They have somehow managed to ruin the timeline again. The only way I can make it make sense is for this to happen before the ASM that came out first this month. Well, at least we get to see Romita, Jr.’s Venom. He neve got to draw the most popular new Spider-Villain since Hobgoblin during his late 80s/early 90s heyday. Now his star has fallen quite a bit, enough for him to stop getting his own book, but not enough to keep him out of this one, so we get to see how JR handles him. Not sure I’d say there was much “HORROR” in the Venom story. I guess maybe there was supposed to be, but it didn’t really play that way. Seems to be the angle now, tho, as the open 2 pages are a sequence of a drunk drinking to Joey Z (You can for real let it go), then being overcome by the symbiote, which seems to drain him of some energy or something and then slink into the sewer, muttering “Brock… Patrick… Must find.. Must feed… Must live…” The symbiotes do not traditionally talk, before or after this, but whatever. Meanwhile, Peter’s getting some info:
Peter has come to a not-outrageous conclusion: The threatening phone calls are Eddie Brock. Eddie is apparently known to be separated from his symbiote at this time (Not by me, but you know), and as he becomes Spider-Man and heads out, Peter thinks that this is all Brock can do to terrorize his family without the alien. He’s had crazier theories, for sure. Over a nice 2-page spread, Spidey recaps Venom’s entire deal, all the way back to Secret Wars, interspersed with him trying to intimidate people into telling him where Eddie is. This always works for Daredevil, and seems to never work for Spider-Man, who once again goes to call on his new best pal and sidekick, Arthur Stacy. He arrives to find the Stacy family arguing about the situation with their dad and Senator Ward, and waits for it to die down before approaching Arthur, who recaps all that. A lot of recapping this issue.
This issue looks sharper than usual. This is the 2nd of 2 months of Thor drawn by fill-in artists instead of Jr., and I wonder if he just devoted more time to this book. I love the guy, but you can certainly tell when he’s doing 2 books at once by this period. This looks more like full pencils. And in another inconvenient-to-photograph 2-page spread, Peter is home, asleep, when he’s awaken by a weird phone call, an operator explaining to him that the phone lines are down where MJ is. This is all to keep him distracted as the symbiote sneaks into the room. And then, just as he spots it, Aunt May comes in, wondering if that was MJ calling, and he has to pretend nothing’s wrong for her sake as an alien crouches on his wall prepared to try to bond with him. Good predicament!
Why, it’s Jill, of course, since she’s around so much these days. Jill, apparently unaware of the telephone herself, has come over to say she got a telegram from MJ saying the phones are down and she’s coming home. They briefly discuss how in the doghouse Peter is, and Jill awkwardly segues into how her dad is… also… unhappy because he found out something for Spider-Man and doesn’t know how to reach him. Clunky! Cut to Spider-Man leaving Arthur’s, having been told whatever he was told, the symbiote still chasing him (Then why’d it leave the apartment?). Meanwhile, we see what’s become of Eddie Brock, and he’s in a sketchy apartment praying over his ruined life. You know, that’s interesting. Eddie Brock became Venom in a church, but religion hasn’t really come up for him since. A good call by Mackie. This is a stronger issue than usual. Then his landlord bursts in demanding the rent and threatening him.
He… he did? I read that, how did I miss such a vital bit of info? Huh, I guess he did end that issue with amnesia, but that’s not what I thought was happening. Well. That’s a surprise. As is Eddie fleeing from the sight of his other. Panicking, Eddie smashes right out the window, and they’re really far up. The symbiote goes after him, Spider-Man unable to grab it or hold it. He’s worried about the prospect of them bonding again, but searching for hours yields no sign of either of them. And, we’re told, hours after he gives up…
Looking good! Sounds like Eddie will be busy next issue. But due to how all this shakes out, we have to go look in on ASM first.