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Writer: Mariko Tamaki
Artist: Gurihuru
Colors: Gurihuru
Letterer: VC’s Travis Lanham

Release date December 4 2019
Review by D. Brown (WolfCypher)

The madcap misadventure of Spider-Man and Venom continues in this second issue of Double Trouble, were we find out exactly why Venom wanted to switch bodies with his roommate Spider-Man, a sentence I would never have had an opportunity to type had it not been for Mariko Tamaki.

In the last issue, Venom used a head-mounted contraption on Spider-Man while he slept to transfer their brains into each other bodies. Now, Venom is in Spidey’s body, and Spider-Man eventually wakes up in Venom’s body. For the sake of this review, whenever you see me type “Spidey” or “Spider-Man” in quotes, that’s Venom, and when I type “Venom” in quotes, that’s Spider-Man.

Spidey wakes up the next morning to find himself in Venom’s body. Spidey is furious over this of course, and doesn’t get the time to really wrap his head around what to do next as the Green Goblin comes by and launches his arsenal at Spidey, believing him to be Venom, and wanting “Venom” to “pay up”. Meanwhile, Venom (in Spider-Man’s body) has entered a American Ninja Warrior-styled contest that doesn’t allow super-villains. Ah! Well now we know why Venom need his roommate’s body.

It’s not what I was expecting, as to why Venom would do a body snatch, but honestly, I don’t think I knew what I was expecting. Its goofy, I’ll say that much. Last issue’s review, I compared this book heavily to Cartoon Network’s Teen Titans Go!, so this issue I think I’ll use The Looney Tunes Show as my go to comparison. The Looney Tunes Show was a modern day take on the classic characters that revolved around Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck being besties and roomies living in the suburbs. Bugs was the normal, well-adjusted straight-man, and Daffy was served as his wacky, impulsive, self-serving opposite. The dynamic is very much here with these two characters. Venom, in this book, genuinely doesn’t seem to be inconveniencing Spider-Man out of malice, but simply because he’s inconsiderate. They really seem to be friends, but Spidey is the well-adjusted one that puts up with Venom’s flaws, as Venom is the one who seems oblivious that his self-interests are steamrolling Spidey. Its a superhero “cartoon” about the very dysfunctional friendship and living situation of Spider-Man and Venom. This book knows what it wants to do and who to target towards, and it does that well.

If you’re reading this comic, arguing the logic of Spider-Man and Venom being best buds living together, always in costume, or why the Venom symbiote is a non-factor, or why neither characters civilian identities of Eddie Brock and Peter Parker are never addressed, or why a sporting competition would even allow a super-powered hero to enter a contest against regular athletes, then stop reading this work and don’t come back for the next installment. Its all in good fun, and you are trying to pick a fight with a child’s book. This is for the lighthearted crowd of all ages, not the cynics. If you know a casual comic fan who maybe enjoys classic Archie or the current IDW Sonic book, this would be a neat addition to their pile.

Final Thoughts

Spider-Man & Venom’s body switch comic continues with #2, providing a fun little alternative to their standard comicbook fare. Honestly not a bad pick for those looking for a sillier distraction.