REVIEW: Amazing Spider-Man: Venom Inc. Alpha #1: Venom is Back in Business

Venom has had a lot of great storylines over the years and the recent direction under Marvel LegacyÂ is no exception. Â We have gotten Eddie Brock and the Venom symbiote reunited and seeming to make a return to the Lethal Protector days. Â Dan Slott and Mike Costa give us a story that brings elements from various areas of the Venomverse and brings them together in what looks to be a pretty interestingÂ story.

The first part of theÂ Venom Inc.Â storyline starts in the one-shot specialÂ Amazing Spider-Man: Venom Inc. Alpha #1Â and sets the stage for the first ever official crossover betweenÂ The Amazing Spider-ManÂ andÂ Venom. While Spider-Man and Venom have both appeared in each other“s books before the storyline has never included both titles, but just stayed in one or the other.

Most of the setup was Venom-centric, which from the title of the arc was pretty much expected. We get Flash Thompson returning to reunite with the Venom symbiote and trying to track it and Eddie Brock down. Flash is able to sense the symbiote as an after effect of their bonding and tracks it to Alchemax, who has been supplying Eddie Brock with medication to calm the symbiote. The two both genuinely care about the symbiote and feel they are it“s most suitable host and end up in a pretty intense battle with the symbiote as the prize.

We also have the reason the arc is calledÂ Venom Inc. Â It seems a criminal organization is hunting and taking symbiotes to use for their own purposes. Â Their leader ambushes Eddie Brock“s protege Maniac and takes her symbiote for himself with the help of his squad of symbiote hunters. The Looter is later given a symbiote and recruited by this new Maniac. Â How many more are there?

We also get the return of a familiar character as Anti-Venom returns, though not in the way you might expect.

Ryan Stegman handles the pencils and inks on the book and brings to the story a very classic look that reminds me of Spider-Man and Venom from the 90“s. Â Stegman has a great take on Venom and manages to convey the pain and confusion the symbiote feels over having to choose between Flash and Eddie as it truly cares for both of them. The design of the new Maniac symbiote is really well done. Â I love a costume that is not really a costume and this fits the bill. Â With a suit that resembles the Venom symbiote and a very psychotic looking face the new Maniac looks likely to live up to his name.

The colors on the book add to the nostalgic feel that the artwork conveys. The dark shadowy colors in the back alleys and more intense symbiote scenes contrast beautifully with the bright colors of the city during the day and the parts of the world that aren“t dark. You get a sense of both sides of the city and that is due to the masterful color work of Brian Reber.

A lot of the emotion and intensity of the story would have been lost without the lettering talents of VC“s Joe Caramagna whose variation in font and style really sold what the characters, even alien ones, were thinking and feeling.

The story continues with part 2 ofÂ Venom Inc.Â inÂ The Amazing Spider-Man #792. Â Then head over toÂ Venom #159Â for part 3. We then head back toÂ The Amazing Spider-Man #793Â for part 4 and then toÂ Venom #160Â for part 5. The story will conclude with another one-shot, Amazing Spider-Man: Venom Inc. Omega #1,Â that will conclude the 6 part story arc.

I“m interested to see what comes next in the story.

Story: 4
Art: 4.5
Overall Rating: 4.25

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(W) Dan Slott, Mike Costa (A/CA) Ryan Stegman