Venom #23: Toxic Team-Up

Toxin, the ill-tempered grandchild of the Venom symbiote first introduced nineteen years ago, makes its latest appearance in this month’s issue of Venom. Accompanying it is its youthful new host, a streetwise child by the name of Bren Waters.

Little time for characterization leaves the chemistry between Dylan Brock and Bren Waters underdeveloped, especially in comparison to Dylan’s relationship with Normie Osborne and even his singular adventure with Kamala Khan. Still, there are enough similarities between the two boys that allow their dynamic to simply snap into place. Both awkward, angry teenagers still new to their roles as symbiotic hosts and struggling to live up to the legacies of their predecessors, Dylan and Bren are practically mirror images of one another, so it makes sense seeing them butt heads before reluctantly uniting.

The unlikely duo join together in pursuit of an enigmatic figure responsible for the disappearance of Bren’s father along with several children. The mysterious villain has a vendetta against employees of Alchemax, the evil organization that has been a pain in the Brocks’ side for this entire run. The ensuing fight doesn’t vanquish the villain or answer any major questions, but the hostages are saved, and there’s a poignant moment in which Dylan stops Bren from taking a life. It calls back to the previous issue in which Dylan nearly killed Norman Osborne in a vengeful rage, showing some significant character growth.

Artists Ken Lashley and Ramon F. Bachs portray teenage angst expertly through sullen eyes and subtle frowns. Toxin’s design is well-distinguished with its red-to-black gradient and its stylish mandibles that bring to mind Predator. The boys’ symbiote forms are drawn shorter and stouter to reflect their smaller statures.

Natasha Romanoff, the deadly Black Widow who requires no introduction, steps in at the tail-end of the issue to provide a different kind of stinger than the typical sort from her iconic bracelets. Wandering through the charred ruins of the abandoned facility in pursuit of a currently unknown goal, Natasha makes contact with a familiar-looking black ooze. It seems to call out to her, and she is quick to accept its offer for a partnership. What happens next is already known by those who have been following the breaking news from Comic-Con, but for those who want the mystery intact, be aware that a radical change is on the horizon.