JT's Take: Venom #20

Happy Saturday Todd Squad, today we're gonna check out the most recent issue of Venom, how is Flash Thompson dealing with his own personal Savage Six? Let's find out, shall we?

Venom #20

Summary: We start off with Flash heading home to check on his mom, he see's her apartment has been ransacked, but he's suddenly attacked by Death Adder, who slices Flash's back and manages to poison him. A poisoned and slowed down Flash fights Adder, while the apartment patrons all run over to watch. Flash eventually gets his head back in the game and regains control of the situation before making the decision to kill Death Adder so he stops coming after him. Flash regrettably snaps his neck in front of  family that wouldn't get out when he told them to, then heads out looking for The Human Fly. He finds him, and Flash's mother, and Flash tortures The Human Fly, pulling off both of his wings and demanding he tells him where Crime Master is. From there we see Betty awaken in a room, where she's told via intercom to leave the room and come see The Crime Master. She enters a room that has a ton of pictures of Betty and her family, and she's met by Toxin, Jack O'Lantern, Megatak, and The Crime Master. The Crime Master tells Betty that the shrine is an ode to Betty and her brother Bennett, a man that became a mobster and lost his life in the process, and he replies that Crime is his family now, as he unmasks and reveals that he IS Bennett Bryan. Betty is clearly taken aback, as Bennett says their first act as a family once again, is to watch him murder the hell out of Flash Thompson.


Thoughts: Well that was surprising. I don't know much about Bennett Brant but needless to say that reveal surprised me. I'm wondering what his beef is with Flash though. Also, I loved seeing a more brutal side of Venom. He's kinda like Jason Todd, in the sense he's doing the things Spider-Man (or in Jason's case, Batman) won't. He's more aggressive, and has taken two of the Savage Six out of the game, so I'm wondering how far he'll go to stop the Crime Master, and if Betty will forgive him for it. Overall this issue continues to be the best ongoing since Bryan Miller's Batgirl.

Score:  8.5/10

Crime Master: You're gonna watch me murder the hell out of Flash Thompson.