The Story: Flash starts his new life in Philadelphia when Eddie Brock (with the Toxin symbiote) tracks him down.
The Good: Eddie Brock - Before he was Toxin, or Anti-Venom, or even a Lethal Protector, Eddie Brock was a man obsessed with destroying Spider-Man. I got the same vibe from this Eddie Brock that I did in his first appearances in "The Amazing Spider-Man." He knows Agent Venom's secret identity (like he knew Spidey's) and uses it to his advantage. He uses the symbite more as a tool than as a friend. All I can say is that Cullen Bunn nailed Brock's persona in this arc. I hope he has him return soon! The Art - I don't think it is any secret that I am a huge fan of Declan Shavely's art. He said way back in our interview that he was going for an "old-school Venom with a nuttier-looking symbiote." Well he certainly delivered Toxin's redesign was a great compromise of the 'spaghetti monster' look from the 'Savage Six' and a more down to earth classic Venom look. I also loved how Flash's 'Venoming-out' changed depending on the situation. He had a more intimidating look when scaring off the mugger in issue 31, but was full of rage and anger when helping Toxin fight off The Slayers in issue 25. Declan's art will be greatly missed.
The Bad: Symbiote Slayers - They appeared, the multiplied, and they were defeated. I wanted more. Who were the mystery shadow men that infected the first Slayer? Where did the slayer technology come from? Why were they after symbiotes? While it was hinted that we will see a Slayer again in the future, I wish that we were given more information on where they came from and why they were here.
The Overall: 5 outta 5. This arc is what I have been waiting for! Cullen Bunn delivers on his promise that he will make Brock fans happy by the time this arc rolls out. This is the jumping on arc that I recommend to people who want to start reading VENOM. My only hope is that Brock continues to be a presence in this series and Venom continues these street level adventures.