5 Comic Books About Venom That Are Better Than Tom Hardy Movies
It's time to go back to the roots.
The Venom movies have a mixed reputation. They are successfully carried by lead actor Tom Hardy, and the chemistry between Eddie Brock and the symbiote occasionally makes you smile.
Meanwhile, the visual component as well as the script work of each of the movies come dangerously close to the level of low-budget TV series.
In the comics it also took a while for the character to be taken seriously. Today, however, it will not be difficult to compile a list of works that can tell a story about an antihero that deserves no less attention than the recent adaptations.
1. Venom: Sinner Takes All, 1995
The main antagonist of the plot is the Sin-Eater, a serial killer driven by a twisted interpretation of the Bible. The villain went through the Gulf War using faith as a moral support, after which he became infected with the ideas of the previous Eater, with whom he lived in the same shelter.
Quoting scripture as he goes, he begins organizing successful assassinations of businessmen, lawyers, journalists – all of whom he considers to be first-class sinners.
Among the criminal's targets is Eddie's ex-wife, for whose sake Brock must temporarily transfer the symbiote to her. This is how She-Venom appears, a reference to which could be seen in the first movie with Tom Hardy.
2. Venom: The Hunger, 1996
In The Hunger, Venom, who regularly threatens his victims to "eat their brains," snaps and actually does so. The symbiote, tired of Eddie Brock's attempts at cruel but non-lethal justice, abandons Eddie. Having become psychologically dependent on the alien, Brock is left naked in the middle of an alley.
Each episode creates an atmosphere of hopelessness and alienation in its own way: we are shown the arrested Brock being tortured by the orderlies of a mental hospital, while Venom, out of control, randomly and brutally kills random victims.
3. Venom: Rex, 2018
Written by Donny Cates, Eddie Brock features a large ensemble of supporting characters and new, memorable villains, including the symbiote god Knull, whose defeat requires the participation of several superhero teams.
Eddie's alien has a well-developed personality and an important role in Marvel Universe history. In turn, visual cues such as Venom's modified wings and the spiral-edged faces of symbiote victims can now be found not only in other comics from the publisher, but also in Insomniac's Spider-Man 2 game.
4. Symbiote Spider-Man 2099, 2024
When talking about alternative versions of the symbiote that deserve attention, it is impossible not to mention Venom 2099. 2099 is a Marvel initiative from the early 90s, in which the publisher decided to show a future universe, where familiar heroes administer street justice in the entourage of flying cars and neon skyscrapers.
Thanks to the multiversal adventures of Miles Morales in Sony's animated films, a new generation of fans was introduced to Miguel O'Hara, Spider-Man 2099. One of the unexpected details of Miguel's biography is his paternal relationship with the future version of Venom, Kron Stone.
In the Symbiote Spider-Man 2099, Peter David returns to his creation to show how the pragmatic and determined Miguel would react differently to receiving the symbiote than Peter Parker.
5. Venom: Flashpoint, 2011
When a paraplegic became Venom's new host in 2011, the response from readers was almost universally positive.
The idea of a soldier who agreed to bond with an alien monster in order to get back into action is an extremely rich concept that allows for the exploration of many important themes. In particular, the difficulties of adjusting to civilian life for people who have experienced military conflict, some of whom turn to alcohol as a result.