• Extreme Venomverse #1

  Writer:

  Ryan North, Mirka Andolfo, Louise Jones Simonson, & Leonardo Romero

  Artist:

  Leonardo Romero, Paulo Siqueira, Greg LaRocque, & Nico Leon

  Letterer:

  Joe Sabino, Janice Chiang

  Cover Artist:

  Leinil Francis Yu

  Publisher:

  Marvel

  Price:

  $4.99

  Release Date:

  2023-05-10

  Colorist:

  George Roussos, Erick Arciniega, Federico Blee, & Ruth Redmond

Released to coincide with the 35th Anniversary of the character's introduction into the Marvel Comics Universe, Extreme Venomverse #1 -- a compilation of three non-canon stories featuring the famed Symbiote -- kicks off the Summer of Symbiotes event, celebrating all things Venom.

"The Best Part of Him," written by Ryan North, with art by Paolo Siquiera and JP Mayer and colors by Federico Blee, reimagines Eddie Brock not -- Spider-Man's nemesis as the famous web-slinger. "All In the Family," written by Mirka Andolfo, illustrated by Nico Leon and colored by Erick Arciniega has Eddie and Anne struggling with both their Symbiotes and their lack of confidence when their son Dylan loses control of his own inherited Symbiote. Lastly, "Tip of the Blade," written and penciled by Leonardo Romero, with inks by Roberto Poggi and colors by Ruth Redmond has the katana-weilding Tatsuya Takemoto balancing the fine line between survival, his Symbiotic powers, and fighting against the despotic wrath of Oscorp in a distant future. RELATED: Every Featured Character from Marvel’s Summer of the Symbiotes, Explained

The compilation format of Extreme Venomverse #1 gives each of the writers more freedom than they would have otherwise. While each of them gives a nod to the current Marvel continuity, they have free rein to reimagine the character and their situation as they like, exploring the psyches of both Eddie Brock and the Symbiote. Each of the stories works on their own merits, boasting solid premises overall. However, some stories stick a little truer to the Venom mythos and DNA than others, with the North-written "The Best Part of Him" being the most immediately believable and recognizable as a Venom and Spider-Man centric story.

Possibly the most poignant chapter, "The Best Part of Him" revisits one of the most devastating moments in Marvel history. Here, the Symbiote retains much of the late Peter Parker's consciousness, or at least retains his instinct to protect others and be a hero, before fusing back to a remorseful and hopeless Eddie Brock, becoming a new version of Spider-Man. This is a heartbreaking but clever way of examining both the Symbiote and Brock's characters and respective sense of justice and morality, with excellent payoff. Given how this chapter is the most recognizably and traditionally Spider-Man of this issue, it's only fitting that artists Siquiera and Mayer, backed by colorist Blee's grounded and earthy color palette, channels the realistically rendered art style reminiscent of Marv Wolfman and Todd McFarlane.

Mirka Andolfo's chapter "All In the Family" balances the razor-thin edge of emotional poignance and emotional violence, intertwined with the excellent action and fight scenes as portrayed by Nico Leon's stunning visuals and Erick Arciniega's moody color palette, evoking urban decay and inner turmoil. Andolfo taps into the parental anxieties and personal insecurities of Anne in particular, providing subtle and sentimental insight into her character. Eddie and Dylan aren't necessarily neglected, however, they're mostly pushed into the fight scene, thus leaving Anne as the main emotional mover of this chapter.

The outlier of this issue is the Leonardo Romero-penned and illustrated "Tip of the Blade," which takes the greatest liberty with the Venom mythos. Set in a cyberpunk future overtaken by Oscorp, the Symbiote finds a host in swordsman Tatsuya Takemoto, who struggles to take control as he and countless civilians are terrorized by futuristic variants of Spider-Man and Venom rogues. There are appealing traits to this chapter, and Tatsuya has excellent potential as a host with his own reluctant dynamic with the Symbiote. However, the dour and decayed post-apocalyptic setting, brought to life by Poggi's moody inks and Redmond's predictably grimy color palette, isn't the freshest take on this genre, thus dampening the more exciting aspects of this chapter.

As is often the case with compilations, each of the entries has a different tone and pacing, making this issue an inconsistent and choppy read. However, Extreme Venomverse #1 features excellent stories with enough strength to stand on their own, and provide a deeper look into why Venom endures.