Venom by Donny Cates Vol. 2: The Abyss

by Donny Cates

[Quirky Cat]

Venom Vol. 2: The Abyss continues Eddie Brock’s tale with a few emotional twists and turns that are sure to grab any reader’s attention. Donny Cates run has been one of the more heavily talked about Venom series out there (at least that I’ve heard). And that was more than enough to get me curious about what was going on in here.
The Abyss was dark, twisted, and just a little bit morbid. While it’s certainly a more introspective piece, there is still plenty of fighting for fans of the character (either of them, really). And a whole lot going on for Eddie to be dealing with.

Before I continue this review, I should probably mention one mistake I made. I accidentally picked Vol. 2 up first, instead of Vol. 1 (in my defense it was an easy mistake to make, if you don’t take the time to double-check the issues inside). Honestly though? It wasn’t that big of a deal. I’m absolutely going to go back and read the first volume, but I didn’t have much trouble following along with what was happening here. And I enjoyed it too much to even consider putting it down until I got my hands on the first half.

The Abyss was one heck of an intense read. I know I’ve been saying that a lot lately (but this is Marvel we’re talking about – they love going for intense plots) but it really does fit here. Eddie has to deal with some very serious subjects, including a dramatic reveal or two.
I honestly loved this plot. I’ve tried reading Venom in the past, but never really got into it. Having read this volume though, I can see why some people are such die-hard fans of the character(s). If there was more of this around I’d be reading it all the time!
It was fascinating watching Eddie Brock come to terms with a lot of what has happened or is happening. Alongside it he had to face the truth – and that means seeing the betrayals in his life for what they are. I was shocked by how moving these scenes were, truth be told. It is a side of Venom I had never seen before.
Finally, the disjointed storytelling worked really well here. There was a subplot running throughout the entire volume, in which Eddie was explaining his father’s hatred. By leaving those tendrils hanging, it allowed the readers to make assumptions, while also leaving us in doubt. It was an excellent example of this storytelling style.

I loved the artwork for The Abyss. Iban Coello, Ryan Stegman, and Joshua Cassara all did a great job of bringing the horrors and twists in this plot to life. And that’s actually pretty disturbing when you think about some of what happened in here.
There were several scenes that must have been difficult to depict here, and yet I think they did an excellent job of it. I especially enjoyed the scenes where Venom was being portrayed as more like an animal alongside Brock, than a being sharing the same space as him. It was the perfect visual for the turmoil their relationship is going through.

Now that I’ve finished The Abyss, it’s clear that I’m going to have to go back and read the first volume (Rex) because I don’t want to miss out on anything from this plot arc.

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