Venom #17: The Battle of Limbo

Off the heels of Dark Web, the latest issue of Venom wastes no time before course-correcting back to the drearier, existential atmosphere it began with. This sudden shift after several relatively light-hearted cameo-laden adventures results in tonal whiplash. The issue finds its footing quickly, though, and hooks you back into the narrative by thrusting you into another bizarre scenario.

The aftermath of any crossover event is almost guaranteed to be awkward. The writer must tie up loose ends and carefully consider the percentage of fans who remain in the dark about what’s occurring in the greater Marvel universe. It’s a balancing act of determining what information is irrelevant and what must be recited to keep readers on track. Al Ewing goes the extra mile, not simply recapping Dark Web but also working subtle character moments into the themes he’s been exploring.

Eddie Brock has been on the highway to hell for quite a while now, used and manipulated by Meridius to the point of near madness. Despite his visibly vulnerable state, every X-Men and Spider-Man character he encountered failed to have any sympathy for him. Eddie was reduced to a pawn for the entirety of the event, robbed of any agency or opportunity to seek help. It was a tragic experience that contributed to his downward spiral, setting the stakes even higher than before. In any other comic, the jump from an enraged Brock stomping through New York City to a somber one falling through an endless void would be jarring. But Eddie’s journey up to this point has been so surreal that it makes for a surprisingly smooth transition.

This month’s penciling duties are taken over by artist Cafu, who brings their A-game when drawing the extensive fight between Venom and former Limbo ruler Darkoth, which takes up the bulk of the issue. Cafu’s skill grants an excellent sense of perspective and dimension to the battle, and the brief appearance of some techno-organic goblins shows their knack for rendering fine details. In a neat twist, Eddie’s anguish somehow breaks the flow of time, resulting in two alternate fight scenarios that we witness. The pages’ paneling cracks apart in an entertaining fourth-wall break. The visual highlights of the issue are undoubtedly the splash page showcasing Eddie’s “death,” in which rings of symbiotic goo splay out from his skeleton. The mysterious endless ocean dimension that he is reborn into is also stunning, and what Brock finds there certainly heightened my anticipation for the next issue.