Venom #158

LETHAL PROTECTOR pt IV

Rad Mark Bagley cover.

Written by Mike Costa
Penciled by Mark Bagley
Cover by Mark Bagley
Published Nov 29 2017

   Beneath the streets, the Dino-People fall for Kraven's rat meat trap, running full speed into the Hunter. They fight back in vain before the NYPD officers in tow back him off. After a discussion amongst themselves about the exact chain of command, they decline to pursue the one's running away.

Q: "Should we go after them?"
A: "Nah, we're apparently the shittiest comic book cops ever."

   Meanwhile Eddie quietly suffers. Stuck under a collapsed portion of the sewer, he can only wait while the structure above dangerously teeters. Tana finally sniffs him out, though the confused and under medicated symbiote takes some time to recognize her. She begins to free him but he explains it would kill innocent people. She in turn finds the moloids who help free him. He makes it back to the rest of the Dino-folk but without the medicine from Alcamax, Eddie is starting to lose it.

"I NEED AN ASSSSSSSSSSPIRINNNNN!"

   On the other side of town, Lee Price's attorney argues before judge about his client's release. How can he be a danger to society when Venom is still out committing crimes? Back in the sewers, Kraven continues executing the dinosaurs when Venom makes it back and attacks. Shriek again, well.. shrieks but this time, rage overpowers her volume. Kraven leaps towards Venom and he throws the screaming supervillain back at him. He starts to eat the Hunter but Tana stabs him in the back with his medicine, saving him though incapacitating him in the process.

Here's your meds. I decided to double the dose and stab them into your back.

   Finally the police order them all to freeze. Tana gives an impassioned speech. The dino people wish no harm on the citizens of New York. The police consider the alternatives and decide to arrest Kraven and Shriek while a healing Venom thanks them for everything. The issue wraps with Lee Price collecting his things from the prison discharge and walking out, a free man. With that, the story continues in the next crossover arc with Spider-Man called Venom Inc, while this arc, Lethal Protector, is concluded.

Wait'll they get a load of me.. You know. Again..

   It's a shame I haven't been reading this book for longer than I have. Venom has always been one of my favorite characters, and Eddie Brock is his only rightful parasitic host. I enjoyed Lee Price's run with him as well, as the man wasn't complete evil but still tended to fight crime a lot less than the newly minted hero, Eddie Brock does. Like Deadpool though, there's no way either of them can keep the alien symbiote on the straight and narrow forever. For this issue, and for this arc overall, I give it a 10/10.

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