CREDIT: Marvel
Rating: 3.5/5 – Venomized Characters from Across the Multiverse, Starting with X-23.
By ComicSpectrum senior reviewer Shawn Hoklas.
The Edge of Venomverse is an all new mini-series by Marvel with a story similar to that of the Edge of Spider-Verse series we saw back in 2014. In that series, multiple Spider-Men from across the multi-verse teamed up together to stop Morlun and his family from wiping out all the different Spider-Men from all different earths. Now Marvel is using a similar approach to storytelling, but this time using Venom, or “Venom-ized” characters in place of Spider-Men.
In this premiere issue we see the Venom symbiote take over X-23, but not the X-23 we know from the main Marvel Universe. This is a Laura from an alternate universe who, much like the original, is being held captive by an evil organization. In her attempt to escape she bonds with with another experiment, that being the symbiote, and the Venom Wolverine is created. After this opening origin which is just four pages in length, the story lost momentum for me.
The remainder of writer Matthew Rosenberg’s story focuses on Laura’s attempt to live with some other teenagers as she’s being hunted down by the organization. There is one unique twist that Rosenberg introduces, but before that idea can be explored, the issue ends. We’ll be heading into the next issue with an all new character and origin, and unfortunately it’s a character who I have zero interest in, Gwenpool.
Unfortunately the first issue of Venomverse missed the mark for me although I did enjoy Roland Boschi’s art. Edge of Venomverse is a five issue series, followed by another five issue series called simply Venomverse that I assume will team all these characters up, with a one-shot thrown in between the two series. That’s quite the investment for an event that so far, hasn’t hooked me. I’m hoping later issues will turn my excitement around.
Reviewed by: Shawn Hoklas
(shawn@comicspectrum.com)
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