REVIEW: Venom : The Garden Party

Five issues in and Ewing has put the pieces in play to dig deep and create yet another branch of deep mythology within the Marvel mythos. Venom : The Garden Party is a jump off point, sure to be a key issue with the first appearance of a new threat named Meridus. Eddie is back in the driver’s seat of action as reader’s find him washed up in some sort of purgatorious realm, replete with multiple symbiotes who all once carried the title of : “King In Black”. Eddie echoes the questions of the audience mid-story, as to “Where is Knull ?”; since True Believers were introduced to the “King In Black” concept through the Cates event. There isn’t much time to focus on that question though as Meridus more than proves himself worthy of the audience’s attention. A condescending and pompous villain who Eddie is forced to interact with in a subservient position because of his overall greeness to the new landscape, Eddie is as lost as the audience is throughout this introduction to the new status quo that Ewing is in the process of establishing.

Hitch’s art is solid. If the full body spread of Meridus transporting himself through the gold background of memories is not enough, then Hitch really bringing out the “goo” from these Klyntarian’s should be. Take the splash page with Bedlam is pure unbridled symbiote violence that reader’s look forward to in a Venom title, and serves as a great accompaniment to the new religion that Ewing is building on top of the one that Cates had created. “The Garden Party” is a pivotal issue that will have huge ramifications for the next chapter in the story of the symbiotes and should be heavily considered for a pull before it drops, because after it does, Ewing’s “Venom” staying in the pullbox will be mandatory for comic book heads – not an option.

Score : 4/5

(W) Al Ewing (A/CA) Bryan Hitch