Lets face it, Venom #1 was a bit of a surprise really shaking things up after the previous long run the series had. Out is Eddie Brock as Venom and in is his son Dylan (sorry spoilers). Venom #2 focuses the entire issue on Dylan and his new “role” as Venom… which is very different than what we’ve previously seen.

Written by Ram V., Venom #2 has a rather touching quality about it as it narrows its focus and delivers a lot of answers. Who were the soldiers that attacked Eddie? We get some answers with that. What’s up with Venom? Answers there too! The second issue does a solid job of taking all of the setup from the newest volume’s debut and shrinking the scale of it all. The cosmic aspects are shelved for a bit. Instead, Venom #2 is about a son lost and on the run thinking his father is dead. What Ram V. emphasizes, but doesn’t overdo, is the dramatic aspects. Dylan listens to a message left by his father which feels like something Eddie would actually say. It isn’t some last minute change of character but smells of regret and failure to keep his son safe and having dragged him into this crazy world.

Venom #2 also delivers a newish status-quo for Venom itself. No longer is it a suit and personality hidden away on Eddie’s body. It’s now a character unto itself, taking on the look of a vicious dog protecting Dylan. It all comes together in a fun way helping bring some levity to what otherwise is a rather down story.

I’m not the biggest fan of Bryan Hitch‘s style. That’s not anything on him and more my personal preference. Hitch is joined by Andrew Currie on ink, Alex Sinclair on color, and Clayton Cowles on lettering. I actually generally enjoy Hitch’s art for these first two issues. Again, it’s not quite my thing, but there’s some solid moments and panels where Hitch brings an exciting flair to the action. What stands out to me is the use of the hint then action. Smoke is thrown and Venom’s tentacles reach out from it sort of thing. There’s a “flow” to that in the storytelling that works really well. The characters too look good and you get the sadness from Dylan. The only issue is a new character whose presence is just a bit too obvious when introduced. A subtler approach might have worked better.

Venom #1 took the series in a whole new direction with some pretty grand concepts. Venom #2 dials things back a bit delivering action but also a focus on the characters and the impact of that debut issue. It hints we’re going to get a series that can do the macro and the micro and balance it out, which should make for a very interesting read going forward.

Story: Ram V. Art: Bryan Hitch
Ink: Andrew Currie Color: Alex Sinclair Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Story: 8.1 Art: 7.6 Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Buy

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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