Hello there! Padawan J here, the resident Star Wars expert from the ODPH! This week I’m going to be reviewing a big milestone issue for comic books! Yes, I’m going to be reviewing the 250th issue of Venom!
Venom of course first appeared in 1984 as the symbiote that would become the iconic black suit Peter Parker wore in The Amazing Spider-Man #252, and we got our first glimpse at him as we all know him in The Amazing Spider-Man #299! So just what is in store for Venom in a seminal issue such as 250? Let’s jump into it!
Venom #250 by Al Ewing (Writer), Terry Dodson & Todd Nuack (Artists), Frank D’Armata (Color Artist) & VC’s Clayton Cowles (Letterer) is a fantastic issue that is incredibly impactful and one of the more compelling issues this year.
There’s also a short story after the main one, “Naked And Afraid” by Charles Soule (Writer), Carlos Gomez (Artist), Frank D’Armata (Color Artist) & VC’s Clayton Cowles (Letterer) is a great issue that calls back to the Lethal Protector line back in 1993!
The Stories
As I alluded to before, the story told by Al Ewing in this issue is quite possibly one of the most compelling stories I’ve read all year. The story is split between to focus points, the first being Mary Jane & Venom. Mary of course became Venom earlier this year, and it’s been a very interesting relationship thus far for them both.
Mary & Venom are going through New York, just trying to figure things out. They’re the most wanted figure in NYC right now, and oh by the way Mary’s personal life is falling apart. Sound familiar? Yeah, I thought so too. There’s a fantastic battle between Venom/Mary & a villain I didn’t expect to see. It’s a great battle, but it’s all a prelude to the end of the issue.
CHECK OUT AMAZING SPIDER-MAN!
The other focus is on Captain R’Gars, a Skrull who’s investigating a cult that “nobody’s noticing”. This is where the real meet & potatoes of the issue takes place and sets everything still to come. It’s a bit of a slow burn for part of the issue, but once it kicks into gear it really takes off!
I really liked reading Captain R’Gars part of the issue, because it’s something that I’m not very used to and isn’t in my normal wheelhouse for what I read every week. It was a story that really sucked me in and had me going from page to page, eager to learn what would happen next.
There’s also the final sequence of the main story, that is going to have EVERYONE talking this week. I will not spoil this in any way whatsoever, SO DON’T ASK! However, what I will say is that the final panels of this story alone will have far reaching implications for the entire mainline Marvel comics universe for the foreseeable future. Trust me, you’re gonna want to read this!
As for the Charles Soule story, it is really a great one that does a great job capturing the look and feel that long time Venom fans are used too. The story takes place between issues 3 & 4 of the Venom: Lethal Protector series back in 1993. David Michelinie was the writer and it’s safe to say Soule did a great job capturing that same feel despite the it coming out some 32 years ago.
The Artwork
Terry Dodson, Todd Nuack & Frank D’Armata all do a tremendous job with the artwork in the main story. There is A LOT going on in the panels of the main story, and at times it might seem overwhelming. However the whole art team rises to the occasion with some of the best artwork I’ve seen in some time. The colors are incredible, and everything just looks so crisp.
As for the short story, Carlos Gomez & Frank D’Armata do a spectacular job at capturing the look and feel that comics had in the early 90s. It honestly felt like this was a story that got lost to time, and they did a great job at helping transport me back to those days of reading comics in the 1990s.
Overall Grade: 10/10
FINAL POINT: If you’re going to buy just ONE issue this week, MAKE IT THIS ONE. With two fantastic stories between Al Ewing & Charles Soule, and the fantastic artwork in both stories you can’t go wrong with this issue. Plus, this issue is going to be the most talked about comic at the shops and online this week. This issue feels like a major moment in Marvel comics, and it’s going to be an incredible thing to see play out.
Thanks for checking out my review on Nerd Initiative. For more of my content, check out ODPHpodcast.com, follow me on Twitter, and check out more of my reviews here on Nerd Initiative: https://nerdinitiative.com/author/padawanj/!
What did you think of the issue? Be sure to comment your thoughts below, or reach out to me on social media!
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Leave a Reply