When it comes to Marvel (and occasionally in DC), I have noticed a trend in my favorite characters: they all tend to be secondary versions of core Marvel heroes. Thor is fun, but Simonson's origins for Beta Ray Bill are the pinnacle of high-concept storytelling. She-Hulk stories may not have the same anguish and angst as her cousin Bruce, but she works great as standard character and even better when she used to break the fourth wall (well before Deadpool became the poster child). And personal favorite Man-Thing is, of course, the result of a failed attempt at recreating Cap's super-soldier serum (that one, admittedly, a more substantial deviation than the rest). However, growing up with Spider-Man in the late 80s and early 90s there is one who will always have a special place in my heart: Venom.
Well, not specifically Venom, and that's why I'm writing this post. Conceptually, I am a huge fan of the Black Costume/Symbiote, but the stories the character has been used in over the past 20 years have mostly been weak or laughable, a victim of the Extreme '90s dark ages. We're finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, though, as Rick Remender takes over the character and gives him a chance at redemption.
