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Venom (2018)
Venom, Vol. 1: Rex
An ancient and primordial evil has been awakened beneath the streets of New York. With it, something equally evil has been awakened in that most wicked of web-slingers: Venom! The symbiote may still be a Lethal Protector of innocents in New York, but this never-before-seen threat could possibly force Venom to relinquish everything it holds dear — including its human host, Eddie Brock! As Eddie and Venom summon the strength to defend New York against the most powerful foe they've ever faced, there's one more thing standing in their way: Miles Morales, Spider-Man! Two of the hottest creators in comics today, Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman, join forces to deliver a Venom adventure a thousand years in the making!
COLLECTING: VENOM (2018) 1-6
COLLECTING: VENOM (2018) 1-6
144 pages, Paperback
First published November 21, 2019
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1124 people want to read
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September 20, 2022
Venom volume 1: Rex (2018)
So, Venom.
Not a character whose titles I've sought out in the past, but after reading Absolute Carnage I really wanted to know more about what was happening with this character and his section of the Marvel universe.
This was good!
It might not be for everyone, but I really enjoyed it.
I have a subscription to Marvel Unlimited so I blew threw this volume in one sitting and pretty much started on the next one immediately if that tells you anything.
Now, I read Absolute Carnage 1st, which was a mistake. Nothing grievous and I'll get over it without therapy, but if you're looking to do things correctly, I would suggest that you start here and work your way to that after you're done.
Ok, so the gist is that Flash Thompson is dead and the symbiote has bonded with Eddie Brock again.
Eddie is trying to be a good guy but Venom is exhibiting some strange symptoms, and Brock is occasionally losing control when his Other takes over.
It's all very weird...
But cool! It's a cool story.
Read it.
So, Venom.
Not a character whose titles I've sought out in the past, but after reading Absolute Carnage I really wanted to know more about what was happening with this character and his section of the Marvel universe.
This was good!
It might not be for everyone, but I really enjoyed it.
I have a subscription to Marvel Unlimited so I blew threw this volume in one sitting and pretty much started on the next one immediately if that tells you anything.
Now, I read Absolute Carnage 1st, which was a mistake. Nothing grievous and I'll get over it without therapy, but if you're looking to do things correctly, I would suggest that you start here and work your way to that after you're done.
Ok, so the gist is that Flash Thompson is dead and the symbiote has bonded with Eddie Brock again.
Eddie is trying to be a good guy but Venom is exhibiting some strange symptoms, and Brock is occasionally losing control when his Other takes over.
It's all very weird...
But cool! It's a cool story.
Read it.
February 16, 2019
Eddie Brock’s having some trouble with the Symbiote again. I know, jesus, every fucking Venom story is the Symbiote tussling with its host, whether it’s Eddie Brock, Flash Thompson, yo’ momma’s fat ass whoever! Venom turns to a Vietnam vet called Rex for help and the secret history of the Symbiotes is revealed as a new big bad appears to fight Denim. Ah, Eminem - remember when he was cool? If you don’t know what I’m talking about, check out his song for the Venom movie.
Rrrrrrubbish! The story isn’t at all interesting, Eddie/Venom remain the dullest of protagonists, staggering along without a purpose to explain why they have their own series, and Miles Morales cameos for no other reason than to remind us that Venom was originally a Spider-Man villain. Giant goofy Venom monsters appear because dumb.
Donny Cates is obviously a huge fan of Jason Aaron’s Thor run, particularly The God Butcher storyline, which he tries to feebly copy and even references in this book. Except Cates suffers from the comparison as he isn’t even half the writer Aaron is and, while I didn’t like The God Butcher, it’s still head and shoulders above this tripe!
As contrived as Knull, the God of Symbiotes is, there’s so little about Venom that’s interesting, I can at least understand Cates expanding his world by introducing a new villain to battle. Still, Knull (and void – arf!) is such a corny villain. Why did he stop the story dead to monologue his convoluted and utterly pointless life story? Oh right: for the audience. And because Cates couldn’t figure out any other way to do it than to artlessly shove it in. How can Venom suddenly fly? Because Cates wrote himself into a corner. Why didn’t the Symbiote sense who Rex was right off the bat? Because then there wouldn’t be any “mystery” to Cates’ awful story.
Venom is a terrible character and Donny Cates is a terrible writer – they deserve each other! And Venom, Volume 1: Rex is a terrible comic, living up to its title's poisonous connotations. That’s the last thing I read with Cates’ name on the cover – good riddance!
Rrrrrrubbish! The story isn’t at all interesting, Eddie/Venom remain the dullest of protagonists, staggering along without a purpose to explain why they have their own series, and Miles Morales cameos for no other reason than to remind us that Venom was originally a Spider-Man villain. Giant goofy Venom monsters appear because dumb.
Donny Cates is obviously a huge fan of Jason Aaron’s Thor run, particularly The God Butcher storyline, which he tries to feebly copy and even references in this book. Except Cates suffers from the comparison as he isn’t even half the writer Aaron is and, while I didn’t like The God Butcher, it’s still head and shoulders above this tripe!
As contrived as Knull, the God of Symbiotes is, there’s so little about Venom that’s interesting, I can at least understand Cates expanding his world by introducing a new villain to battle. Still, Knull (and void – arf!) is such a corny villain. Why did he stop the story dead to monologue his convoluted and utterly pointless life story? Oh right: for the audience. And because Cates couldn’t figure out any other way to do it than to artlessly shove it in. How can Venom suddenly fly? Because Cates wrote himself into a corner. Why didn’t the Symbiote sense who Rex was right off the bat? Because then there wouldn’t be any “mystery” to Cates’ awful story.
Venom is a terrible character and Donny Cates is a terrible writer – they deserve each other! And Venom, Volume 1: Rex is a terrible comic, living up to its title's poisonous connotations. That’s the last thing I read with Cates’ name on the cover – good riddance!
June 13, 2019
This is what happens when a semi-entertaining film based on a comic book makes some dough. Go back to the original comic book source and like a picture copied with Silly Putty, the original Venom concept gets stretched and pulled until it no longer resembles its original premise. Which is okay, these comic book characters and such aren’t carved in stone – there’s plenty of room for growth and nuance. With that said, I give you the Venom symbiote God.
Remember when Venom/Eddie Brock was pretty much defined by his raging mad-on for Spidey?
Me too, then - > Carnage –> Lethal Protector of Innocents -> Anti-Venom -> Flash Thompson and a bunch of others bond with the symbiote (->30 years of Venom continuity in twenty words or less. <- De Nada)
Now he has other problems.
Okay, still other problems.
I love you too, creepy,toothy venomous, symbiote!
Dawww and WTF!
This story started a while ago…
Okay, a mind-numbingly, long time ago and now Venom-Deux wants to take over the Earth or something.
Because Peter Parker/Spider-Man is poor again and now busy playing the pan flute in a subway station or doing the mime thing in Washington Square, Miles Morales/Spider-Man lends a hand.
But not before a Super-Spidey-Showdown
Stuff explodes.
The End.
Bottom Line - Q - How many symbiotes does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A - It takes a Venom village because of the inky body, no-hands thing.
Two and a half stars rounded down.
Remember when Venom/Eddie Brock was pretty much defined by his raging mad-on for Spidey?
Me too, then - > Carnage –> Lethal Protector of Innocents -> Anti-Venom -> Flash Thompson and a bunch of others bond with the symbiote (->30 years of Venom continuity in twenty words or less. <- De Nada)
Now he has other problems.
Okay, still other problems.
I love you too, creepy,toothy venomous, symbiote!
Dawww and WTF!
This story started a while ago…
Okay, a mind-numbingly, long time ago and now Venom-Deux wants to take over the Earth or something.
Because Peter Parker/Spider-Man is poor again and now busy playing the pan flute in a subway station or doing the mime thing in Washington Square, Miles Morales/Spider-Man lends a hand.
But not before a Super-Spidey-Showdown
Stuff explodes.
The End.
Bottom Line - Q - How many symbiotes does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A - It takes a Venom village because of the inky body, no-hands thing.
Two and a half stars rounded down.
December 4, 2018
Anytime I see Cates name on a title I get super excited. However, after reading Death of Inhumans last, I lowered my expectations. Luckily with Venom, both Cates and Stegman are on top of their game with an exciting first entry into the world of Venom.
Venom has been back with Eddie for awhile now. After the events of Space Knight Venom the symbiote fused back with Eddie and left Flash Thompson. We had a pretty atrocious run with Eddie and Venom for the two years and so I was hoping Donny could fix up this character for how popular he is. Well, Eddie is having a hard time dealing with venom as of late. He's breaking down, having nightmares. Who knew that was possible? Then Venom goes out of control more than usual and nearly kills someone.
Rex finds Venom, a old vet who has once had a symbiote just like venom back in the war days. He explains to Eddie that he has to rescue his friends who also had symbiotes just like them. So when Venom goes to free them a creature, the creator of these symbiotes, is instead unleashed. Welcome a HUGE venom like dragon, Miles, and more!
Good: I love the art. Ryan Stegman has to be top 10 artist for me right now. His big action set pieces, his emotion on people's faces, his backgrounds. Everything is always so good (plus he's super nice dude! Met him at comic con). Donny really has fun here with the big epic storyline for Venom. The threat feels very real, and very big, and that's refreshing. The relationship is fun, yet sad, and it feels like there's a ton of history without having to read other venom stories. I also really dug the miles and venom fighting and teaming up. All really well done.
Bad: I felt sometimes the pacing was a little frantic. Things went to quick and to crazy, and not much time to absorb. Also, as much as I love the art a lot of the time, when it was raining too much it was hard to tell what was happening.
So Venom actually has a great series again. Sure, it took a few years but we're back. This is my favorite Venom since Rick's Venom run. I'm hoping it stays this good for awhile. A 4 out of 5.
Venom has been back with Eddie for awhile now. After the events of Space Knight Venom the symbiote fused back with Eddie and left Flash Thompson. We had a pretty atrocious run with Eddie and Venom for the two years and so I was hoping Donny could fix up this character for how popular he is. Well, Eddie is having a hard time dealing with venom as of late. He's breaking down, having nightmares. Who knew that was possible? Then Venom goes out of control more than usual and nearly kills someone.
Rex finds Venom, a old vet who has once had a symbiote just like venom back in the war days. He explains to Eddie that he has to rescue his friends who also had symbiotes just like them. So when Venom goes to free them a creature, the creator of these symbiotes, is instead unleashed. Welcome a HUGE venom like dragon, Miles, and more!
Good: I love the art. Ryan Stegman has to be top 10 artist for me right now. His big action set pieces, his emotion on people's faces, his backgrounds. Everything is always so good (plus he's super nice dude! Met him at comic con). Donny really has fun here with the big epic storyline for Venom. The threat feels very real, and very big, and that's refreshing. The relationship is fun, yet sad, and it feels like there's a ton of history without having to read other venom stories. I also really dug the miles and venom fighting and teaming up. All really well done.
Bad: I felt sometimes the pacing was a little frantic. Things went to quick and to crazy, and not much time to absorb. Also, as much as I love the art a lot of the time, when it was raining too much it was hard to tell what was happening.
So Venom actually has a great series again. Sure, it took a few years but we're back. This is my favorite Venom since Rick's Venom run. I'm hoping it stays this good for awhile. A 4 out of 5.
December 26, 2019
I was excited when I heard Donny Cates was taking over Venom. I thought maybe he can actually make Venom interesting. Unfortunately, I didn't care for his take at all. I was fine with the horror approach. Ryan Stegman and Frank Martin do a balls out job of making the book look creepy. There are a lot of Todd McFarlane and Greg Capullo influences to my eye. This story, however, was convoluted, half-baked and just flat out uninteresting. Eddie is having problems coexisting with his symbiote, which we just went through in the previous series by Mike Costa. Venom has to fight the god of symbiotes, Knull. Grendel from Beowulf was actually this said god's avatar. Knull is duller than a box of rocks. He's your stereotypical mad god who's evil just to be evil. To say I was severely disappointed with this is an understatement.
October 5, 2021
Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman make such a stellar team-up.
January 19, 2019
Maybe 3.5. I'm not totally sure how I feel about this one quite yet...
I never liked Agent Venom at all, so I was glad when they brought back the original Venom.
Much like the new Hulk book, they went for a more horror-inspired feel for this run. Alien gods, symbotes speaking in weird tongues, and Venom getting all sorts of wicked red tribal patterns on him when he goes berserk are some of the fun elements here. The art is also pretty good, although Eddie looks a little cartoony now and then with his big square head, which kind of spoils the dark vibes they are going for. It doesn't ruin it, but it is jarring on occasion to see him with the symbiote on his body and his Hannah-Barbera Barney Rubble head poking out.
I'm still not sure how I feel about issue 5 and 6 of this volume, though. It kind of went off the rails at the end. I'll have to read the next volume to see how they tie it all together.
With books like this, Marvel's newest course correction is starting to fill me with a bit of hope.
I never liked Agent Venom at all, so I was glad when they brought back the original Venom.
Much like the new Hulk book, they went for a more horror-inspired feel for this run. Alien gods, symbotes speaking in weird tongues, and Venom getting all sorts of wicked red tribal patterns on him when he goes berserk are some of the fun elements here. The art is also pretty good, although Eddie looks a little cartoony now and then with his big square head, which kind of spoils the dark vibes they are going for. It doesn't ruin it, but it is jarring on occasion to see him with the symbiote on his body and his Hannah-Barbera Barney Rubble head poking out.
I'm still not sure how I feel about issue 5 and 6 of this volume, though. It kind of went off the rails at the end. I'll have to read the next volume to see how they tie it all together.
With books like this, Marvel's newest course correction is starting to fill me with a bit of hope.
November 19, 2021
I was skeptical on how Cates and Stegman could add to the Venom mythology, especially since I enjoyed the version of the character done by Remender. However, not only did this new team expanded on the concept of Venom as a symbiote, it added several layers more to the mythos by introducing the symbiote creator god, who was also its devil. This new take on Venom returns to its Eddie Brock roots and ties it to Aaron's Thor run. This was how a Marvel comic should be, it does not discard previous continuity but leverage it for bigger and more explosive stories.
I really like the double meaning of the title of the first arc, "Rex". It ostensibly refers to the older symbiont Venom meets in the first chapter, but it also alludes to Knull, the devilgod of the symbionts.
I really like the double meaning of the title of the first arc, "Rex". It ostensibly refers to the older symbiont Venom meets in the first chapter, but it also alludes to Knull, the devilgod of the symbionts.
July 28, 2019
I’m not the biggest Venom fan but this was pretty good, and I liked how it tied in - even if it was somewhat tangentially- to Jason Aaron’s Thor run.
Jheeze, tone it down Eddie, looks like you're overcompensating again...
Jheeze, tone it down Eddie, looks like you're overcompensating again...
April 20, 2019
SUPER FAST REVIEW:
So... yeah. The story is kinda stupid and I don’t give a shit about these characters. The art is hit or miss. However, the action is exciting throughout, there’s a well done horror element and it is a bit more suspenseful than expected.
I ain’t with the crowd that hates this book but I ain’t with that group that think this is a masterpiece in comics.
I know how stupid this comic is but I enjoyed it so I think 3 stars is the correct rating.
3/5
So... yeah. The story is kinda stupid and I don’t give a shit about these characters. The art is hit or miss. However, the action is exciting throughout, there’s a well done horror element and it is a bit more suspenseful than expected.
I ain’t with the crowd that hates this book but I ain’t with that group that think this is a masterpiece in comics.
I know how stupid this comic is but I enjoyed it so I think 3 stars is the correct rating.
3/5
September 21, 2019
A mindless, clunky, barely entertaining action romp from one of Marvel's most overrated writers of the decade. The only fun thing about this Venom relaunch is Ryan Stegman's fantastic imaginative artwork. Otherwise, an absolute snoozer of a book.
September 27, 2024
Dark story, cool artwork!
November 12, 2024
Score: 4.50 out of 5
Grade: 90% (A) | Venom's Cool
Just an idea, but maybe Sony should've adapted Donny Cates' run on Venom instead of whatever they're currently doing with their movies. Venom feels powerful, cool, and badass. Has me excited to read more!
Grade: 90% (A) | Venom's Cool
Just an idea, but maybe Sony should've adapted Donny Cates' run on Venom instead of whatever they're currently doing with their movies. Venom feels powerful, cool, and badass. Has me excited to read more!
August 10, 2019
So, I'm not really much of a Venom fan. I mean, I don't hate on the character or anything, he's just not a character I have ever actively followed before.
I'll tell ya what though...this Donny Cates guy? The dude can write a damn fine comic so you bet your biscuits I checked it out! And I'm glad I did too; cuz I really, really, dug it.
Was it over the top and bonkers? Um...yeah. It's a Donny Cates story.
But that's what I loved about it. It didn't hurt that that Stegman guy was on picture duty either. Love his art - and its definitely in fine form in this series so far.
So, Fuck Yeah! Venom! I never woulda thought it possible....but I'm a fan! Sign me up for volume two! Especially with that ending! WTF? Cliff hanger much?
I'll tell ya what though...this Donny Cates guy? The dude can write a damn fine comic so you bet your biscuits I checked it out! And I'm glad I did too; cuz I really, really, dug it.
Was it over the top and bonkers? Um...yeah. It's a Donny Cates story.
But that's what I loved about it. It didn't hurt that that Stegman guy was on picture duty either. Love his art - and its definitely in fine form in this series so far.
So, Fuck Yeah! Venom! I never woulda thought it possible....but I'm a fan! Sign me up for volume two! Especially with that ending! WTF? Cliff hanger much?
Want to read
June 8, 2020This artwork is STUNNING 😍😍
February 20, 2021
Well the reason I'm reading this is of course so I can catch up on King in Black chronologically and with the right order, so yeah, I'm glad I liked it too, so that's always a plus. Fun read and some wonderful art especially the coloring.
February 18, 2020
Epic Anti-hero/villain fail. The artwork is alright, there is a strong urge to wipe his mouth to remove dripping nostril blood. Ew!
July 26, 2020
Second reading: after slogging through a few decades of Carnage mythology, I got to the point where Carnage tried to use the Darkhold to pull off a big deal, and among others Eddie Brock was there as Toxin to keep Kasady down.
That series ended in 2017, I haven’t read much of the recent Venom (since Remender brutalised Flash Thompson in his amazing run), so I missed the whole “how did Eddie and the original symbiote get back together?”
Turns out there were a few runs of Venom by Cullen Bunn (whose appeal i will never get - so no read from me) and Mike Costa (whose reviews here on Goodreads are pretty “damned with faint praise” at best, so skipping all that shite too). Bottom line: Flash exited, Eddie entered, they’re spending time getting to know each other again... OK. Back to Cates’ here to re-read now that I’m caught up on symbiote mythology.
First reading:
Well that was a blast and a half. Completely new mythology for a character we thought we knew everything there was to know? Weird new powers? And an Eddie Brock who (to my limited historical readings) has never been all that empathetic?
If I must, sure Donny. In the immortal words of a B-movie character whose name I cannot conjure, “Thrill me”.
That series ended in 2017, I haven’t read much of the recent Venom (since Remender brutalised Flash Thompson in his amazing run), so I missed the whole “how did Eddie and the original symbiote get back together?”
Turns out there were a few runs of Venom by Cullen Bunn (whose appeal i will never get - so no read from me) and Mike Costa (whose reviews here on Goodreads are pretty “damned with faint praise” at best, so skipping all that shite too). Bottom line: Flash exited, Eddie entered, they’re spending time getting to know each other again... OK. Back to Cates’ here to re-read now that I’m caught up on symbiote mythology.
First reading:
Well that was a blast and a half. Completely new mythology for a character we thought we knew everything there was to know? Weird new powers? And an Eddie Brock who (to my limited historical readings) has never been all that empathetic?
If I must, sure Donny. In the immortal words of a B-movie character whose name I cannot conjure, “Thrill me”.
January 30, 2021
We pick up with Eddie as his symbiote is going crazy and then we find that its because of some dragon flying around and meet with a man named Rex Strickland and learn that symbiotes have been on earth for centuries and that there is a long history and from there we have the threat of the GRENDEL flying around and while Eddie is fighting that, he teams up with Spider-Man miles and then enter KNULL! The god of the symbiotes and we get so many revelations as to who he is, what he is, what his motives are and his whole history and it changes literally everything about the symbiotes and this Knull here is a prototype, the real Knull is trapped on the Klyntar planet and thus its Eddie vs Knull and then later realizations, new powers and one final time of Eddie/Rex/Venom vs the Grendel and its epic! This story was amazing and changes everything about Eddie and gives him such a great elevatio as a character but the art is freaking insane and yes its dark but so detailed, the dragon looks so cool, or when the rain is falling and Venom is standing there! Just wow, one of the best venom stories ever!
December 12, 2021
Well this was good! Giving some back story and mythology to Venom and symbiotes. I'm on record for not being a huge fan of either so I don't read a lot of Venom or Carnage books, but this was free and you hear a lot of things about Cates so I thought why not! And Ryan Stegmen is a solid artist as well. He manages to do something new with the character while staying true to some of his past interpretations. I also liked how they had Spider-man but it was Miles instead of Peter (cause Venom killed Miles parents in the Ultimate verse right?).
Good book!
Good book!
October 12, 2018
[Read as single issues]
For the first time in a long time, Eddie Brock can take a breather. He and his Other aren’t involved in any wars, or superhero battles, or dealing with any intergalactic symbiote spawn. All is quiet. At least, until an enormous symbiote dragon appears in the skies above New York and everything Eddie thought he knew about the symbiote is turned upside down as ancient Klyntar history quite literally rears its head and the God Of Symbiotes threatens to tear Venom in two.
If you’ve followed Marvel at all over the last…ever, you’ll know the drill by now – there’s a movie coming out featuring a specific character, so it’s time for a relaunch and potentially a new creative team for that character. Sometimes it works, other times it’s just a desperate cash grab. With Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman though, Venom is soaring to new heights in comics as well as the box office (and yes, I loved the movie too, so we’ll get that out of the way here).
Venom’s always had varying success in comics – his early mini-series are all over the place, and the Daniel Way run is a peculiar experiment, while the more recent Remender, Bunn, Thompson, and Costa runs have been much more successful. But there’s something about what Cates is doing with the character here that really speaks to me. I’m not sure if it’s just that I’m a sucker for writers who delve deep into the history of the characters they write and almost rebuild them from the ground up in such a way that it seems like they’ve been that way since the beginning (see also: Geoff Johns, Kieron Gillen, Al Ewing, etc.), but that’s what Cates is doing here.
The history of the symbiote has evolved and been changed numerous times recently, with the revelation of their true nature as Klyntar probably being the most important, but Cates goes even further and gives us some back story that we’ve never seen before that ties Eddie to SHIELD as well as the planet of the symbiotes, throwing in some new mysteries and a superbly creepy new villain with ties to some of the longest running current comics sagas like Jason Aaron’s Thor. And of course he does all this while keeping the relationship between Eddie and the symbiote as the core focus – even with all of these world-shattering events going on, the two of them are the heart of the story, and the reason the other is fighting.
And then there’s Ryan Stegman on art – ever since he burst into Marvel on Scarlet Spider, he’s been making the rounds and showing time and time again that he was born to draw Spider-characters. The skills he honed drawing millions of weblines across those issues serve him very well here as his depictions of Venom and the monsters he faces are insanely detailed. There are some splash pages that will make your jaw drop, and even the covers deserve recognition for being superbly well designed.
Venom didn’t really need a huge shot in the arm – his solo series recently have all been consistently good, but I’m not complaining about this in the slightest. With Donny Cates fast becoming one of my favourite writers and the always reliable and yet constantly improving Ryan Stegman on hand, Venom’s new series is off to an absolutely phenomenal start with an unpredictable ending that will leave you guessing as to what's about to come next.
For the first time in a long time, Eddie Brock can take a breather. He and his Other aren’t involved in any wars, or superhero battles, or dealing with any intergalactic symbiote spawn. All is quiet. At least, until an enormous symbiote dragon appears in the skies above New York and everything Eddie thought he knew about the symbiote is turned upside down as ancient Klyntar history quite literally rears its head and the God Of Symbiotes threatens to tear Venom in two.
If you’ve followed Marvel at all over the last…ever, you’ll know the drill by now – there’s a movie coming out featuring a specific character, so it’s time for a relaunch and potentially a new creative team for that character. Sometimes it works, other times it’s just a desperate cash grab. With Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman though, Venom is soaring to new heights in comics as well as the box office (and yes, I loved the movie too, so we’ll get that out of the way here).
Venom’s always had varying success in comics – his early mini-series are all over the place, and the Daniel Way run is a peculiar experiment, while the more recent Remender, Bunn, Thompson, and Costa runs have been much more successful. But there’s something about what Cates is doing with the character here that really speaks to me. I’m not sure if it’s just that I’m a sucker for writers who delve deep into the history of the characters they write and almost rebuild them from the ground up in such a way that it seems like they’ve been that way since the beginning (see also: Geoff Johns, Kieron Gillen, Al Ewing, etc.), but that’s what Cates is doing here.
The history of the symbiote has evolved and been changed numerous times recently, with the revelation of their true nature as Klyntar probably being the most important, but Cates goes even further and gives us some back story that we’ve never seen before that ties Eddie to SHIELD as well as the planet of the symbiotes, throwing in some new mysteries and a superbly creepy new villain with ties to some of the longest running current comics sagas like Jason Aaron’s Thor. And of course he does all this while keeping the relationship between Eddie and the symbiote as the core focus – even with all of these world-shattering events going on, the two of them are the heart of the story, and the reason the other is fighting.
And then there’s Ryan Stegman on art – ever since he burst into Marvel on Scarlet Spider, he’s been making the rounds and showing time and time again that he was born to draw Spider-characters. The skills he honed drawing millions of weblines across those issues serve him very well here as his depictions of Venom and the monsters he faces are insanely detailed. There are some splash pages that will make your jaw drop, and even the covers deserve recognition for being superbly well designed.
Venom didn’t really need a huge shot in the arm – his solo series recently have all been consistently good, but I’m not complaining about this in the slightest. With Donny Cates fast becoming one of my favourite writers and the always reliable and yet constantly improving Ryan Stegman on hand, Venom’s new series is off to an absolutely phenomenal start with an unpredictable ending that will leave you guessing as to what's about to come next.
January 25, 2019
This was really good. I came to this volume after seeing it on a number of "best of 2018" lists and was not disappointed. Cates really doubles down on the horrific aspects of Venom and the symbiotes and the introduction of symbiote "god" Knull is pretty exciting. Great art from Ryan Stegman throughout. I'll be interested to see where this goes from here.
October 6, 2019
Ней за мен сътворена
тая Марвел-Вселена...
Ма съм щедра душица -
пет минус единица
тая Марвел-Вселена...
Ма съм щедра душица -
пет минус единица
August 26, 2020
Už jsem něco málo z Catese četl, ale zatím nic z toho nebylo tak strašně z nuly na sto za 3 stránky. Je to šílený a u Venoma dost originální pojetí. Zároveň to je totálně megalomanský, místy možná až přehnaně béčkový. Trochu jsme měl problém s tím, že Donny toho na nás sype tak moc, že se trochu blbě orientuju. Ale jinak se mi moc líbí, že se Marvel snaží u svých postav experimentovat.
3,5*
3,5*
July 7, 2019
During my childhood years when I used to watch Spider-Man: The Animated Series in the 90s, Venom was my favourite character in the web-slinger's rogues gallery as he represents the antithesis of Spidey, as well as one of the few villains who made it personal for the hero. As I got older, I've lost interest in the villain who not only can’t seem to escape his 90s sensibility, but the glorification of Venom as an anti-hero became problematic, so much so that when he got his solo movie last year, the problems are very apparent.
After hearing the good buzz about this recent run of Venom, written by Donny Cates and illustrated by Ryan Stegman, about time I picked up my first ever comic featuring the alien symbiote. Working as a freelance photographer, Eddie Brock is struggling with the symbiote, which has returned to its violent ways. When he crosses paths with the Vietnam War veteran Rex, Eddie is tasked with rescuing soldiers who are about to be bonded with other symbiotes, whilst a massive dragon made up of thousands of symbiotes is about to attack New York City.
When it comes Venom and the numerous other symbiotes that have appeared in the comics such as Carnage, the whole mythos about the gooey alien species I can never find interesting as it always felt one-note. Although Donny Cates does add new lore to the mythos, most notably in the god-like presence of new villain Knull, Cates gets away with it, largely in the tone he conveys, which is close to horror. For six issues, the comic is relentless in how much it chucks in so many elements that some readers might not cope with the full-on assault, which was a similar problem with Cates’ previous Marvel title Thanos Wins.
That said, there are sprinkles of character development, particularly in the bond between Eddie and his symbiote, which is treated like an addiction out of control, especially when Venom becomes an even more monstrous figure who can lash out at any point. Rarely does the comic go light, but when it does, it’s the brief partnership between Venom and Miles Morales/Spider-Man, which may have moments of conflict, but there is an alliance that is an interesting contrast between the long feud between the spider and the alien.
Having previously worked on Dan Slott’s Superior Spider-Man – one of the darker Spidey storylines – this title allows Ryan Stegman to let loose with his artwork, which blends perfectly with Cates’ relentless storytelling where it gets gory, surreal and beastly, which is appropriate considering there’s a symbiote dragon ready to cause havoc. Although that idea of 90s extremity is so lame by today’s standards, when Venom is packed with as many weapons he can carry, reflecting those gun-ho heroes from that comics era, I was won over.
Unlike the Venom movie that didn’t know what it wanted to be, Venom by Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman knows exactly what it is and although the relentless nature might not work for everybody, this is an Eddie Brock story that is violent and fun and worth continuing with.
After hearing the good buzz about this recent run of Venom, written by Donny Cates and illustrated by Ryan Stegman, about time I picked up my first ever comic featuring the alien symbiote. Working as a freelance photographer, Eddie Brock is struggling with the symbiote, which has returned to its violent ways. When he crosses paths with the Vietnam War veteran Rex, Eddie is tasked with rescuing soldiers who are about to be bonded with other symbiotes, whilst a massive dragon made up of thousands of symbiotes is about to attack New York City.
When it comes Venom and the numerous other symbiotes that have appeared in the comics such as Carnage, the whole mythos about the gooey alien species I can never find interesting as it always felt one-note. Although Donny Cates does add new lore to the mythos, most notably in the god-like presence of new villain Knull, Cates gets away with it, largely in the tone he conveys, which is close to horror. For six issues, the comic is relentless in how much it chucks in so many elements that some readers might not cope with the full-on assault, which was a similar problem with Cates’ previous Marvel title Thanos Wins.
That said, there are sprinkles of character development, particularly in the bond between Eddie and his symbiote, which is treated like an addiction out of control, especially when Venom becomes an even more monstrous figure who can lash out at any point. Rarely does the comic go light, but when it does, it’s the brief partnership between Venom and Miles Morales/Spider-Man, which may have moments of conflict, but there is an alliance that is an interesting contrast between the long feud between the spider and the alien.
Having previously worked on Dan Slott’s Superior Spider-Man – one of the darker Spidey storylines – this title allows Ryan Stegman to let loose with his artwork, which blends perfectly with Cates’ relentless storytelling where it gets gory, surreal and beastly, which is appropriate considering there’s a symbiote dragon ready to cause havoc. Although that idea of 90s extremity is so lame by today’s standards, when Venom is packed with as many weapons he can carry, reflecting those gun-ho heroes from that comics era, I was won over.
Unlike the Venom movie that didn’t know what it wanted to be, Venom by Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman knows exactly what it is and although the relentless nature might not work for everybody, this is an Eddie Brock story that is violent and fun and worth continuing with.
December 5, 2020
******second read******
Still epic as fuck. Will re read again some day for sure.
********first read********
Wow.
Wow. Wow. Wow!!!!!
Wow!!!
There are no words.
This is fucking perfect.
I immediately want to read this again. I’ve been collecting the single issues and haven’t gotten around to reading them. When I saw that the first 6 had already been compiled, I was like “ehhh what the fuck why not.” I bought this collection, took it home and got started.
Needless to say, I will be avidly reading monthly from here on out!
Donny Cates just reinvented Venom, and everything having to do with Venom, and man does it WORK!!
There is so much in these 6 issues. Connections to Beowulf/Grendyl, the celestials, the big bang... my mind felt like it would explode at times! The story is so big! The implications tremendous! The artwork was terrifying and beautiful, with every detail adding to the foreboding sense of doom and peril within the tale.
Do not miss this. Donny Cates is officially the best comic writer in the business right now. He is a genius. Everything he touches is brilliant.
Still epic as fuck. Will re read again some day for sure.
********first read********
Wow.
Wow. Wow. Wow!!!!!
Wow!!!
There are no words.
This is fucking perfect.
I immediately want to read this again. I’ve been collecting the single issues and haven’t gotten around to reading them. When I saw that the first 6 had already been compiled, I was like “ehhh what the fuck why not.” I bought this collection, took it home and got started.
Needless to say, I will be avidly reading monthly from here on out!
Donny Cates just reinvented Venom, and everything having to do with Venom, and man does it WORK!!
There is so much in these 6 issues. Connections to Beowulf/Grendyl, the celestials, the big bang... my mind felt like it would explode at times! The story is so big! The implications tremendous! The artwork was terrifying and beautiful, with every detail adding to the foreboding sense of doom and peril within the tale.
Do not miss this. Donny Cates is officially the best comic writer in the business right now. He is a genius. Everything he touches is brilliant.
October 8, 2018
I actually read this as individual issues but having just finished #6 I wanted to chime in. Donny Cates is one of my current favorite comics writers. From creator owned books like the great vampire title Redneck to ones like Venom, Cates nails it. His characters and his flair for horror really bring you into his stories.
When the God of the Symbiotes comes to Earth to retrieve the parts of himself trapped here, Eddie and Venom find themselves caught in a battle to save themselves and the world from a very, scary fate. Artists Ryan Stegman and JP Mayer do a great job with not only Venom, but with the dozens of different forms members of his race take in the series. There is even an appearance by a Marvel hero who finds himself in an unwelcome alliance with Eddie.
If you only know the character of Venom from the new film, which I happen to like, just know that this is a different take on the title character.
When the God of the Symbiotes comes to Earth to retrieve the parts of himself trapped here, Eddie and Venom find themselves caught in a battle to save themselves and the world from a very, scary fate. Artists Ryan Stegman and JP Mayer do a great job with not only Venom, but with the dozens of different forms members of his race take in the series. There is even an appearance by a Marvel hero who finds himself in an unwelcome alliance with Eddie.
If you only know the character of Venom from the new film, which I happen to like, just know that this is a different take on the title character.
August 16, 2023
Donny cates has been writing so much recently and has been gaining a lot of popularity recently and after reading this and thanks wind I think he deserves the love.
Rex - the god of symbiotes comes to earth and all the symbiotes start acting up including Eddie Brock’s who has to team up with a war veteran and miles morales Spider-Man to beat the villain
My thoughts - it took me a while to get into this since the first couple of issues were really boring and I just couldn’t care enough to enjoy them but then it gets awesome by adding new characters into the mix and the last issues are really fun. The art is really good but the colouring was really bland sometimes and ugly.
Overall good book
Rex - the god of symbiotes comes to earth and all the symbiotes start acting up including Eddie Brock’s who has to team up with a war veteran and miles morales Spider-Man to beat the villain
My thoughts - it took me a while to get into this since the first couple of issues were really boring and I just couldn’t care enough to enjoy them but then it gets awesome by adding new characters into the mix and the last issues are really fun. The art is really good but the colouring was really bland sometimes and ugly.
Overall good book
November 25, 2018
This was really good. Venom/Brock have to deal with a god of symbiotes. There was something holding this back from a 5, not sure what though.
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