Venom #258: An Old Flame Reignited?

Death Spiral‘s epilogue sees its heroes victorious but emotionally wounded, convening in a graveyard where they and, in a metatextual sense, the readers give one final send-off to Paul Rabin. In a genre where funerals are a dime-a-dozen and always ring hollow in their attempts to tug at heart strings, it’s fascinating to witness the handling of a highly-anticipated one. Writer Al Ewing and penciller Carlos Gomez are under no illusion that Paul was a loved character and don’t play it straight. There’s not a cloud in the sky, nor a hint of moisture in the air; the sunny greenness of the Frank D’Armata’s colors striking a different tone entirely. The death of MJ’s ex evokes many emotions from the cast, but the man himself isn’t at the center of any of their conversations. In the end, Paul Rabin died as he lived, being a tool to inject drama into the lives of those around him.

To rip the bandage off quickly, Venom #258 does not pull the trigger on Peter and MJ’s relationship; Parker doesn’t drop to one knee and propose now that Paul’s out of the picture, nor do they share a kiss or promise of a date. It has long been evident that the powers-that-be at Marvel HQ are barring even the highest-ranking creatives from repairing the damage done by One More Day, but that doesn’t stop them from trying. Ewing does his best to nudge the forbidden lovers back into each other’s arms and lay the foundation for something to happen in the future. And while he does this with the best intentions, after years of will-they-won’t-they teasing, it’s questionable whether any of this is a favor towards the fandom or just extended cruelty.

Through a lengthy exchange between Peter and MJ, Ewing seeks to re-contextualize all of their outlandishly out-of-character moments from the Paul saga. Peppered throughout are genuine moments of tenderness made all the sweeter by Gomez’s knack for subtle intimate body language. Perhaps the writing goes too far with its justifying arguments, as MJ’s philosophical pondering about “failures of imagination being moral failures” feels too formal and robotic for the character.

The last few pages set a new course for the comic, as Venom and MJ debut a brand new look and a more traditionally anti-hero approach to crimefighting. The design is certainly striking as rendered by an industry pro, although there are some design choices (bare hands with golden fingernails contrasting against knee-high boots) that come across uncanny. Their appearance is a bit alien, which proves appropriate as the arrival of Skrull soldier suggests the duo’s future lies not on the streets of NYC, but in the stars above.