REVIEW: Venom #27

Minimum Carnage is coming to its conclusion soon as things escalate in the latest issue of Venom. What’s better than having Carnage in a book? Having a bunch of Carnage’s of course! Major Spoilers has your review.

VENOM #27
Writer: Cullen Bunn
Artist: Declan Shalvey
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Colorist: Lee Loughridge
Editor: Tom Brennan
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $2.99

Previously in Minimum Carnage: Trapped in the Microverse Venom and Scarlet Spider must stop Marquis Radu from killing the Enigma Force. Now as Venom and Carnage are captured, both are to be used to make a symbiote army.

YOU WANT SYMBIOTES? YOU GOT ‘EM

If you’ve been looking for a lot more action in this event, well this issue’s got it in spades. It consists of Venom and Scarlet Spider fighting off Carnage and the newly made army of symbiotes. Of course, Carnage is able to control the army and all hell breaks loose. That’s all there is. That’s not a bad thing of course as I still enjoyed this issue, but not as much as previous ones. After we found out last issue that Venom and Carnage were to make an army, I predicted that Carnage would take control of that army and that’s exactly what happens here. And that’s honestly a little disappointing. Minimum Carnage has surprised me, providing a story that, until now, I had no idea where it was heading. I’m hoping for a twist, but I’m not holding my breath. The fight in this issue is entertaining and there’s some great interior monologue from Venom but there are problems. The plot has moved from stopping Marquis Radu to stopping Carnage and I fear that there will be loose ends. Some things also aren’t explained well. Venom cuts Carnage’s head off at one point yet he gets up and continues to talk. I couldn’t tell if Cletus Kasady was killed and it was the symbiote in control or if Kasady somehow survived. At the end, Carnage seeps into the ground causing an army of mini-Carnage’s to travel through someone’s eyeball into the Macroverse. How this was possible I don’t know and its lack of clarity was something that bothered me. Still, the battle is handled well and the dialogue is nowhere near as cringe worthy as past issues. I’m still excited for the conclusion and want to see how this story wraps up, I’m just hoping for more clarity and no loose ends. Plus the idea of an army of mini-Carnage’s is hilarious.

FALLS FLAT

I have not been a fan of Declan Shalvey’s and that doesn’t change here. Images appear flat in places, lacking the detail needed to really make the art pop. Shading continues to be an issue as well, as some characters are barely shaded, leaving that to the colorist, while other characters, such as Carnage and Marquis Radu, have heavy shadows. It’s this inconsistency that bothers me and takes away from my enjoyment of the book. It all feels rushed but it could just be that I don’t like his style. Shalvey draws the symbiotes well though, and credit should be given for drawing a massive amount of monsters during the fight. One thing that has bugged me throughout this whole event is the color of Katy Kiernan’s hair. The colorists can’t decide if she is a blonde or brunette and it changes every issue. It may be a minor detail but it continues to take me out of the story nonetheless.

BOTTOM LINE: IF YOU’RE IN, YOU’RE IN

If you’ve read this far chances are you’ve enjoyed the story and are going to read the final issue. I know I will, just to see how it all ends. I’ve been pleased so far and while I liked this issue, I was a little let down as well. The fight was enjoyable but the lack of clarity in some parts along with art that I’m not fond of brought this issue down. Here’s hoping for a strong ending. Venom #27 gets 2.5 out of 5 stars.

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