What You Should Have Read #32

Last Week’s Awesomeness

I was always a big Venom fan, but I took a hiatus from comics right about the time Marvel started pumping out a bunch of Venom mini-series, so I never felt Venomed out. I liked the evolution of the character, from Eddie and then to Mac after Eddie got cancer. I LOVED what was happening with him in Thunderbolts. I’m okay with the current incarnation, I guess, but I’m just waiting for Flash to be in over his head. As for Eddie Brock, I gave a big eye roll when Anti-Venom was introduced. It just felt too easy, like the creators weren’t even trying. Opposite color scheme, somewhat similar powers, skewed idea of heroism…Marvel already tried a watered-down, “heroic” Venom. But I’m liking the current storyline, and I like how he’s trying to prove himself to Spidey.

I realize that nobody really dies in comics, but Black Bolt is back? Did this happen in a comic I haven’t read? I knew HE wouldn’t stay dead (as opposed to Ant-Man and Jack of Hearts, who are also back), but I’ve been following the cosmic storylines and I have no recollection of his return. I’m assuming it’ll be brought up in the next issue of FF.

Hey there, Valkyrie. Way to rally the troops. After that, though, the end of the issue almost brought me to tears. Of course, I’ve been close to tears most of the week anyways, so it’s not that difficult to get me there right now.

Crime Master might be a good guy, but he ain’t no dummy.

For some reason I had assumed that Wolverine: The Best There Is was a mini-series even though it didn’t say so in the issue box on the cover. Looks like I was wrong. I’m enjoying the smart and sarcastic writing, but I’m liking the art less and less each issue. I liked Juan Jose Ryp while he worked on various Avatar projects, but I’m not feeling like he’s fitting with this book very well. Or maybe it’s just this issue. I did like it when he was drawing freaks and whatnot, and I like his Beast, but his Cyclops and Emma aren’t doing it for me. Maybe I just don’t like him drawing “normal” people. That aside, the little back-and-forth Scott, Henry and Emma had going about nudity was great.