Spoilers Ahead
Initial Thoughts
The Amazing Venom #1 picks up where Web of Venom left off as we continue following Fred Myers and the symbiote Passenger in their Odd Couple-style story. While that dynamic isn't new in the symbiote world, it gets a fresh spin. Fred, formerly the villain Boomerang, tries to lead a normal life of petty crime, while Passenger is dead set on a space adventure. As fate would have it, an event forces them to work together to find what they are looking for.
There seems to be a bit of Symbiote fatigue, but I'm fairly new to this universe. I'm coming in with fresh eyes and a fresh sense of. The premier issue took a WHILE to get going, as half the issue was spent on exposition about the background history, even though it was already laid out in the introductory paragraph at the start of the book. Once it got going, Jordan Morris does a good job building a strong foundation for the story. Beyond the witty dialogue and comebacks, the book also tells a deeper story about normalcy and wanting to be happy. In what I think is a twist, Fred wants Passenger to be happy too, which is why he is willing to go to space to find the symbiote's happiness.
Two Peas In a Pod
In a premier issue, the main purpose is to lay the story's foundation, set the tone, and show us the endgame. I think writer Jordan Morris did a great job welcoming us into his universe—especially those of us who are new—and into a world that already feels lived-in. While the world feels overwhelming, with so much symbiote history in the Marvel universe, this feels smaller—but not in a bad way. When you break it down to its basic elements, this is a coming-of-age buddy comedy about two entities trying to find happiness. That will be the story's foundation.
Some might criticize the two combined entities for being too friendly with each other, but I think that is a good change of pace. They look happy for each other and are willing to go the extra mile to help one another. That makes this a refreshing interpretation of the symbiote/carrier relationship. I'm sure this will be a point of contention, and the issue's climax will come when the inevitable fallout happens. Still, for now, I am really enjoying this relationship, since it will be the foundation for the rest of the story. That will ultimately make or break the duration of this series.
Fighting for Happiness
The fight in Fred’s townhouse was easily the best part of the issue. It was also the funniest, since Fred wants a normal life, but having an alien symbiote attached to your body won't make that dream easy. That dynamic between Fred and Passenger will be the main foundation of this story moving forward. The fight inside the townhouse was a strong metaphor for how trapped Passenger, and, for a large part, Fred, feels. They both feel trapped, unhappy with the status quo, and want to get out of their current situations. The only way to do that is to help each other reach their ultimate goal.
How Morris plays with Myers’ (and our) emotions gives him hope that he's found someone who actually loves him, only to reveal that the person is after his symbiote. It was heartbreaking —yet fitting for the story. Both Passenger and Fred now have an emotional bet laid down for each of them to help the other become happy, and that will ultimately be the end game for both protagonists of this story. This will be the foundation of the story as we move forward, whether it is on Earth or up in space somewhere.
One of the Best Covers of the Year
Luke Ross's art is pretty standard Marvel comic book art, with a hint of an old-school look that harkens back to the 1980s. Comeback's character design (the combination of Fred and Passenger) is reminiscent of Spider-Man—as mentioned in the issue—and it gives the symbiote a different look, since many of them tend to look the same. Those red and blue colors really pop and make Comeback stand out in a world of symbiotes that often look alike. David Curiel's color palette isn't what I expected for this book, but as the issue went on, I got used to it. The colors are bright and in-your-face, and I love it.
A quick shout-out to Stefano Caselli for the amazing cover. His use of color to blend Comeback’s uniform with the background was a fantastic visual. One of my favorite covers of the year, as it plays with the traditional Spider-Man colors. With Spider-Man blue leaking into the background, the red and black really pop. The blue on the Comeback costume is much darker inside the actual issue, and I know it's only a cover, but I really wish they could make the cover blue the permanent color for Comeback.
Final Verdict
The Amazing Venom #1 isn't your typical symbiote story, mainly because Venom isn't in it! But beyond that, the relationship between Fred Myers—formerly known as Boomerang—and Passenger is worth exploring. Fred’s desire to leave a normal life with Passenger and go on a space adventure isn't necessarily groundbreaking. Still, Jordan Morris's writing gives it new spring and makes it interesting enough. This starter issue tells us where we are going next: into space to find a peace of heaven for Passenger, or to finally find the love of Fred’s life… or at least a new Townhouse he can call his own.