Venom Appreciation (Eddie Brock)

[Shockdingo]

The sad thing is, we never got a straight up fight between Venom and the Life Foundation symbiotes in the comics. The best alternative was the Separation Anxiety videogame.

That's a reason why I hate that they got snuffed out so quickly. I love that dynamic cover and I'd LOVE for them to be reoccurring foils to Brock, but nope. Nothing sticks by for long.

[Imago]

50 VENOM #162 34,211
54 VENOM #161 31,864

Numbers from february looking good... especially #161 considering it wasn't part of any crossovers and there was no variants involved... Last issue like that was #158 and sold around 25k.

[Venomous Mask]

That's a reason why I hate that they got snuffed out so quickly. I love that dynamic cover and I'd LOVE for them to be reoccurring foils to Brock, but nope. Nothing sticks by for long.

Considering that four of them are still alive, it's not out of the question. Of course, there would need to be different hosts, but the right writer could either make them good villains, or possibly a new Mercury team.

Numbers from february looking good... especially #161 considering it wasn't part of any crossovers and there was no variants involved... Last issue like that was #158 and sold around 25k.

Those are good numbers, far better than some of Marvel's other star characters.

BTW, if anyone's interested, ASM #300 was reprinted for the anniversary:
https://www.bleedingcool.com/2018/03...cond-printing/

[Shockdingo]

Considering that four of them are still alive, it's not out of the question. Of course, there would need to be different hosts, but the right writer could either make them good villains, or possibly a new Mercury team.

You know, that actually could work. Heck, a perfect...spawning point (hah, hah) could be after the Venomized event. I wanted to learn more about the hosts, but Donna Diego was the only breakout LF merc and member. It's a shame she's gone, but they could kill two birds with one stone; have the world reeling from the massive symbiote invasion and Poison skirmish and have the Jury come from out of the Shadows.

You have some options here:

-The Jury could either approach this with a if you can't beat 'em, join 'em attitude maybe they find the dog that has hybrid and they have either a single soldier using hybrid to better learn from the enemy or split them apart again and give them to other soldiers thus becoming a new Mercury team.

-The world is still in shock from the craziness of the symbiote invasion + symbyhero vs Poison clash. Jury has been given a bigger role in cleaning up any stragglers, some mercs get the remaining unclaimed symbiotes due to their potential being seen in the events of Venomized. Eddie gets roped into this and it becomes a target for both parties.

[Venomous Mask]

You know, that actually could work. Heck, a perfect...spawning point (hah, hah) could be after the Venomized event. I wanted to learn more about the hosts, but Donna Diego was the only breakout LF merc and member. It's a shame she's gone, but they could kill two birds with one stone; have the world reeling from the massive symbiote invasion and Poison skirmish and have the Jury come from out of the Shadows.

You have some options here:

-The Jury could either approach this with a if you can't beat 'em, join 'em attitude maybe they find the dog that has hybrid and they have either a single soldier using hybrid to better learn from the enemy or split them apart again and give them to other soldiers thus becoming a new Mercury team.

-The world is still in shock from the craziness of the symbiote invasion + symbyhero vs Poison clash. Jury has been given a bigger role in cleaning up any stragglers, some mercs get the remaining unclaimed symbiotes due to their potential being seen in the events of Venomized. Eddie gets roped into this and it becomes a target for both parties.

Killing Donna was sad, but I think that the symbiote could be brought back, as they really can't die unless they commit suicide.

I like your idea about the Jury. Maybe the Symbiote Slayers from the Agent Venom series could be harnessed to hunt down symbiotes as well; we never did find out what their origins were. There's also the idea of bringing in the xenophages, another species that hunts symbiotes that could be attracted to Earth with the knowledge of a large symbiote presence. I love the thought of having a symbiotic Jury; even though I hated the fact that Scott Washington was killed, I'm kind of glad that Hybrid is out of the way as I wasn't too keen on his design, and prefer the symbiotes to be separate.

One idea I had was to put the Life Foundation symbiotes into a cosmic setting. For a while, I've had the idea of a Marvel event where Carnage unites the symbiotes and other alien factions and unleashes a massive war on the rest of the MU. In the aftermath, various parts of the empire would be divided into autonomous principalities run by Carnage supporters who weren't taken down by the heroes. Maybe the Life Foundation symbiotes could serve as the rulers of some of these successor states.

BTW, here's an alternate Mark Bagley cover for Venomized #2:

[Venomous Mask]

More Venomized Bagley covers:

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

Amazing Spider-Man #298 Mar 1988
First appearance (and cameo on the last page) by Eddie Brock (aka Venom).

Script by David Michelinie. Pencils by Todd McFarlane http://www.comicsreporter.com/index....odd_mcfarlane/. Inks by Bob McLeod.

[SensationalSean]

More Venomized Bagley covers:

They're so beautiful, I want them alllllll! I hope they're normal price variants, at least. It looks like the pair in this post form a connecting image.

[Celgress]

BTW, here's an alternate Mark Bagley cover for Venomized #2:

I love the 1990s look Venom is sporting on this cover. Plus the pizza reminds me of Ninja Turtles another great franchise from the wacky era of the 1980s/1990s.

[Imago]

They're so beautiful, I want them alllllll! I hope they're normal price variants, at least. It looks like the pair in this post form a connecting image.

Yes, he's doing 5 issues connecting covers... like Crain did with Venomverse

[Venomous Mask]

They're so beautiful, I want them alllllll! I hope they're normal price variants, at least. It looks like the pair in this post form a connecting image.

Me too, though I have to drive a bit of a distance to get to a store that sells variant covers.

I love the 1990s look Venom is sporting on this cover. Plus the pizza reminds me of Ninja Turtles another great franchise from the wacky era of the 1980s/1990s.

Yeah, it's very 90s, especially with the green slime; somebody somewhere else compared it to Street Sharks. On another note, I'd love to see a full-on fight between symbiote Spider-Man and Venom. On one hand, the symbiote deep down has always wanted to be with Spider-Man more and thus might show him abilities that he wouldn't show to Eddie. On the other hand, Eddie and the symbiote have been together for far longer, and thus no each other more and have a deeper dynamic, possibly allowing them to work in sync better and improvise quicker.

[Venomous Mask]

Another kickass alternate cover:

[Imago]

Another kickass alternate cover

That's a pretty cool cover right there.


btw, Donny Cates did a AMA last night on reddit, here are the Venom's questions he answered:

■ Who's your favorite Spidey villain that isn't Venom?

- My favorite Spidey villain besides Venom is Mysterio.

■ Hey Donny, super excited for the new Venom book. One thing I've felt that has been lacking from Venom is a proper supporting cast. Any chance we'll be getting some reoccurring side characters in Eddie and the symbiote's life?
Also, I'm a huge Agent Venom fan, and I'm so glad Flash still gets to be a symbiotic hero as Agent Anti-Venom. Last we saw Eddie and Flash, they parted on good terms in Venom Inc, but Flash didn't really get to say goodbye to the symbiote in that. I know you're not allowed to say anything, but do you have anything in mind for the new Anti-Venom in your books?

- Yeah, absolutely. We'll be bringing in a pretty killer supporting cast I think. -I do, yes. But I can't say much. -Thanks!

■ What kind of influences have gone into shaping how you're looking at Venom?

- Lots! Gieger, and Lovecraft and Stephen King and stuff like that. Also all of the old classic Venom stories too.

■ I don't think I've ever read a Venom comic in my life, but I've been reading your Doctor Strange and recently started reading God Country and I'm excited to see what you can do with the character. What Venom stories would you recommend I read before jumping into your new series?

- You can jump into my venom run cold if you want to. I'm creating a whole new thing for older and newer readers alike.

■ Favorite past Venom stories?

- The hunger from Paul Jenkins. Rick's Agent Venom stuff. Maximum carnage. Lethal Protector (duh), separation anxiety, Along Came a Spider. I'm a sucker for that 90's stuff.

■ Who is your favourite venom?.

- Eddie.

■ Hey Donny, absolutely love your work! What's your favorite thing about writing Venom? What makes writing him unique?

- I don't know that I'v ever felt as comfortable writing a character as I do Eddie Brock. I don't know why. I've just known him my entire life and he's such a put upon guy. he's my favorite sad sack.

■ Loved everything about Thanos. Are you planning on big events in venom? Will you be introducing new characters in the venom series? Who is your favorite character to sketch!

- Yes to all questions. And to be super honest, I don't sketch that much anymore, but I do a pretty mean Venom!!

■ 1.) Symbiotes have a long, sometimes confusing history. Do you plan on getting involved with the symbiote antics (using character like Carnage, Anti-Agent Venom, Shriek, Toxin, ect.) or sticking to more street level characters?
2.) Also talking about complex symbiote history, Eddie Brock is a character passed between many writers with a somewhat fluctuating personality and changing motives. What do you think makes Eddie Brock a unique character? Which writers’ version(s) of Eddie most influences yours?

- 1: yes. hell yes.
- 2: Paul Jenkins take on him in The Hunger is a stand out take on him. It added a ton of pathos and vulnerability to him. I think Eddie is a very tortured person. Someone who saw a path for himself that isn't how his life turned out. He's an incredibly lonely person, and someone I think has a lot of abandonment issues. I'll be diving into Eddie quite a lot as my series goes along, so stay tuned.

■ What's the biggest change you want to bring to Venom?

- stay tuned. it's coming soon.

■ I heard you're introducing a new villain in the new Venom series that doesn't just tie into the Symbiote's origins, but into the Marvel Universe itself.
How does Venom's new villain connect to the rest of the Marvel Universe, or is that considered too much of a spoiler?

- yeah, too much of a spoiler! But stay tuned! I think you'll all dig it!

■ My main exposure to Venom when I was young was the 90s Spider-man cartoon series. I liked the conflicted anti-hero trying to do good despite himself and despite his urges.
To someone who enjoyed a character struggling against their own dark impulses to try to do good, how would you say your new Venom series compares? When it comes to the direction you have planned?
Also, got any plans for Anti-Venom Flash Thompson considering his relation to the Venom symbiote ? You know, considering that, once again, the symbiote kind of loves a previous host a lot more than it loves Eddie.

- That, to me, is the core of who Eddie is. A good man with darkness inside of him and a somewhat questionable will to control it. So yes, that's all there in my run. and more.

■ Haven't been keeping up with Venom much recently, do you have any plans for Flash in your series?

- Yes, there are indeed Flash plans.

■ I was personally a big fan of the Flash Thompson Venom stuff, and was ready to never see Eddie in the suit again. But then they announce a movie, and immediately the character has to return to the status quo. I think they've done some ok stuff with him since he's been back, but overall, what are your thoughts on characters being essentially reset in order to attract new fans/line up with the movies? Do you think it's creatively restrictive, or a good opportunity for new writers to explore familiar characters?

- Well, Eddie has been back in the suit since before the movie was announced, so that movie has zero bearing on this series. Speaking on behalf of my Venom relaunch, they could have announced a full universe of movies about Flash Thompson as Venom, and I still would have pitched an Eddie Brock. He's my Venom. Always has been. and as far as a movie having effects on a title....let me be really clear and tell you that is not a real thing when it comes to stories. I have never one time been told to change something because of a movie, man. Never once. They chase US, we don't chase them.

■ I don't know if your still reading these or if this has been asked already but as your a long time Venom fan and current writer for him, what are your thoughts on the Venom Movie? Also would you change anything about the movie like the story, actor etc.

- I think there's not enough out yet to properly form an opinion on the Venom of it all. Also, my opinion doesn't matter much since I'm going to go see it opening day no matter what! haha.

■ How does it feel being a writer for Venom? Will you be revealing any details about your first story anytime soon?

- It's bananas. A dream come true, honestly. I've been such a fan for so long, it's unreal to me. As for story details, my first arc is called "VENOM:REX" and...that's about all I can say!

■ What are the kind of main themes and ideas you wanna explore in Venom?

- I want Venom to seem scary. So I've been calling my Venom run a kind of "Lovecraftian action film." So, that kind of stuff!

■ Dude, what the fuck is going on with the Venom movie? It looks like the most generic shit show around.

- Couldn't tell you. I'm stoked about it. Just wish it had any kind of Venom stuff in the trailer. But I'm FOR SURE going to see it opening day. Eddie is my boy.

[Miles To Go]

I love that he actually bothered with the guy telling him the Venom trailer sucked.

[Miles To Go]

Venom#165 delayed

https://www.newsarama.com/39205-migh...shed-back.html