Upside Down Couples Therapy — Reviewing ‘All-New Venom’ #10

Symbiotes need to bond with hosts in order to survive, dependent upon various chemicals that come from the pair bonding. Bonding isn’t always easy, especially when symbiote and host come with personal and conjoined baggage.

It’s a drama relationship-palooza as All-New Venom #10 brings all the classic super hero soap opera drama juiciness to the forefront. Look deep inside for a heart-to-heart talk overseen by Al Ewing, Carlos Gómez, Frank D’Armata, and Clayton Cowles.

There was a promise made a few months ago about this series. When it was revealed just who Venom’s newest host was, there were references to their not so wholesome past encounters. In the interviews it was stated that this iconic terrifying moment would be dealt with.

As expected, and there was never any doubt, this moment has come.

Ewing is masterful at weaving deep character rich narratives, really digging into the characters, their personalities, their histories, and more to give stories everything they can be. It’s one of the beautiful strengths of this series. Here we get to see the fallout of Mary Jane and Paul’s breakup, as well as a confrontation between Dylan & Venom, and finally between MJ and Venom.

Each moment has its own energy, pace, and powerful punch on the page. None are played the same and each has further reaching consequences. MJ and Venom’s moment provides the meat of the issue as the symbiote’s actions when bonded to Eddie Brock are questioned. Again, Ewing tackles so much in these pages but all of it feels adequately touched upon and emotionally impactful, giving every character their chance to state their piece, while really pulling back the heart curtains for full emotional exposure.

Everything always feels just as rich under the guidance of Gómez’s artwork, hitting those really slick and dazzlingly fun superhero story vibes and bringing a lighter touch when the overall tone is heavier this time around. Despite that, the artwork doesn’t shy away from keeping those darker elements in play at all times, showcasing the characters and their emotional bandwidth fully at every single turn.

Their pain, concern, love, hatred, terror, and so much more are palpable, as tangible and foundational as the work being done with the overall settings. Giving each space a depth and level of detail makes sure they feel authentic and scaled to the characters world. Paneling choices are always so important because it takes what was scripted and brings it to life in inspired, logical, or engaging ways.

Stuff like the way that MJ and Venom transition is so good, giving off those magical transformation moments from cartoons but in unique comic book style.

Earlier I made mention of a lighter and heavier touch to things. We see that in the colors as well, as D’Armata really leans into both sides of the spectrum. He adds lots of shadows and heavier darker tones to most panels in order to establish spaces and their presence. Artificial and natural light enhance those spaces to meet a middle ground of sorts. Leaving plenty of room for the flashier far more vibrant tones which befit the super-hero and sci-fi fantasy these books hover within at times.

One of the things that is a hallmark of D’Armata’s colors is an inherent slickness that can be seen and felt. It pairs so naturally with Gomez’s artwork, which is a bonus. Slicker styles don’t always mesh with certain art styles or characters, but here it’s a bonus for the series, pairing well and really playing into the tones through and through.

When Cowles is around, the lettering will not only be on point but will stand out, delicate care given not just to what is on the page but how it’s presented. Bubbles shift and slide in style, color, and consistency much like the various symbiotes featured in this book and giving various characters unique and distinct voices, allowing us to hear them quite differently from each other. It’s helpful as we play out the voices of sorts in our minds.

Similarly the fonts themselves morph to really capture emotional tone or volume at any given moment. Beyond the appearance though is the placement, taking the room left in panels to adequately and logically place words. Where they best flow also helps frame the rest of the work and assist in keeping the eye line moving from panel to panel.

All-New Venom #10 is now available from Marvel Comics.