REVIEW: ‘Ms Marvel & Venom,’ Issue #1

Ms Marvel & Venom #1 is published by Marvel Comics, written by Jody Houser, art by Dave Wachter, colours by Erick Arciniega and letters by Travis Lanham. This is the last in a series of team-ups following Ms Marvel and a trio of other heroes. Someone has been using robotic animals to hunt down Wolverine and Moon Knight. In this issue, the swarm sets their eyes on Venom.

As the crossover comes to an end, the tone of the comic changes massively compared to the previous crossovers. Where Ms Marvel was out in the open and positive before, there is a real darkness to this issue. The villainous reveal is sudden and explosive, with elements of body horror to the grotesque finale. The last part of the comic is incredibly fun and has the energy of a classic crossover, leading to more stories going forwards. This damages the complete satisfaction of closure slightly, but it means that this story has a legacy past itself.

Ms Marvel & Venom #1 does an excellent job of integrating the new Venom for readers that may not be aware of the change of host. Dylan Brock, the son of Eddie, is now bonded with the symbiote. It may be one of the more interesting matchups the series has had so far, as it again reflects the shifting tone. Dylan is very abrasive towards Kamala, dismissive of her, and almost ignoring her for much of the issue. This unsettles Ms Marvel but also forces her to be assertive instead of timid. Multiple times she has to stand in front of the symbiote and stare him down, which is impressive. The villain is slightly disappointing because we don’t actually learn much or get a particularly dramatic showdown. It is evident that he is a piece in a longer puzzle, but it would be nice to get more interaction between him and the heroes.

The art is fantastic. Whilst Venom has been an established hero for a while now but Wachter brilliantly makes him look ominous and monstrous. It isn’t just the vicious face, but the body language is also superb. The use of Ms Marvel’s growth abilities is also amazing, the increased size of her team-up partner makes her look even more immense. Where Wachter shines is in the creepy parts of the second half. Weird sci-fi elements come to life as beautifully repulsive transformations take place, science experiments going horribly wrong.

The issue is dark and the colours by Arciniega are pivotal in creating this atmosphere. There is a lot of fire in the first part of the comic and the method in which it is presented is ominous and dangerous, especially considering Venom’s weakness. The lettering is slightly small and can be difficult to read at points.

Ms Marvel & Venom #1 concludes a summer crossover filled with fun. Cross-promoting several ongoing series and TV shows at the same time as it cleverly told a story that has been interesting. Houser has been consistently great at bringing Ms Marvel together with Wolverine, Moon Knight, and Venom, four very different characters that have led to some brilliant combinations in the team-ups. Relaying the art for every issue has led to a visual variety, all three have been terrific. And whilst there is much to enjoy about the ending the handling of the villain could have been much better, with his threat dissipating.

Ms Marvel & Venom #1 is available where comics are sold and on ComiXology with our affiliate link.