Venom #262: Return To Sender

Venom #262 is not only the final chapter of the Queen In Black saga, not only the culmination of Al Ewing’s contributions to the title, but also the final parting for the odd-couple pairing that was Mary Jane Watson and Venom. Yes, with the defeat of Knull and Hela, its happy endings all around for our heroes. This isn’t the exciting climax of the event (for that, readers must peruse a few other published works this week) but instead the serene epilogue in which all the puzzle pieces land firmly in place. With the life-sustaining symbiosis that their marriage of convenience was built upon no longer needed, Venom and MJ are free to begin not-so-new, not-so-different eras of their lives.

If anything, the goodbye between these imperfect partners, or lack of goodbye to put it more accurately, comes across under-baked. It was always commendable that Ewing maintained an awkward tension between the two, having them reach mutual understanding while never crossing the line into friendship. It was this nuanced dynamic that allowed the duo to rise above the initial wave of skepticism experienced by fans. But to have the separation of MJ and the symbiote happen entirely off-panel feels like a missed opportunity of tremendous proportions. With how much work went into making their relationship engaging, they deserved an equally compelling goodbye.

The same can be said for much of the issue’s coverage of the Queen In Black, recapping the conflict and resolution in a rushed pace that detracts from its epic scale. There are always problems anytime a major crossover event hijacks an ongoing, but the formation of Venomworld, the death of Hela and MJ’s defeat of Knull feel especially strange reduced to her brief descriptions. And it all ends on a sweet-turned-sour note as Ewing’s does his best to throw the fandom a bone by leaving MJ and Peter Parker’s relationship in a stable, vaguely romantic place, knowing editorial would never allow him to go all the way. At least one couple gets a true reunion here, as Eddie Brock and his symbiote are bonded once more with the promise of no more kings in black or multiversal shenanigans, which is a funny admission of how lost the character’s direction has become in recent years.