Venom #21: Confronting Your Inner-Demon

Eddie Brock is back, but not with a vengeance, as after tumbling through the outer recesses of time and space, he has morphed both figuratively and literally into a better person. Brock had already mellowed considerably since his days as Peter Parker’s raging, muscle-bound rival, but his years-long effort to turn over a new leaf has plagued my mistakes and misfortunes. He carries himself with newfound wisdom in Venom #21, and the poker face he wears implies focus and determination rather than weariness.

Venom #21 is allowed to jump straight into the action thanks to how expertly the preceding issue ramped up the tension. The fighting is surprisingly grounded and dirty for a battle between two symbiotic opponents, containing grit akin to an 80s action movie. In a genre of comics where most combat consists of mid-air laser battles, it is incredibly satisfying to see a character do something as simple as slam their enemy’s face into a table. Artist Cafu commits to a detailed level of injury, as the battle damage Eddie obtains looks real enough to elicit a flinching response.

Ewing and Cafu take advantage of Eddie’s new near-invulnerable state to take the comic’s violence into Looney Tunes territory, creating a moment that will surely stick in fans minds long after reading. Bedlam constructs a pair of massive jaws, chewing Brock up and spitting him out into a giant wad of human gum. Eddie wastes no time weaving his body back together, but the process isn’t pretty and is visually reminiscent of John Carpenter’s The Thing. It’s a delectable morsel of dark humor that doesn’t deflate the drama or tension. 

Speaking of, Venom #21 features the smoothest transition between artists seen in years. Eddie and Bedlam move their battle into the psychic plane, at which point Cafu hands the pencil over to Pere Perez. The two illustrators’ styles mesh well enough that the change is not immediately noticeable. Being inside Bedlam’s mind is the perfect in-universe context for a shift in visual style, keeping the immersion intact.

While there, Eddie Brock faces off against a fragmented version of his past self and wins the philosophical duel. He absorbs Bedlam and takes on a brand new form with amazingly rendered musculature and a hulking stature that leaves one eager to see what it’s capable of.