Venom has waited 30 years for a good series and his very own villain, whose first appearance has set the market on fire. I think I speak for Venom fans everywhere when I say it's about time.
When 2018 comes to a close, we just might call it the year of Venom. Even if we don't, we should at least be able to say that it was the year all the past Venom mistakes were corrected. Whether it's his live-action counterpart in Spider-Man 3 or the number of awful solo stories over the years (looking at you, Venom: Space Knight), we're finally being treated to quality Venom content that stays true to the source.
Venom is arguably the hottest character in comics at the moment. The trailers for the new movie actually look good (which is a complete flip for me, since I've been writing for a year about how bad it was sounding, but the trailers have me optimistic), and even non-comic fans are buzzing about Venom. So far, it looks like we might finally be able to forget about Topher Grace.
What I'm most excited about is the current Venom solo title. I instantly fell in love with this character when he tormented Spider-Man in 1988's Amazing Spider-Man #300. This was the 1980s when Arnold Schwarzenegger ruled the box office, and many artists clearly were inspired by his unique aesthetics. In those early days of Venom, Eddie Brock had the Schwarzenegger physique and even the flat top that Arnie sported in a few movies. So basically we were given the Terminator with Spider-Man's powers drawn in Todd McFarlane's signature style. What was not to love?
Over the years, different artists and writers made their marks on Venom, changing his look and motivations. He went from a monster to an anti-hero (or in the cases of Agent Venom and Space Knight Venom, a full-fledged hero). In the 30 years in the Marvel Universe, Venom is now on his fourth volume of continuing regular solo titles, and it's taken three decades to finally get it right.
This new Donny Cates/Ryan Stegman version has the symbiote back with Eddie Brock and they're righting some of the wrongs that have been made with Venom. For one, they've retconned the symbiote's home planet by changing the idea that Klyntar was home to a race of friendly symbiotes to the planet being a prison made of symbiotes. Cates and Stegman have introduced a new villain, Knull, the Primordial Venom, and given an old character some new tricks.
As a longtime Venom fan, it's satisfying to finally have a Venom solo title that gave me something old (Eddie Brock is the host and Venom looks like a bodybuilding monster) with a dash of new (in Venom #5, the symbiote sprouts bat-like wings). From an investor's standpoint, you've got a new character with bigger implications; in Knull's backstory, it's revealed that he decapitated a Celestial, possibly giving birth to Knowhere of Guardians of the Galaxy lore.
Knull's first appearance in Venom #3 is skyrocketing. The issue was released in April, and it's currently averaging $86 at a 9.8. A whopping 40 graded near-mint copies have been sold, and what's more eye-opening is that the last five 9.8s have all sold for $100 or more. I'll give you more on Knull and the current state of ASM #300 later.
