesn’t ruin the otherwise excellent story.

Coello is a perfect choice as a guest artist. Stylistically he is very similar to cover artist and regular penciller Ryan Stegman, but has his own distinctive look. He’s able to keep the confrontation between these two men visually engaging, but also illustrates the flashbacks peppered through the story wonderfully. I would love to see Coello return to the book next time Stegman needs a breather.
Mossa is able to keep the issue from feeling flat, both in engaging colors in the flashbacks as well as some great play with lighting and shadows through the interrogation. He also helps with the reveal of the symbiote in the closing pages of the story – keeping Eddie draped in shadow.  Cowles also does a great job, doing a lot of heavy lifting in this dialogue-heavy issue.

This continues to be one of Marvel’s best books, even with the slightest of stumbles in the ending.
Venom #7 is available now from Marvel Comics.