Things got crazy at the cliffhanger of ‘Venom #13.4’ with the Red Hulk taking on both the Venom symbiote as well as the Spirit of Vengeance and transforming himself into a fiery spike-filled ball of doom. Now, the flaming skull-headed Hulk is cruising around on a burning motorcycle and gunning for Blackheart!
As this issue opens, Hell has completely overtaken the city of Las Vegas. The opening scene features a group of demons chasing what appears to be a stripper in a knock-off Wonder Woman costume. Okay… so the Hell version of Vegas doesn’t seem that far removed from the real thing. Amidst the chaos of screaming and fire, the Hulk is headed towards Tower Blackheart, where the demonic mastermind of Hell’s invasion is holed up. As the battle with Blackheart begins, Flash Thompson sans symbiote, X-23, and ex-Ghost Rider Alejandra are doing their best to hold Blackheart’s gargoyle girlfriend at bay… if they can only stop fighting amongst themselves long enough to do so. I won’t spoil it and tell you how it all ends, but it’s a comic so you know the good guys win the day.
This issue sees the return of my favorite ‘Venom’ writer/artist team of Rick Remender and Tony Moore. Remender does a decent job with the story that ‘Circle of Four’ has built itself into. It’s crazy. It’s over-the-top. And it’s fun! Moore’s pencils are a perfect fit for the pandemonium and you can definitely see some of his ‘Walking Dead’ expression in a few of the scenes. That’s not a bad thing at all.
While ‘Circle of Four’ has had its minor flaws and the story sometimes comes across as merely being a glorified setup for something to come, the story itself has been one Hell of a ride! Yes… lame pun most fully intended. I can’t wait to see this team get together again!
Next issue, Venom joins the Secret Avengers (I wonder if that’ll have any effect on the upcoming ‘Avengers vs X-Men’) and ex-Venom Eddie Brock continues his war against the symbiotes.
Verdict: Buy
VENOM #14
Written by RICK REMENDER
Art by TONY MOORE
Cover by STEFANO CASELLI
