Venom #154 tells a lackluster story from the perspective of the parasitic character.

The issue begins at night, with Venom watching TV shows, and nothing much happens here. The symbiote continues to watch TV, looks into what his host Eddie is dreaming of and has some internal monologue that doesn't seem to matter that much, though he does wonder if he truly is a monster or hero during the story. In the morning, both host and parasite leave home to get some medicine to help them and from there, Venom influences Eddie to stop some crooks. Eddie tries to sell their TV to make money and Venom goes to a priest, using his sleeping partner to get there, to apologise for attacking the holy man in an earlier issue. The alien learns from the priest to earn love and swings away in the end.

Throughout the issue, we have three flashbacks showing us the previous hosts of Venom and his thoughts towards each of them, such as being hurt when Lee Price tried to use him for personal gain or when he felt like a hero when bonded to Flash Thompson, as he trusted the alien and called Venom his partner. These pages give us some insight as to what the symbiote thinks about it's previous hosts and how it felt to be bonded to them, whether it be as a tool used for power or as a friend treated as an equal.

The rest of the story isn't great. After getting their medicine, the two main characters don't really do anything of interest or of relevance. We learn that Venom really likes the TV and learns to earn love from the one he cares about (Eddie), but it's not enough.

The artwork here shows off the muscular Venom we all know well, though we do see how he looked when bonded to other hosts in flashbacks. The flashback imagery really stands out, since other pages don't really look that interesting. There isn't anything of note in the panels to be seen here, besides the Paste Pot Pete goons who try to rob a store. Sadly, they only show up for a few pages before Venom takes them out. Nothing really notable about their designs. Just regular guys wearing metal backpacks with tubes meant to be attached to their arms to fire glue. They don't even get to use their weapons here.

Overall, this just feels boring. The flashbacks are the only saving grace here. Venom doesn't do anything of interest and basically thinks about his relationship with Eddie and if he's good or bad. This story from the symbiote's perspective is just average. more

"What did you do to me!"

Great Caesar's ghost, this was terrible.

Romita's art here ranges from ugly to downright atrocious. It looks rushed as hell with that first spread being just... ugh. This stuff will give me nightmares. Was there some bet going on over there? Under just how many minutes will he be able to draw this entire issue or something? 10 minutes? 15?

And the dialogue is not that far behind. Minus the conversation with Chief Moore (the character I like), that was the only redeeming thing in this issue. Those S.T.A.R. Labs scientist? Wow, that was awful.

My ratings for Action Comics are plummeting in recent months. I want the good Action Comics back, goddammit. more

What If? Demon in an Armor is a decent story that shows what would happen if Tony Stark and Victor Von Doom switched minds and became the other.

The story is initially set in the college days of both characters, who are roommates and don't get along at first. After their bond grows, Tony decides to help Doom with the latter's project as Doom will be rejected from college if the project fails, but discovers too late that Doom plans to switch their minds through said project. The switch is successful, with Stark becoming Doom and having his memories erased during the mind swap, and Doom becoming Stark, who retains all his memories. Doom pins the blame on the now amnesiac Stark, who is deported back to his "home" country of Latveria. Over the next few pages, we see how they both live their lives as the years go by, with Stark working hard to earn his college degree and becoming an inventor/scientist who uses his talents for good, while Doom becomes more power hungry as the clock ticks by, taking control of Stark Industries from his "father" by getting his hands dirty, and starts selling weapons and developing more advanced weaponry for all to buy. Eventually, both characters clash in Latveria as Doom comes to steal technology critical for his weapons to function and Tony decides to stop the theft. Both wear their respective armors and duke it out, before Doom yields and explains the mind swap, bargaining for his freedom by offering Stark his old life back. Stark rejects, saying that Doom will pay for his crimes.

The story doesn't show that much chemistry between both lead characters, only that they were brief friends at first, but are adversaries at the end of the book. The book also explains how both fare as time moves on in a very rushed manner and while dong so, quickly moves on to the final battle between both. We only know the basic characteristics of both these characters for the whole story and not much else.

The artwork is done well, although nothing stands out, with the exception of the armors both characters use to duel the other. They are color swapped versions of the other's armor. Doom's armor is green and silver and looks like regular Iron Man, while Stark's is red and gold and looks like the normal Doctor Doom suit. They both highlight the obvious mind swap and how both lead characters are now different. Besides the suits, everything else looks generic, with nothing of note.

Demon is an Armor is an alright Freaky Friday-style Iron Man story that fails to make the most of it's premise. The story doesn't do much besides pushing both lead characters to their extremes on the morality scale and having them fight at the end, while the art fares fine, but could be better. There is nothing worthy of being remembered in this comic. more