Xavier Mendoza Comic Reviews

If you want to get into Venom books with no prior knowledge of the character, this issue presents a wonderful jumping off point. If you're a long time Venom fan like myself, there's plenty here to help keep your love of the character alive. Pick up a copy as soon as you can, I know I will.

Its good to see that the tone and quality of the book hasn't taken a massive hit, as many fans speculated was Marvel's intention by changing up the minds behind the book.

So far, Ray Fawkes' Ragman leaves a lot to be desired in terms of character. The surreal visual storytelling, the abstract and mystical tone, and the fast-paced and frantic action scenes are all stunningly told through Inaki Miranda's dynamic art and Eva De La Cruz's flavorful color style. Yet, both are in service of a rather hectic plot that struggles to find time to really build Rory as a character.

The issue continues from the previous ones in hurried pace, lack of character building, and impartial tone. The art is wonderful and the connections to the larger DC universe are much appreciated, but the story lacks a central character to tie it all together. I hope that future issues can pick up the pieces and tell something more memorable, but it seems unlikely.