Spider-Man and Venom get an adorable makeover in this Double Trouble exclusive

By Oliver Sava | October 31, 2019 | 6:00pm

Aux News comic previews

Spider-Man and Venom get an adorable makeover in this Double Trouble exclusive

All images: Marvel Comics

Spider-Man and Venom usually get together under extremely dramatic circumstances (see: the current Absolute Carnage event), but a new miniseries offers a brighter, more playful take on the dynamic between these archnemeses. Spider-Man/Venom: Double Trouble gives the two characters the Freaky Friday treatment courtesy of writer Mariko Tamaki, artist Gurihiru, and letterer Travis Lanham, offering a kid-friendly superhero story by a top-notch creative team. Mariko Tamaki and Gurihiru have considerable experience working on comics that appeal to younger readers, with Tamaki currently standing as one of the top writers of YA graphic novels while Gurihiru has built a reputation on the exuberant artwork of series like Power Pack, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and the current Superman Versus The Klan.

This is an ideal team to tackle this light-hearted take on Spider-Man and Venom, giving kids an easy entry point to learn more about these characters. This exclusive preview of next week’s Spider-Man/Venom: Double Trouble #1 quickly breaks down the differences between the characters in two pages riffing on the Amazing Spider-Man TV theme song, with Venom’s lyrics not scanning correctly because he doesn’t care for the pesky rules of verse. Gurihiru does excellent work differentiating the characters through their body types, with Spider-Man clearly appearing as a younger person while Venom has a larger physique that reads as both older and more imposing. Vivid colors, exaggerated expressions, dynamic layouts, and easy-to-read lettering make this an excellent comic to give to kid superhero fans, but anyone looking for a charming superhero comic with personality will appreciate Double Trouble.