We may be in November with Halloween now just a distant memory. Our worldwide nightmare may have also come to a conclusion. However, none of this can stop me from enjoying some great horror, not this month or any month.
When it comes to mainstream comics doing horror, I’ve been genuinely impressed about some of the books that have been coming out of Marvel throughout 2020. I’ve written previously about the solid Ravencroft series, while Absolute Carnage was a large-scale event that put a focus on the spooky side of the Spider-verse. Among the various one-shots and mini-series that tied-in with that particular tale was Absolute Carnage: Separation Anxiety, which was written by Clay McLeod Chapman, who has really been able to deliver horrific stories in the Marvel Universe. His latest work is no exception.
Web of Venom: Empyre’s End
Writer: Clay McLeod Chapman
Art: Guiu Vilanova
As you likely know if you’ve been following Marvel this year, there was another giant crossover story, Empyre, which was more science-fiction/typical Marvel fare. In the case of Web of Venom: Empyre’s End, writer Chapman manages to deliver a coda to that series that is something right out of Aliens. In this issue, a group of space-faring warriors, including humans, Kree, and Skrulls come across escape pods floating in space, which they bring back into their ship to investigate. Things hit the fan when it’s discovered that the pods are filled with symbiotes.
This issue sets the stage for the upcoming King in Black crossover event, which sees the symbiote god Knull making its way to Earth. Chapman and artist Guiu Vilanova absolutely knock this issue out of the park. The story moves at a quick pace, and as it neared its inevitable conclusion I was absolutely drawn in. The art is dark and violent, a perfect match for Chapman’s words. We also get a real taste of Knull, who looks to be a fantastic antagonist.
My interest in the King In Black event was at what I’d say was a level five up until this point – I know it’s coming, but I can’t say I was terribly interested in it, until now. That’s exactly what you want from a book like Web of Venom: Empyre’s End, which ties in two massive Marvel events. Meanwhile, the book also reaffirms that Clay McLeod Chapman is a writer that I want to watch, both in and out of the comic book world.
