Venom #260: The Ultimate Family Therapy Session

When we last left Mary Jane and Venom, the universe had come knocking to announce that their microsecond of relative peace was over. After many hard-fought battles and personal tragedies, the two had finally breached the divide in their relationship and, with better understanding, came a sleeker, more cohesive form. Now it is time to take said new body to the frontlines, before the duo have even had a chance to test run it. For Hela, the Norse Goddess of Death and habitual pain in Thor’s side, has usurped Knull’s throne to become the Queen in Black, beefing up symbiote soldiers with her dark magic to wage a crusade across the universe. It’s up to Marvel’s greatest superheroes to fend off her army’s invasion of Earth in an epic battle conveniently centered in the heart of New York City, as they always are.

Deceptively, Venom #260 isn’t told from the perspective of the odd couple readers have become accustomed to, but rather that of teenager Dylan Brock. In that way, it feels like Al Ewing’s writing is hearkening back to the pre-All-New Venom era, when focus was honed in on the Brock family. This intention becomes more apparent when, beyond the prologue, Ewing decides to divert from the events of Queen in Black entirely. He’s more interesting in filling in blanks preceding Venom War, showing what happened after Dylan was murdered by Carnage. Temporarily trapped in a place beyond all existence, Dylan meets the future, godlike-entity version of his dad, who offers philosophy, words of encouragement and his love before sending him back to the world of the living.

It’s a touching father-son moment showcasing the softer side of Dylan’s character not often seen. The conversations had can’t help but feel a tad repetitive though: how many ups and downs can one parent-child relationship have before it becomes clear that no actual growth will stick. There’s new hope for them though, as Eddie Brock swings into action at the cliffhanger, now hosting the Sleeper symbiote, to save his son’s life.

Carlos Gomez has designed a symbiotic form perfectly meshing the best elements of Eddie Brock’s classic build along with Sleeper’s implementation of tech. Advanced yet characteristically bulky, the match is a best for both worlds. The same can be said for every hero appearing in their two-to-three pages cameos towards the issue’s start; all of them depicted rough and worn yet up to the task of defending Earth. Only time will tell if Dylan and Eddie are as capable of repairing their familial bond as they are defeating a literal goddess.