[Trivial Psychic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by En Sabah Nerd

It's because they completely neutered the character, early Agent Venom was a mixed reception because they made him a straight up good guy and Venom has always been either an evil monster or a delusional anti-hero who was still rather vicious and cruel. Agent Venom on the other hand was all clean cut and by the books, sometimes, and that's why early Agent Venom was alright is because there was that constant idea that the symbiote wanted Flash to just unleash and kill everybody. I also think most fans don't like how much they made him a gun-toting arsenal, he has Spider-Man super powers already so why does he need a gun type thinking. All things considered though Agent Venom was a goddamned blessing compared to that shit-pile they call Venom now, peacekeepin' lawman my ass.

^^ This...but especially the part in bold. The early concepts of Flash Venom had a neat premise to it (even if it was ripping off Blade,) as the symbiote constantly had to be drugged and weakened to be kept in check, or else Flash would lose himself to it and succumb to it's murderous intent. Of course, Marvel couldn't wait to dump this concept so they could cash in, allowing him to gain more and more control until finally, we get Space Knight lawman (along with it's stupid retcon.)

My biggest issue is that they dumped the concept of the anti-hero, who was not inherently evil, who believed in morality and faith, yet conflicted by something inside of him that was highly murderous and psychotic (Brock) in favor of something ultimately more marketable to children and cartoons...the squeaky clean, war wounded soldier who gets a second chance at his hard knocks by becoming a squeaky clean government agent with super-powers. It became a parody of earlier Marvel works as it was nearly a direct reboot if you will of the excellent "What If" story that Marvel put out decades earlier (What Venom had possessed the Punisher?) only with less interesting motivations.

That said, I keep hoping that they take Brock and give him a major push in the near future now that he's Toxin. I still see potential there, and while I don't want him to become "Red Venom 2.0", I always thought the Toxin symbiote, his powers, character traits and nuances presented some angles(as seen during the Patrick Mulligan years) that could be carried down onto Eddie to make for some interesting stories...Unless of course, they plan on turning Toxin into a "Space Knight" like Venom is...since the symbiotes are now a "proud and honorable race" of do-gooders.