I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that Venom is one of the most recognizable Marvel characters today. Thanks to his incredible design, a number of epic storylines featuring the character, and a successful film series, even casual comic book fans probably have an idea of what a Venom story is. should With the release of Venom Modern Era Epic Collection: Space Knightthese spontaneous readers might be confused by the interpretation of the iconic character in these pages. In that sense, it is a comic series with some interesting concepts that is worth reading, at least to see how versatile the character Venom has been used in Marvel comics.
Collecting the competing storylines from Poison #36-42 and Venom: Space Knight #1-13 (the entire series), the story follows Flash Thompson as he takes on the role of Venom and battles underworld threats in Philadelphia before embarking on a new mission as the Space Knight. As he goes about his duties, Flash is confronted with his past and must face challenges both in space and on Earth. His journey culminates in a confrontation with Spider-Man during the events of Civil War II.
Listen to the latest episode of our weekly comic podcast!
Marvel Comics
The issues collected in this Epic trade were quite surprising and a peculiar direction that Venom went in during the soft reboot of the Marvel line in the mid-2010s. It still bears many of the trademarks that Venom fans have come to appreciate, but at its core it feels like a completely different character that has had a Venom membrane applied to it to better sell issues. With Cullen Bunn’s run ending in issue #42, it feels like a significant and rushed about-face to end Andi’s time with the symbiote and get Space Knight’s space adventure underway. Obviously, many characters have worn the Venom symbiote, this book shows that Marvel views the costume as a fantastic visual and financially sound property rather than a specific character type.
It’s not a bad thing that Venom can be in such diverse stories. I loved Robbie Thompson’s idea of sending Flash and the symbiote into space on behalf of the Avengers to work with the Guardians of the Galaxy. It’s a fun premise! Add to that the beautiful pulp-inspired airbrush artwork by Airel Olivetti, and I was able to enjoy the concept of this book. The stories themselves just felt way too safe in their execution for such a great concept, but there was a definite improvement in plot and storyline as the series reached its final issues. Gerardo Sandoval’s pencil drawings in the final issues reminded me of the twisted and anatomically nonsensical art often found in Sam Kieth’s incredible Venom books from the 1990s, which was great to see. I also think that Venom comics are at their best visually when the artists can let their hair down with their character contortions and body horror.
Marvel Comics
Marvel has been expanding its supplementary offerings in recent Epic Collections, and this book is no exception. There are the ubiquitous variant covers, a large handful of penciled and inked pages, and a selection of design sketches. I particularly enjoyed the afterword by Bunn and Thompson at the end of the book. Even for fans with a good understanding of Marvel history and their publishing cycles, these final explanatory thoughts from each author really help to give the context of these books. It also shows how carefully and enthusiastically these authors have crafted their stories.
If you have just seen a Venom movie and are buying this book to learn more about this character, this title may confuse you. But for Marvel fans who are open to different ways to use this iconic antihero, Venom Modern Era Epic Collection: Space Knight is an interesting narrative detour that offers some entertaining character moments and action. It’s not a definitive Venom story, but it’s worth reading.
Review of “Venom Modern Era Epic Collection: Space Knight”
Venom Modern Era Epic Collection: Space Knight
If you’ve just seen a Venom movie and are picking up this book to learn more about this character, this title might confuse you. However, for Marvel fans who are open to other uses of this iconic antihero, Venom Modern Era Epic Collection: Space Knight is an interesting narrative detour that offers some fun character moments and action. It’s not a definitive Venom story, but it’s worth a read.
There are some cool ideas here that could take Venom in a completely different direction.
Very nice selection of additional material at the end of the trade.
Some beautiful works of art, but also weak issues that do not fit with the rest of the collection.
The plot is confusing at times and gives the impression that both stories were written in a hurry or that they were subject to a lot of editorial guidelines.
Join the AIPT Patreon
Want to take our relationship to the next level? Become a sponsor today and get access to exclusive benefits such as:
- ❌ Remove all ads on the website
- 💬 Join our Discord community where we chat about the latest news and releases on everything we cover on AIPT
- 📗 Access to our monthly book club
- 📦 Receive a physical paperback by mail every month
- 💥 And more!
