The latest trailer for Venom gave us a new look at the upcoming film's villain, Riot. This movie is shaping up to be a hit, and you'll want to climb on the bandwagon now if you want to turn a profit in October. 

Sony did a great job of keeping us guessing about the Venom solo film. All last summer and through much of 2018, most of the internet was convinced that Carnage was going to be the main antagonist. First, Riz Ahmed was cast, and we were sure he'd play Carnage. Then Woody Harrelson's name was added to the billing, so we assumed he must be playing Cletus Kassady (and he still could be, but he's already said that he has a small part in the first installment with a larger role to come). As it turns out, Carnage isn't going to be in this installment, but I predict we will have a cameo or an allusion or some sort of Easter egg. Instead, Sony is going with another symbiote to battle Venom - Riot.

While Carnage has always gotten the distinction of being everyone's second-favorite symbiote, only the most hardcore of Venom fans remembered Riot. After all, the original host of Riot, Trevor Cole, was only alive for two years in the early/mid-1990s. Since then - like every other symbiote - Riot has been passed off from one host to the next and was eventually captured and militarized (much like Agent Venom and Agent Anti-Venom).

Odds are, Riot will not survive the final act of the Venom movie, so don't expect him to have a recurring role in the big-screen "Venomverse." Still, he has a great look and gives us that ruthless symbiote that comic fans have come to cherish, so it's likely he will be a hit with fans (unless Sony completely drops the ball, which they are notorious for doing). Since the latest trailers featured him so prominently, we're already seeing Riot's popularity picking up. Just wait for October, and things will really take off.

How is Riot's first appearance looking at the moment? I'm glad I asked.

The plot of Venom is being pulled liberally from the Lethal Protector limited series from 1992. Riot debuted in Venom: Lethal Protector #4 alongside his "siblings" Scream, Agony, Lasher, and Phage. Initially, Scream got the most attention following that series, and Riot was a minor addition. However, this issue has been on the move since the announcement of the Venom movie.

Going all the way back to 1992 up until 2016, a 9.8 VLP #4 never set the collecting world on fire. Over those 24 years, it had gradually crept up in price, but it never sold for more than $40-$45. Then last year, it shot up when Sony announced the Venom movie. Between June and July, it doubled 2016's sale prices and was going for anywhere from $60-$80. Starting in November, it didn't just rise some more, it exploded, selling for as much as $175 in November and December.

The trend has continued into 2018, and the new trailer is only going to make those prices go even higher. So far, it's peaked at $165, but I can almost guarantee it will approach the $200 mark by the end of the year as fans get excited for the movie.  What you need to be concerned about it is sustainability. Can this trend continue? Right now, it's too early to tell, but my gut instinct is that it will peak between October and December, and the prices will plateau entering 2019. So if you want to get the most for your money, my advice is to sell closer to October.