REVIEW: ‘Venom,’ Issue #32

Venom #32 is published by Marvel Comics, written by Donny Cates, art by Iban Coello, colors by Aburtov, and letters by Clayton Cowles. Spoiler warning, the events of this issue are also tied into The King in Black series, so go read that first.

Previously, Venom had suffered the worst defeat in his life, and yet he somehow managed to survive. Only to be murdered later by a Grendel symbiote captured and reprogrammed by Tony Stark during the events of King in Black issue #2. Eddie just can’t seem to catch a break lately. Having lost Venom to Knull, in the last issue Eddie was thrown off the side of a building, while the narrative of Rex from issue #1 reflected on the character of Edward Brock.

Currently, after smashing brutally to the floor, Eddie’s metaphysical being has entered the realm of darkness. As the tendrils of the hive reach out to connect Eddie to the alien data bank, an old friend reaches out and inspires the anti-hero to stand up and fight the evil off. Now Eddie must traverse the supernatural existence of the hive and hope to reach his over in order to fight back against Knull.

The previous issue had some pretty intelligent narratives, but the plot overall was extremely slow. There was little to no action at all, however, issue #32 vastly picks up the pace. There was a growing concern that Eddie’s subplot in the King in Black series would end up being something of a filler, but there’s an element here, a trail of something to indicate the Eddie will still have a lot to say by the time this series is done.

Cates has a way of writing Eddie in these moments. Even as the hero faces up against insurmountable odds, he refuses to back down, like the choice to quit was never an option. Cates captures in Eddie that lovable underdog tag that we continue to root for, and in this issue, he brings it in absolute buckets.

The ending…oh the ending! Long time fans of Venom will especially love this issue and will be chomping at the bit to land issue #33.

Coello’s art is absolutely stupendous in Venom #32, paired with some utterly beautiful colors from Aburtov. The images are beyond packed with amazing detail. It’s hard to know where to start because this issue is overflowing with an inordinate amount of brilliant artwork. From the dynamic panel designs that look like they’ve been webbed to the page, to the level of detail that’s been inked into the definition of every inch of Eddie’s body.

While the pages are swarmed with more than enough art to keep your eyes engaged, the colors elevate the work to another level entirely. In the early issue, the blues and whites used on Eddie as he floats through the void reinforce him as an ethereal presence, a soul floating through the darkness. The light really shines and pops against the pitch-black background setting.

The combined work of both creatives allows the images to become so dynamic that it intensifies the narrative of Cates, and brings the whole issue to life.

Cowles’s lettering style was really well balanced as this issue is filled with a lot of heavy dialogue. The placement encourages a nice pace of reading. The onomatopoeia designs while few were big and loud and really stood out.

After the lull of the prior issue, the energy has been injected back into the Venom series. The ending was just, chef’s kiss, as Cates continues to pull from the back catalog of Venom’s vast history. Eddie refuses to go down without a fight, and he’s back as the lovable anti-hero we just can’t help but want to root for no matter his past.

Venom #32 is available in comic book stores now.