Venom #16
Writer: Rick Remender
Art: Kev Walker, Chris Sotomayor [Colors]
A while back, Venom captured the D-list villain Human Fly. This issue, he’s in charge of protecting a train transporting Human Fly to the Raft, a maximum security prison designed for super villains.
It all starts out simple enough, with Human Fly giving a sob story about how he stole a few million dollars from the Kingpin and now the Kingpin is going to kill his son. It adds depth to the Human Fly, especially given the revelation at the end of the issue.
Before Flash can fully process any of this, though, one of the guards informs him that the Kingpin has already placed a $10 million bounty on the Fly’s head and that one of the other guards has already offered to take it. It turns out the guard with the intel is no guard at all, but actually the Hobgoblin in disguise. Needless to say, a battle between the three ensues and Venom is dealt another personal defeat.
Rick Remender has promised in recent weeks that people who like seeing Flash Thompson’s life suck would be happy in coming months, and so far, he seems to be keeping that promise. If it’s all downhill from here, I can only imagine the depths to which he’ll take Venom before things start looking up. Aside from giving Human Fly some of the best characterization I’ve ever read from that character, he also makes great use of the Phil Urich Hobgoblin here. Like what he did with Jack O’Lantern early on in the series, I actually think Human Fly is more than a C- or D-lister for a change.
Another solid one-and-done from Remender this week, just in time for new readers to jump onboard for the “Savage Six” story arc.
STORY: 9/10
ART: 9/10
