Comic review: Spider-Man & Venom: Double Trouble #4

Spider-Man & Venom: Double Trouble #4

Marvel Comics

Writer: Mariko Tamaki

Artist: Gurihiru

If you were to ask me which comic series surprised me the most in the past year it’d have been this one. Spider-man & Venom: Double trouble has been a consistently entertaining read since the first issue came out in November. I went into that first issue expecting a kid’s book without too much depth or detail that would appeal to older readers. Tamaki’s writing and Gurihiru’s artwork proved me wrong though and I’ve enjoyed every issue so far. Now the finale to this superb mini-series has come out and it’s time to see if the series ends with a bang or a whimper.

The last issue ended with Venom and Spider-man switching minds with a cat and a squirrel. Normally you’d think things can’t get much worse but this is a comic so things can always get worse. Doctor Octopus suddenly appeared and caught Spider-squirrel and Venom-kitty, imprisoning them, no doubt with a nefarious purpose in mind. This issue picks up here and I have to admit I was slightly disappointed. Doctor Octopus didn’t have much of a role in this issue. This is despite the fact that he’s on the cover art fighting our two heroes. I’ve always believed that issues cover art should reflect its contents so I found this somewhat deceptive. I’d hoped he’d play a larger role, particularly with the sci-fi aspects of this story.

You might be wondering if the story here is bad because of that but it isn’t, not necessarily anyway. Admittedly it might be a bit plain but it’s still serviceable. Tamaki manages to write a decent, slapstick-filled story focusing on Spidey and Venom trying to track down their bodies. The anime-inspired art from Gurihiru is still great here too so that’s not a problem. It’s really two things that dragged this issue down in my opinion. Firstly, the Doc Ock disappointment and secondly a lack of content that can appeal to older readers. That was the thing that appealed to me about this series in the first place. Lots of little jokes and references to previous Spider-man media. This finale really doesn’t have much of that. If you’re looking for some simple slapstick and nothing more then this issue is okay but it lacks the depth and detail that made this series so intriguing, to begin with.

Overall this is the series going out with a whimper rather than a bang. It doesn’t deliver on what the cover and previous issue promised and what it does instead is simplistic and predictable. The jokes aren’t as smart and the humour relies too heavily on one gag. If you don’t find the idea of Spidey and Venom acting like animals funny or you get tired of it then the issue doesn’t have much to offer beyond it. I’d only recommend this issue if you’re a completionist or someone who doesn’t read comics with a critical eye.