Venom #39

Writer: Cullen Bunn
Artist: Kim Jacinto w/ Mike Henderson (pages 16-20)
Color Art: Lee Loughridge
Letters: Joe Caramagna
Price: $2.99
Release Date: August 21st, 2013

I am so happy I didn't give up on Bunn's run on Venom. There was definitely a rocky point there a handful of issues back but I think he has finally hit his stride with Flash in Philly. I feel that Bunn has allowed us to get a fresh look at Flash trying to start over and build himself as a hero instead of trying to simply follow in the shoes of Spider-Man in New York.

We left last issue with Flash battling Jack-o-Lantern again and while in an attempt to save his student and neighbor Andi, accidentally gave her a piece of the symbiote which created the new character Mania. This issue basically dealt with Andi trying to get revenge for the death of her father and Flash trying to balance her out so that the symbiote didn't take her completely over. It was interesting how Bunn decided to let Andi gain control over the alien so quickly and she even seems to have good control over it which is insanely uncommon for someone new to the symbiote. It may have something to do with her age or even that Flash has made his own symbiote docile enough that the piece had the same attributes.

It seems there is a lot out there trying to get Flash and it doesn't really hurt to have another buddy to take some of the brunt of it. Even though Andi is no longer located in Philly at the end of this issue, we are bound to see her again as Mania. I highly doubt Bunn would have introduced her and then never use her again. I am sure there are going to be a lot of fights in the coming issues with the seeming promise of a return of the true Jack-o-Lantern and Ogre coming at Flash full force. I am truly digging this direction of Venom and hope that Bunn can keep it up.