The great thing about 2014's Edge of Spider-Verse mini-series is that each issue introduced (or reintroduced) a clever new take on the traditional Spider-Man mythos. Each of those issues subverted expectations, pushed that familiar Spider-Man origin story in new directions and gave readers a worthy new addition to the franchise. There's a reason Spider-Gwen became a breakout character and the star of her own long-running solo series. That's not to say Edge of Venomverse can't do the same, but this issue's Venom-ized version of X-23 is hardly the next Spider-Gwen. This issue does little to combine the two elements into a satisfying, cohesive whole.
It's not difficult to imagine X-23 and Venom being combined into something new and compelling. Laura is a character constantly fighting to keep her darker side in check, and being bonded with a symbiote only makes that struggle more dangerous and immediate. But this issue doesn't show much interest in highlighting that internal struggle. It mainly settles for offering a loose, compressed retelling of the original NYX mini-series, as the Venom-ized Laura hooks up with Kiden and the gang and learns how to survive on the mean streets. That basic formula still has its appeal, to be sure. Matthew Rosenberg does a fine job of building a dynamic among the various teen runaways and exploring the seedy side of the Marvel U. But at best, the issue is just rehashing familiar beats.
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It's not difficult to imagine X-23 and Venom being combined into something new and compelling. Laura is a character constantly fighting to keep her darker side in check, and being bonded with a symbiote only makes that struggle more dangerous and immediate. But this issue doesn't show much interest in highlighting that internal struggle. It mainly settles for offering a loose, compressed retelling of the original NYX mini-series, as the Venom-ized Laura hooks up with Kiden and the gang and learns how to survive on the mean streets. That basic formula still has its appeal, to be sure. Matthew Rosenberg does a fine job of building a dynamic among the various teen runaways and exploring the seedy side of the Marvel U. But at best, the issue is just rehashing familiar beats.
Continue reading…
Continue reading...