The divide between Batman and Venom is fairly wide. The Dark Knight is defined by his code against killing, whereas the symbiote anti-hero is known as the Lethal Protector. However, a story in the premiere issue of Venom: Black, White & Blood finds Eddie Brock taking a page from Bruce Wayne‘s book.
The story in question, “Sweet Will Be The Flower,” is written by Ryan North, with art by Crees Lee. The plot finds Venom discovering an unhoused boy, shot and bleeding to death. The boy, Derrick, was reportedly abandoned by his parents. He is also, to the surprise of Eddie and his symbiote, a fan of the Lethal Protector.
They quickly determine that Derrick is paralyzed and has bled out beyond saving. However, the symbiote says it can keep Derrick alive for a few hours. This will be long enough to personally avenge his murder. Eddie agrees and allows Derrick to bond with Venom.
However, it turns out that Derrick’s killer is another unhoused youth, and the shooting was an accident. In the end, Derrick can’t bring himself to kill someone like him. Another death will not solve anything. Instead, Derrick asks the Venom symbiote to stay with him until he dies.
This may seem familiar to fans of Justice League Unlimited. The second season finale, “Epilogue,” features a similar scene. In it, Batman confronts a young supervillain called Ace, whose powers are slowly killing her.
Amanda Waller wants to kill Ace in case her powers go out of control when she dies. Instead, Batman comforts Ace and agrees to stay with her until she passes peacefully. Many fans feel this scene epitomizes the character of Batman, showcasing why the knight part of “Dark Knight” is more important than the dark.
How Venom changes up Batman’s ‘Epilogue’ in Justice League Unlimited
However, “Sweet Will Be The Flower” puts a bitter twist on the Batman scene from Justice League Unlimited. Eddie Brock relates the story in flashback to an unseen audience. The final pages reveal Eddie is telling the story to his cellmate, Cletus Kasady, in the days before Kasady became bonded to the Carnage symbiote.
As cynical as he is psychotic, Kasady questions the reality of Eddie’s story. He does not believe Eddie’s assertion that Derrick made a conscious decision not to kill because people are inherently innocent and decent. Eddie insists the story is real; however, he continues to repeat to himself that he is a good person.
The comic does not offer any evidence one way or the other, leaving the question open to the reader. Did Venom truly comfort a dying boy after trying to grant his dying wish? Or is Eddie Brock deluding himself into thinking he’s a hero? Either way, the story seems to be a twisted take on the Justice League Unlimited episode “Epilogue.”
Venom: Black, White & Blood #1 is now available at comic shops everywhere.
