VENOM #8 is a beautiful love letter to Flash Thompson's time as Agent Venom. Donny Cates shows us what Eddie thought of Flash and how his death affected both him and the symbiote. He does this marvelously. Iban Coello really captures the raw emotion Eddie feels when giving Flash his eulogy. This is a truly beautiful issue. Read Full Review

An emotionally-driven issue for Venom that develops the characters and story in a masterful way Read Full Review

Venom #8 delves into the lore behind symbiotes and their long lasting implications on hosts in the past. Writer Donny Cates looks to deliver another high-quality arc with the help of impressive visuals from a talented creative team. This issue has the potential to be the beginning of something truly great! Read Full Review

This short "side-story" period of Venom is honestly a little frustrating, even though it remains solid in its overall quality. Read Full Review

This book is so very good.

Wow. Honors both the History of Venom and the Legacy of Flash Thompson while still adding something new for the future of the character. The new ideas Donny Cates brings to the table arent just OK they are game changing and incredibly intelligent with great detail to compliment his ideas. Amazing to look at, every panel is worth your time.

Prelude:
Last issue really changed things up and I'm still not sure on how I feel about that compared to the rest of the series. I hope Cates can sell me on it here.

The Good:
I did like Eddie speaking to "Flash". Really shows his insecurities off well.

Love Flash's appearance even if it isn't Flash per say.

Coello's art was great and got the breathing room it needed.

Carnage!!!

The Bad:
Nothing.

Conclusion:
Back to usual with this issue of Venom. Really loved the impact Flash had on Eddie and his symbiote.

Cates story is obviously well planned which has me hooked. Now the guest artist Iban Coello's art being awesome is just icing on the cake!

That final page... DAMMMMN

I was a little worried Venom wouldn't hold up without Ryan Stegman, but definitely not the case. The plot and dialogue are great; I really enjoyed Eddie struggling with Flash being the better symbiote host. I've always liked the Maker and it's fun to see him in this book and that cliffhanger..... really great stuff.

So the story progresses a tad bit but the art! Wow Coello did a fantastic job at the artwork! We do see some cool tricks that the Maker can do and wish we can see more of him in the books. The Flash type Venom I am still confused about if its still in Eddie, really wish it is because when the Codex infused with Brock happen, Venom was such a badass! And that ending boy did it give me goosebumps for what is to occur! Because it will be... Carnage!

The Maker and his plot fade into the background; this issue gives the lion's share of its attention to finally giving Flash Thompson and his tenure as Venom a great memorial. The character work on Eddie - both on his own and relating to Flash - is superb. Powerful art helps, particularly with the action scenes. I do think #7 oversold the Maker's immediate impact on the story, but he'll surely be back.

THE GOOD:

-Iban Coello is a good artist. Not as good as Ryan Stegman, but still good. I think the color artist did a good job too.

-This was my favorite issue in the series. It proved to be an entertaining ride that had a few stumbles but all in all, for me, rose above the other issues.

-I liked the way Eddie was written. It was interesting to see how he felt when the symbiote was brain dead.

-I thought the escape scene was really cool too. Yet another good moment in the issue.

-I'm curious as to what direction they will be taking the Maker in. He was pretty good in this story arc.

-The end has me pretty hooked. I'm looking forward to the next issue now.

THE BAD:

-Wasn't a fan of the opening scene. It was elongated, and felt pointless especially since it was done again later in the issue and turned out just to be a simulation. Still good dialogue though.

-When Flash's symbiote bonded with Eddie, it did feel a bit forced. It wasn't a terrible scene though, it just was introduced quickly and didn't have a huge purpose. more