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Zombies attack the Marvel universe once again, but this time…their symbiotes?! With New York under attack and in chaos, every hero and villain will have to fight for survival. What happens when members of the Sinister Six have to team up with She-Hulk to fight off a horde of undead Venom symbiotes? The war is in full swing in Venom War: Zombiotes!
- Written by Cavan Scott
- Art by Juan Jose Ryp
- Colors by Ceci De La Cuz
- Letters by VC’s Travis Lanham
- Published by MARVEL Entertainment
Venom War: Zombiotes Takes to the Streets!
Zombies! New York is being overrun by Venom symbiote zombies. The festivities kick off with a pair of armored truck employees being attacked by what they thought was Spider-Man swinging high above them. Then we move over to She-Hulk and Hellcat protecting citizens from a horde of zombies, all while discussing the moral implications of killing the people infected. This leads to them letting their guard down for just a moment and Hellcat is overrun!
Next up is 3 members of the most recent iteration of the Sinister Six: Shocker, Overdrive, and Speed Demon. While in the middle of a heist involving an armored truck which just so happens to be the truck from the start of our story. Speed Demon is ambushed as Shocker and Overhaul bail on him. Cue the high speed zombie chase!
See how the Venom War started here!
Eventually Shocker and Overdrive run into She-Hulk, literally, with their car. The three have to team up to take on the growing horde led by their former teammates Hellcat and Speed Demon!
There’s Something More To This One
My honest initial reaction to another zombie story in the Marvel Universe was a bit cynical. On top of that, symbiotes have more than worn out their welcome in Marvel stories. Those things being said, this is a prime example of not judging a book by it’s cover (Even though the actual cover is great!). I found myself engaged in this story and really enjoying the action.
Venom War: Zombiotes is Perfect for Cavan Scott
Cavan Scott adds to the quality of this book. Scott has provided some of the best writing in Marvel’s Star War Universe and has plenty of horror credit under his belt as well. All of that shows in this issue. The horror themes and tropes lend well to the story being told. I believe the use of lower tier, street level Marvel characters also helps with this one.
She-Hulk and Hellcat make a great team, action wise and dialogue wise. We get some great jokes and a lot of action panels that add tension and raise the excitement level. On the flip side, having Shocker and lesser know Spider-Man villains provide the same tools. Their dialogue was fun and witty, all while having the powers play huge roles in effecting the story and the action.
The Grind-House Treatment in Venom War: Zombiotes
The artwork by Juan Jose Ryp was very reminiscent of grind-house horror. It was the perfect choice to tell this story. When I say that they didn’t hold back, I mean it. The language may have been censored in this one, but the blood and gore was definitely not! Seeing people be bitten and gushing blood, being consumed by symbiotes, and even having heads torn off was shocking, in a good way!
How does Carnage fit into all of this?!
Colors in this one really set the tone. Lots of red and black would be expected, but it’s the way that the shades give thing a desolate feel really stood out. The whole thing felt very “indie” in all the right ways.
Everything Points to 8/10
Venom War: Zombiotes brought us a story and genre that feels very familiar but is fresh and fun. With the gritty Gothic art work from Juan Jose Ryp is combined with the fun, action packed story by Cavan Scott, we get something that will exceed your expectation. I can’t make you get over Zombie and Symbiote fatigue, but I can tell you that this one brings a quality to it that focuses on telling a good horror story. I may not be sold on the rest of the Venom War story line, but this one will keep me interested!
