Venom #7

Background

Last issue the symbiote arrived in an isolated Canadian town of Voici and began setting up his own all you can eat buffet among the hapless population of pipeline workers and loggers. Venom's nemesis, no not Spider-Man, The Suit meanwhile continues following the monster, armed with his trusty Deus ex Nokia. He's keeping the only survivor of the Christmastown Massacre, Patricia Robertson around on a short leash for what might be less than altruistic purposes.

Meanwhile two new players take the stage, two hot leather clad (alien?) twins named Vic and Frankie (once again we learn the character's names from the Previously Page) who are apparently Venom hunting as well.

Oh and a short hairy guy by the name of Logan showed up to join in on the fun.

Story Details

Our issue opens up as we see Clem, Venom's host du jour sitting down inside of Nan's diner for a cup of coffee.

"What's got yah so down d're Clem? Yah lookin' like yah jus' los' yah be's friend d'ere!" An old codger asks Clem, using the kind of subtle dialect usually reserved for Chris Claremont writing Gambit's Cajun Accent.

"Well Yooper... it ain't good. Looks like I went an' got some kinda alien stuck to me. Darn thing wants to killer every-body. Eat'em too, I think... or at least parts of 'em. An' I don't think I'm gonna be able to do anything about it, neither." Clem says. He really has a bad day.

Sooper pauses clearly in shock.

"Ah--yah almost got me d'ere, eh! Had me t'inkin' yah might'a got crazy wit' da cabin fever! Yah hear Nan? Clem d'ere says he's an alien gonna kill us an' eat us. But says you ain't got nuttin' t'worry about 'cuz hes on a low-fat diet an' you're dat fattest t'ing he ever seen!" Yooper says, laughing it up, but Nan the rather hefty owner of the establishment seems to be shocked.

"Ah heck, Nan..." He says. "Yah know I didn't mean nuttin' by it, eh?" Yooper however fails to notice the suddenly huge symbiote sitting besides him where Clem was a moment ago.

The remaining dinners in the establish quickly flee outside, screaming in panic only to be gunned down in a hail of bullets and hot pink tracer fire. I should note they all bleed that standard-issue PSR-rated black-colored blood.

"Negative contact. You got anything Frankie?" The redheaded twin says into her communicator, a double-barreled Cable-Gun in hand.

"Nothing yet, Vic. It must still be in the diner--oh wait..." Frankie says as she sees Nan fleeing out of the back door of the establishment. "...I got some action." She says drawing a bead on fat waitress. Before she can fire though a loud "CHINK" is heard as she looks rather puzzled to notice that her Cable-Gun has been cut in half. Before she can figure out what's going on, Logan quickly takes her off her feet with a kick, along with a loud "KLOPP!" sound effect. Cripes this book has the goofiest sound-effects this side of Spidey Superstories.

Frankie desperately gasps for breath but Logan quickly subdues the woman, not taking too kindly to the slaughter of innocent yokels. "One word... One sound... ...And I'll gut you like a fish. Move this finger if you understand." She does so.

"Good... Now... once for yes, twice for no." Logan says preparing his first question. "Is it just the two of you--?" He asks... not noticing the cranky symbiote suddenly leaping behind him.

Meanwhile as Wolverine and Venom begin brawling, Frankie quickly scrambles finding her communicator. "Contact! I repeat Contact! It's right here, Vic! And so is the guy from the bar-- the mutant! Wolverine!"

"Calm down and follow the protocol, Frankie! We've trained for this!" Vic responds.

"I can't the collar is broken! Repeat my collar is broken!" Frankie responds. Vic quickly runs to to try and give Frankie some support, but she's quickly dropped by a FZAKKT! from The Suit's infamous Deus Ex Nokia. He then quickly contacts his mysterious employer.

"Contact-- it is here." Be advised: unanticipated forces have made their presence and intent known. They are armed, trained and seemingly well-informed... They are here for the creature as well."

Meanwhile Venom has Wolverine hoisted up by the neck. chocking him. Logan quickly pops his claws, slashing off the symbiote's hand. Much to Venom's surprise.

"You're not Eddie.. I can tell. I don't know what you are." Logan says. "But I'm gonna assume you came here lookin' for me..." He pauses, a wry grin on his face. "So... here I am."

"No, actually I didn't come here for you. But I'm definitely glad that I found you. Because I do know... what you are and we're both talking too much." Venom responds. This is followed by a damned lovely two-page spread of Logan and Venom going at it.

Wolverine continues to slice away at Venom while the symbiote taunts him. Venom gets the upper hand swatting him down before suddenly engulfing the mutant promising that he's going to be "so much more than you could eve be.. alone."

This prompts Logan to rip himself free, furiously swatting away. "Ohh look at you. Scary." Venom continues to taunt our hero. "I hope you realize... you're just making me hungrier."

Meanwhile Robertson finally comes to after being knocked out by the DeN last issue. "Get up Robertson. Get up... ...and run." She thinks to herself. Before turning her head as she hears a twig snap. Robertson however turns and notices Frankie heading her way. "Looks like we have something in common -- we're both lost. Which in no way of course... makes you a friend." Robertson quickly grabs a fallen branch as a weapon.

"U.S. Army! Lie down on the --" Before she can finish her sentence Frankie fires a hale of round in her general direction. She waits for her assailant, clearly irate and tries to get the drop on her with her club.

"Nice try, cutie pie." Frankie says, catching her off guard raising the gun to her head. "Waitaminute... I know you. You're supposed to be dead.." Cripes... I swear Robertson stumbles into these situations as frequently as Kim Baur on 24. We're not going to have to watch her get chased by mountain lions in this arc are we?

Meanwhile, Suit stumbles onto the fray between Venom and Logan. He once again speed-dials his advisor. "Be advised: a new factor has entered into the equation... Isolation and termination of the lifeform may be problematic at this time... Preliminary scans indicate that it has engaged a mutant humanoid."

The symbiote seems to be very much enjoying the fight, continuing to taunt Logan. "Please don't stop. Don't give up now..."

"I never give up. And I never quit." Not exactly the cleverest comeback I've heard from Wolverine.

"I know-- that's why I want you so much. Because once I have you... I'll never go hungry again." Venom says preparing to attack Logan yet again. Meanwhile the Suit watches on, targeting his dreaded Deus ex Nokia before suddenly and without warning firing on Wolverine.

General Comments

Wow, that was a fast paced issue. If Shiver's biggest problem (storywise) was that the story moved too toward such an anti-climatic finish, then Run seems to be a complete 180-degree turn with an action-pact story with plot that's too chaotic if anything. I like how pretty much every player at this point has his or her own agenda. The Suit's stalking Venom in a cold calculated manner. The twins are meanwhile employing a shoot-first, ask questions later strategy. Patricia Robertson's just trying to survive, and Wolverine's trying his best to sort out this whole mess.

Perfectly good script once again aided heavily by Paco Medina's excellent pencil work.

Overall Rating

Anyway it's not quite perfect, I'm still trying to figure out what the deal is with the Twins (are they aliens? SHIELD agents perhaps?), and the whole thing seems to have a written on the fly feel to it but, for a good dumb Wolverine/Venom slugfest it's a lot of fun.