Venom #30
Isaiah Hernandez
Recap
Eddie Brock was sent on a spiraling adventure through the timestream, with the mysterious Garden of Time at its center, a paradise made of symbiote flesh at the end of existence. Eddie quickly made allies or enemies of the garden’s inhabitants before learning a grave truth: they are all different versions of Eddie himself! None are as dangerous as Meridius, a version of Eddie who has lived many lifetimes and still possesses Eddie's ruthless cunning and proclivity for violence, despite shedding his name…
Review
True to the real-world wrestling event from which it borrows its name, Venom #30 is a free-for-all brawl where every competitor is a husk of Eddie Brock’s former self. The shining prize they fight for is not a belt or title, but control over the ultimate fates of Brock and his son. From start to finish, it’s one long session of fisticuffs between symbiotes residing in the garden at the end of time. This break-neck action-packed pacing echoes the structure of comics from the bygone era. Issue-long fights used to be all the rage back then, and it is nice to see a semblance of that energy brought to life here.
Where this homage falters is in the use of dialogue. Comics of yore peppered these slugfests with word balloons filled with one-liners and playful banter; corny in retrospect but entertaining nonetheless. Venom instead uses the opportunity to plug as many plot holes as possible. The comic’s time-traveling antics have only grown more confusing as they’ve stretched on, so the attempt to straighten out this tangled plot line is appreciated. But the series overcompensates in this regard, to the point where every expository exchange gives the sensation of deja vu.
No weak links are found in Venom #30’s action, which is masterfully penciled by Cafu and Rafael Pimentel. Multiple symbiotes sharing a battlefield could spell trouble, but the artists avoid the pitfall of visual clutter, guiding the reader’s eye with fluid page compositions. It helps that each symbiote is so distinguished in color and body type, and each combatant makes full use of their abilities, squashing and stretching constantly.
Carnage is the surprise final contestant in this war of kings, having tracked Eddie Brock across the multiverse to challenge him for godhood. This seemingly takes place before the recent Torunn Gronbekk relaunch of Carnage, as the symbiote is still in his magically-imbued devilish form. It’s an abrupt way to kick off a crossover arc, but seeing these iconic rivals at their most powerful makes the promise of a fight intriguing.
Final Thoughts
Venom #30 is a satisfying romp that grants Eddie Brock the strength to strike back against his enemies, but with the sudden arrival of Carnage, Eddie has jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire.
Venom #30: The Royal Rumble
- Writing - 7/107/10
- Storyline - 7/107/10
- Art - 9/109/10
- Color - 9/109/10
- Cover Art - 9/109/10