Venom #10 pg 6 SPLASH by Ryan Stegman

Here’s the 1st of 2 Stegman posts today, this from his recent run on Venom – picked it up directly from Ryan at Dallas Fan Expo last month.

OK, so no action or characters in costume here, but, to me, this is such a key moment from Cates and Stegman’s run on Venom and a great example of the strong storytelling they’re bringing to this arc.

Throughout the issues leading up to this one, it’s hinted that Eddie was involved in a car accident that had a profound impact on him, influencing how he is today, his views on “innocence”, etc. It’s further hinted that said accident involves him being hit as a child. But, this splash reveals that it was not Eddie that was hit, but a teenaged Eddie that hit a child while driving drunk. A sad and tragic sequence for sure, but from a storytelling perspective, an impactful image leading to a realization that just hits you over the head as the reader. I won’t go into too much more detail but it is revealed that Eddie’s father helps him get off, but to do so, Eddie is forced to plead innocent, an act it seems, he’s never lived down the guilt from.

I’ve never been the biggest fan of Venom, I’ll admit, but Cates/Stegman/Mayer/Martin are putting together a top notch story, adding so many more layers to the character, and making me actually care about Venom. This piece is a good example of that, at least for me.

Thanks, gents, and keep up the good work!