Alright, Steemit/@dtube! I’m weighing in on VENOM, the new anti-hero Sony film directed by Ruben Fleischer, starring Tom Hardy. As most of you know, I don’t typically spend time with movie reviews. I am an apologetic comic book fanboy […and I’ll get in to why that was important with seeing the film to begin with]. I feel especially motivated to no only write a Steemit/@dtube review, but to vicariously live through my fellow Steemians participating in daily #inktober posts. That is something I can’t do […again], but I thought the companion inking of Eddie Brock would be a nice twilight to the #inktober that could have been.
First, the film. Let me say, I’m shocked this movie was even green lit, honestly. The messy arrangement between Disney and Sony regarding Spider-man and the cohabiting sub-characters and villains. It just seemed too complicated. On the other hard, maybe Sony just felt that if they were going to hold those rights, they may as well do something with them. The timelines/universe are confusing. It leaves us asking questions as to where Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock fits in with the current MCU. With all the pre-Tom Halland Spider-man reboots and disasters, though, what’s the worst that could happen?
When rumblings of this film first began in 2017, I was cautiously optimistic. This was a character I wanted to see brought to life since my adolescent years, before big superhero blockbusters were even a thing. I’m not alone in that. Venom, Spidey and Carnage were a significant step in bringing me from a casual comic reader, to a diehard loyalist that would beg my parents to take me to Phoenix Comics in Edwardsville, PA, to buy the next issue in the Maximum Carnage series. It was the first arc I’d painstakingly bought in it’s entirety. Venom will always have a special place in my heart.
Sony attached to this film made me a little nauseous, but Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock did reassure me…until, the first trailer was released. Tom Hardy not withstanding, it looked bad. That was followed by the news that it would be rated PG-13. Another blow to my hopes of Venom being done any justice. The second trailer didn’t make me feel any better. “Eyes, lungs, pancreas. So many sacks, so little time.” What….the fuck? I picked up tickets for me, 
I won’t be giving any spoilers, so you can read on. I was pleasantly surprised. VENOM was much better than I thought. It held up. Decent, plausible plot […as far as film interpretations of comic books go]. First act had a nice slow set up […but not boring enough that a 7 year old
Reading some interviews with Tom Hardy, I long for what could have been. When asked by Comics Explained what his favorite parts of the film were, he responded “…the ones that aren’t in it”. Maybe we’ll get to see those in a director’s cut. Interestingly, though, there seems to be a tale of two movies. Reviews are relentlessly cruel, and I can honestly say, that was not my experience. Maybe just the nostalgia of seeing a live action […pretty well handled] Venom allowed me to forgive the shortcomings, but if that’s the case, I’m not alone. Check out this column by Karlton Jahmal of HotNewHipHop.com titled Movie Goers Rank "Venom" Exponentially Higher Than Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score.
I left the theater […especially after the post credits] more excited for what is to come than ever. 
#inktober is upon us and I’m sad and regretful that I couldn’t participate. I’m so behind on photography, it would be morally irresponsible to commit to a drawing a day. I’ve been living vicariously through Steemit artists like 
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