After a three issue interlude for the Original Sin tie-in discussing the final fate of Richard Rider, Guardians has come back to the story with Venom once again. When last we saw him, Flash Thompson was having a bit of a problem with his symbiote, and this issue picks back up with Flash trying to address his situation. Bendis does a pretty good job of showing readers what is up with Flash in a manner that doesn’t require reading the back issues to catch up. The way the Guardians handle Flash makes sense along with their dialogue pertaining to the man and the symbiote. There are some great character moments this issue, and at the end of the day, Bendis gives readers an entertaining space adventure with our favorite crew of misfit a-holes.
Overall, the issue is a lot of fun. We get some great fight scenes and there’s a sense of playfulness and humor that makes this series stand out. One of the most interesting moments in the issue is the opening page, where a man describes why Earth is a problem for the galaxy. It puts Marvel’s Earth into a new perspective. There are folks in the galaxy who see Earth as a threat more than anything else. The rest of the story continues with great art and cool fight scenes, and ends with the symbiote finding another unlikely host.
Valerio Schiti takes over as the artist on this high profile book and works well with Bendis. The way Schiti draws Venom here is purely awesome. The line work is amazing and highly detailed, and Keith’s colors really bring this character to life. There’s promise and potential to this story, and the art on this book is worth the price of admission alone. “Planet of the Symbiotes” will hopefully be a great story, since it’s a story that should be told.
Noelle Raemer
Noelle@comicimpact.com
