So, now that MJ is flying home in ASM, we can pick up here. As you’ll see, we had no choice. This month, we find ourselves in a “secret maximum security wing” of the Manhattan Correctional Facility wherein is currently housed one Cletus Kasady. He’s guarded by a small army of guys in big, bulky, beautiful Romita, Jr. armor, and seems pretty secure. Until a janitor comes mopping close to his cell, saying he’ll only get as close as…
To no one’s surprise, I think Romita’ Venom is great. Even though he’s less extreme than, say, Erik Larsen’s, he somehow looks more monstrous. And, in a general sense, nobody draws a big buff dude looking truly powerful like Romita. Yes, yes, it’s the John Romita, Jr. Fan blog, back in action.
Well, this is a surprising development. Mackie isn’t the last person to try to boldly put an end to Carnage, sadly, but I salute him for trying. On the other hand, There’s a zero percent chance Venom wouldn’t have killed Kasaday in this situation. All the times he’s tried in the past? Come on. Well, anyway, in the Parker home, Peter does fall off that stepladder, and decides he’s just gotta eat it to keep his secret, but then Jill tries to catch him, and they tumble to the ground in some dumnb romcom moments. Then Aunt May seems to notice this is not good and start aggressively suggesting Peter & MJ need alone time when she returns. Jill is going to drop May off at Anna’s in Queens, you know, May’s house. Peter says she’s been heading out there an awful lot lately. Gee, what could that mean? Then, as they get ready to leave, he says he and MJ have a lot to talk about, and he unplugs the phone, and says this is going to be perfect. So, you know what that means. Meanwhile, Venom checks his to-do list, and it includes “Kill Spider-Man” 4 times, and also “Destroy the Daily Bugle,” so he’s off to do that.
UGH. Peter chooses this rather odd moment to recap, recap, recap. What he’s hiding from MJ, what she’s hiding from him but he knows about, how Venom came back last issue, all sorts of things. He jumps up onto the roof in regular clothes while recapping, for some reason, and then, of course, sees Venom swinging by, and has to go stop him. Bad timing, Pete-o. Meanwhile…
Ominous! Venom is at the Bugle, coming in disguised as a water delivery guy, and then kidnaps JJJ to go kill him. Venom takes Jonah to the belltower of the church from WEB 1, and tells him he’s gonna give JJJ more of a chance than he’s ever given anyone. Since he once wrote that Eddie was unbalanced, he’s letting JJJ prove how balanced he is by trying to climb down off the top without falling. But then JJJ’s hand gets webbed to the dome.
Venom seems to have gotten Carnage’s variation on their powers by eating him. Not a bad idea. The pair smash around in the church for awhile as Venom keeps recapping his origin until Spider-Man kicks him back outside as hard as he can. He tries to start ringing the bells, since it worked in ASM 300, but they don’t work, and then Venom’s upon him again, saying they removed the clappers. Venom reminds us he doesn’t know who Spider-Man is anymore as he pummels him, which… How? Ok, so Brock said being separate from the symbiote made him forget, which is shaky enough, but they’re back together now. I mean, it’s better if he doesn’t know, for sure, but it’s sloppy at best. As they brawl, he demands to know why Spidey would protect Jonah, someone who’s spent his career trying to tear him down.
The End??? How can this be The End???? In an absolutely SHOCKING, insane example of how messed up this line is right now, not ONE of the cliffhangers at the end of this issue resolves. Anywhere! JJJ doesn’t unmask Spider-Man. Whatever happens with Venom and the Carnage symbiote, it doesn’t happen next issue. Peter isn’t attacked by Whoever. Peter & MJ don’t even SEE each other this night!! It’s borderline impossible. Terrible, terrible storytelling. Truly shocking. And a shocking place to end this block. But, uh, next block just picks up where this one ended, so it’s not such a distinction as it used to be. Well, til the next one…