Eddie Brock has been through the wringer ever since Al Ewing took over writing duties on Venom.
He became the King in Black, god of the symbiotes, before promptly being murdered. Then, he discovered that it’s harder to kill a King in Black than you’d think, as he found himself unmoored in time, drifting from one symbiote to the next. And somewhere along the way, inhabiting the body of one of his future selves, he watches in horror as he kills his own son.
Dylan survives, of course, through no small amount of equally brain-melting symbiote madness, but it has since set the two on a path that ends with only one of them bonded to the Venom symbiote.
That conclusion is soon to be upon us, as Al Ewing unveils the next chapter in his Venom epic, the Venom War.
Table of Contents
What is Venom War?
Following in the tradition of massive symbiote-based events like Absolute Carnage and King in Black, Venom War is the latest instalment in a long lineage of event comics.
At its core, father and son combo Eddie and Dylan Brock will face off, spurred on by various motivations and machinations, to decide who is the one true host of the Venom symbiote. However, nothing is ever so simple in the modern symbiote canon, as whoever takes the victory will inevitably be bound up in a wider, ongoing threat – that of Kang, Meridius and the potential cataclysm of “Venomworld”.
As such, Venom War sees the whole cast of symbiote characters dragged into the fray – with Eddie recruiting multiple time displaced versions of himself, and Dylan banding together with fellow symbiote-heroes like Sleeper, Red Goblin and Toxin. On top of that, players like Black Widow, Agent Anti-Venom and, of course, Carnage all have roles to play.
Venom War itself is a five-issue limited series, that runs alongside Venom #36-40 and various tie-in mini-series. The core story will be told in the aforementioned titles, while everything else can be taken as added texture to the main event.
Do I Need to Read Anything Before Venom War?
As with any book from Al Ewing, the more you’ve read prior to reading this series the more rewarding you’ll find the experience. However, in terms of titles that directly lead in, there is a short list.
Venom (2021-) by Al Ewing, Ram V & Torunn Grønbekk
This should come as no surprise, but Venom is quite a crucial book to Venom War.
Since 2021, Al Ewing has been teaming up with Ram V, Torunn Grønbekk, Bryan Hitch, Cafu and a variety of other creators to bring to life this father/son dual narrative that spans time, space and multiple dimensions. It takes a minute for all the pieces to start falling into place, but once it does it becomes clear that Ewing and co. are delivering one of the finest sagas of science fiction that Big Two comics have produced in a very long time. The ideas are huge, the scope is near infinite and the visual storytelling is second to none.
Without getting too into the minutiae, Venom introduces a lot of core concepts that are being brought to a head in Venom War. At a basic level, if you’re aware of the fact that Eddie’s son, Dylan Brock, is sporting the Venom symbiote on Earth while Eddie himself is lost in time and space, then you’re a good deal of the way there. There’s also the small detail of things like Meridius, the Garden of Time and the various symbiote-wearing power players that enter the narrative throughout the 35 issues that precede this event, but it’s worth reading them all to get caught up.
Ewing is constantly rewarding readers who know their continuity, all the while building a grand tapestry of his own. Don’t miss out on a fundamentally better experience; make sure you read Venom (2021).
Carnage (2023-2024) by Torunn Grønbekk and Pere Pérez
For the past year, Torunn Grønbekk and Pere Pérez have been picking up all the disparate pieces of the murderous, red puzzle that is Carnage’s recent publishing history, and have been fashioning something bloody and final out of it.
Hot off the previous run from Ram V and Alex Paknadel, and series like Death of the Venomverse, Carnage has been toiling away at becoming a god. Unfortunately for the Marvel universe, he’s gotten incredibly close. One of the few players even aware of his moves, and the one most motivated to stop him, his Flash Thompson – Agent Anti-Venom.
This series dovetails directly into the Venom War: Carnage mini-series that runs throughout the event, and is essential reading if you plan on checking that out. Otherwise, this does work on its own as a crimson-slick thriller, following the dual narratives of a serial killer inspiring his own cult and a guilt-stricken man ready to do anything to stop him. It’s final issue, Carnage #8 left things in a decidedly precarious situation, just in time for Venom War.
Venom (2018-2021) by Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman
Prior to Al Ewing’s current Venom epic, things were less focused on time-travel and more on godhood. Specifically, the God of the Symbiotes, the King in Black himself.
In Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman’s run, Eddie Brock comes face to face with Knull, the original King in Black, and he nearly doesn’t make it out in the process. What follows is a rock-and-roll testament finding the light even in the darkest moments, as Venom sends Knull packing, leading to Eddie becoming the new King in Black.
The whole run can be found in Venom (2018) #1-35 as well as Absolute Carnage #1-5 and King in Black #1-5 (and, of course, multiple optional tie-ins). In terms of understanding what’s going on with the King in Black(s), this isn’t as required a set of reading as you might otherwise think. If you know that the King in Black is a title given to the God of Symbiotes, that’s about all you really need to know going into Ewing’s subsequent run. If, however, you’d like more context to the emergence of Dylan Brock as a character, this is the place to find it. His origin story, specifically, comes in Venom Vol. 2: The Abyss, which collects Venom (2018) #7-12.
Which Series are Included in Venom War?
Alongside the main event, there are a small selection of tie-in mini-series that accompany the story being told.
It should be noted that unlike events like King in Black or Blood Hunt, this storyline doesn’t seem to spill over across the majority of the publishing line. As a result, you do not need to worry about diving in to any ongoing series without the necessary context. In fact, a couple of the mini-series tied into this event make it so you can read about your favourite Marvel characters without ever having to touch their solo series, or worry about their current status quos.
Venom War
The main event. Brock vs Brock. The fate of Earth in the balance.
From the symbiotic partnership of Al Ewing and Iban Coello comes Venom War. The official synopsis for Venom War #1 reads as follows:
‘LAST VENOM STANDING! The Venom Symbiote has bonded with both Eddie Brock and his son Dylan at different points. Now both Brocks are going head-to-head, determined to be the one, true Venom! Father versus son in a showdown of showdowns that threatens to tear the world asunder! From heavyweight talent champions Al Ewing and Iban Coello comes a Battle for the ‘Biote like you’ve never seen!’
Venom War #1, League of Comic Geeks
It goes without saying: there’s no way to read just the ongoing Venom series and get the gist of Venom War without actually reading the series.
Venom (#36-40)
While the core essence of the storyline takes place in Venom War, the paralleling issues of Venom will fill in vital elements of character development and plot.
From Torunn Grønbekk and Cafu, these issues focus on Dylan Brock as he’s visited by the ghost of symbiote’s future: Dylan Brock! Wait, what? Yes, that’s right – Dylan must contend with his future self (Old Man Venom, if you will, even if he does look more like Cable than the eternal Wolverine) and come out the other side ready to win this contest with his father.
Spider-Man (Peter Parker) is set to make an appearance through the magic of time-travel, as current-day Peter is busy in a book of his own. How exactly this warning from the timestream will play into events is as yet unclear, but it certainly introduces a fascinating new wildcard to an already stacked cast of characters.
Venom War: Carnage
Following on from the half-conclusion that was Carnage #8, Venom War: Carnage picks up where things left off – and with the same creative team too!
While Flash Thompson is seemingly busy in another tie-in, Cletus Kasady is busy sowing the seeds of further chaos. Chemical-K, a deadly-to-symbiotes weapon, is now on the playing field, and Carnage has his eyes set upon it.
While not as crucial as Venom, this tie-in will undoubtedly fold back in to the main narrative in a key way by the conclusion of events, especially as Dylan Brock is namedropped in the solicit text for these issues…
Venom War: Spider-Man
The Hivemind of Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly return to the pages of Marvel’s mightiest heroes once more, this time joined by Greg Land as they show just how good it feels to be back in black.
That’s right, Peter Parker is not only involved in Venom War, he’s got the symbiote suit back as well!
Venom War: Spider-Man is a four-issue mini-series that runs alongside the main event, charting Peter Parker (and Mary Jane Watson, in her new superhero identity as Jackpot) tackle the seige beset upon New York city. Unsurprisingly, the fact that Peter is in possession of the suit once more, and during a time when the one true host of the Venom symbiote is to be determined, should raise the eyebrows of most switched-on fans. While this is not necessarily labelled as integral to the event, it’s hard to imagine the plot of this title not spilling over in some fashion to Venom War proper.
Venom War: Zombiotes
Next we have a three-issue jaunt from Cavan Scott (Star Wars: The High Republic) and Juan José Ryp (Wolverine, Immortal X-Men) that grants readers an overview of the war on the ground.
Zombiotes – a strain of symbiote ‘that can reanimate the dead and turn the living into an engine of mindless hunger‘ – are infesting New York City, and it’s on the street level heroes of NYC to do something about it. Very few details have been released about this book, save for the issue #2 synopsis that reveals the involvement of Hellcat, She-Hulk and Shocker as the leaders of the resistance.
For those looking for some light-stakes action, this book seems like a great pick. That being said, I also cannot imagine the events of this series impacting the event at large by much.
Venom War: Venomous
Spinning out of Black Widow: Venomous and the ongoing plotlines in Venom, Black Widow has recently taken a symbiote of her own – and she plans on making the most of it.
From Erica Schultz and Luciano Vecchio, Natasha Romanova will team up with Agent Anti-Venom (see: recent issues of Carnage for what he’s been up to) as they pay a visit to Alchemax. Their mission: investigate the symbiote-based experiments that the mega-corporation have been conducting, and see if any of their sins can be redeemed as they search desperately for something to change the tide of the Venom War.
Venom War: Wolverine
Local Man creative team Tim Seeley and Tony Fleecs team up with Marvel master Kev Walker (Guardians of the Galaxy, Blood Hunt: Union Jack the Ripper) to carve their way through the zombiote hordes.
Not much is known about this title, outside of the action-based premise, but for the continuity conscious this does seem to take place in some nebulous team post-Krakoa and pre-Wolverine (2024). That is to say, Logan is wounded from the loss of the mutant nation state, but he’s yet to fully retreat to the Canadian border, as we’ve been told he will do in From the Ashes’ newest run for the character.
Venom War: Lethal Protectors
You didn’t think we’d have a symbiote event without touching base with the Life Foundation symbiotes, did you?
In this three-issue mini-series, written by Sabir Pirzada and drawn by Luca Marseca, Silver Sable joins the Venom War, as she’s flanked by Lasher, Riot, Phage, Agony and Scream. Like most of these tie-ins, details on the first issues seem sparse (outside of the expected skirmishes with Zombiotes). However, Pirzada has a bit of a history with the symbiotes now, having written Cult of Carnage: Misery, so expect deep pulls from continuity that are used to enable impactful character development and great action.
Venom War: Deadpool
Legendary Deadpool writer Cullen Bunn returns to the Merc with a Mouth! For three issues, Bunn teams up with artist Roberto Di Salvo for some rough and rude, symbiote-blasting action as Wade Wilson faces into the hordes of the gooey and the hungry.
Let’s hope he can make it out with (most of) his limbs intact.
Venom War: Daredevil
Swinging by on billy-club for a one-shot adventure, Chris Condon (That Texas Blood, Green Arrow) and Lan Medina (Gold Goblin, Captain America) are shepherding Matt Murdock and Elektra Natchios through the hordes of zombiotes.
As for what they’ll be getting up to, the solicitation for this issue reads as such:
‘NIGHT OF THE CRAWLING ZOMBIOTES! As Venom War rages, Manhattan finds itself besieged by an infectious new strain of symbiotes – one that drives their living hosts to an all-encompassing hunger for human flesh and can even reanimate the dead! As the horde of zombiotes descends on Hell’s Kitchen, the two Daredevils must rise up to stand as the last line of defense – but will they be enough to stem the tide, or will their brains be first on the menu?’
Venom War: Daredevil #1, Marvel.com
Venom War: Fantastic Four
In a surprise announcement, the Fantastic Four will also be joining Venom War! Written by Adam Warren, with art by Joey Vasquez, this three-issue mini-series explores how the Fantastic Four wind up getting involved in the conflict, and the answer has something to do with Doom… That is, Doctor Doom, as well as Venom alum Kang the Conqueror. And, on top of all that, Red Goblin will also be making an appearance alongside fellow member of Team Dylan, Flexo!
From Newsarama, Warren talks about his excitement to be working with these characters:
‘While I was of course excited to contribute to a Venom event after a previous dabble or two with Symbiote lore, the opportunity to weave the Fantastic Four into the tie-in story’s narrative was a wonderful bonus. The FF, you see, were always my favorite super heroes from early childhood (I learned how to read from poring over old Marvel reprints, believe it or not), so I’m delighted to get another chance to work with ol’ Reed, Sue, Ben & Johnny again!’
“Doctor Doom and Kang will drag the Fantastic Four into Venom War this fall”, Newsarama.com
Venom War – Reading Order
Below is the recommended reading order for this event, with core issues highlighted in bold.
NOTE: This reading order will be updated as new issues of the event are announced.
Prelude
- Free Comic Book Day 2024: Ultimate Universe / Spider-Man #1
- Carnage #8
- Venom #35
- Black Widow: Venomous #1
Main Event
- Venom War #1
- Venom #36
- Venom War: Spider-Man #1
- Venom War: Carnage #1
- Venom War: Venomous #1
- Venom War: Zombiotes! #1
- Venom War #2
- Venom War: Spider-Man #2
- Venom #37
- Venom War: Carnage #2
- Venom War: Wolverine #1
- Venom War: Lethal Protectors #1
- Venom War: Venomous #2
- Venom War: Deadpool #1
- Venom War: Daredevil #1
- Venom War: Zombiotes #2
- Venom War: Fantastic Four #1
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