Venom #162

POISON X pt III

Written by Cullen Bunn
Penciled by Edgar Salazar
Cover by Will Robson
Published Feb 21, 2018

   Cyclops and the X-Men are covered in symbiotes. But while they think they know how to use them, Venom knows they have no idea. The arms dealing gangster Haze Mancer holds him at bay while the X-Men use their new powers. First freeing each other and later freeing Venom.

Check out this new trick, Hank.

   Mancer makes a run for it but forgets the power of his original sale. Venom punches him out, completely enraged and about to end him once and for all but Jean stops him with the rest of the X-Men reminding him they're not killers. During their interrogation, Mancer tries to bribe them but to no avail. Jean scans him and discovers the rest of his inventory was rigged with tracking devices. 

Let's see what's going on in here...

   Hank combined with future tech and his own new alien suit track the bounty hunters who made the purchases. Meanwhile, they continue to torture Cyclops's father Corsair and the Starjammers. Killer Thrill tells him the X-Men are in pursuit but his son was critically injured. But as long as he's alive, Corsair knows his son will do everything to find him.

You blew it, Killer Thrill.

   Venom gives the X-Men some guff over not killing Mancer, but one thing's for sure. Jean knows the suits are affecting the mutants emotionally. While the Klyntar don't want to leave their new hosts, revenge is something their most certainly in the mood for.

I think the Klyntars dig us.

   The issue wraps on a Nova Corps satellite jail. Alarms sound around the now incarcerated Haze Mancer, and among a breach, an old friend has come to visit. Kraven The Hunter, clad in his own symbiote, is looking for one last hunt. What does this mean for Venom and the X-Men? We'll have to wait to find out as this issue is left to be continued.

YOU get a symbiote, and YOU get a symbiote...

   So I was doing a little digging and it looks like Cullen Bunn is subbing for Mike Costa on a few Venom books. I guess that's good as apparently this series is just a vehicle for crossovers, but I'm interested in seeing what Costa has planned for the future. This book has been a little hit or miss. Maybe the time off means he's got some good things ready for the #1 relaunch in a few months. I give this one a 7/10.

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