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How Donny Cates’ Venom run changed the Marvel antihero

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How Donny Cates' Venom run changed the Marvel antihero

Well, folks, let me tell ya about this Venom run by Donny Cates – it’s a real game-changer! I’ve been reading comics for a long time now, and I must say, this series is one of the best I’ve ever laid my eyes on.

For quite some time now, Venom has been a prominent figure in Marvel Comics. More recently, his popularity has soared among mainstream viewers due to the successful Tom Hardy film series, but hardcore fans have been devoted to this character since its debut during the late 80’s Spider-Man comic book run.

Despite facing continuous criticism and negative feedback since its inception, a recent comic book series is widely regarded as exceptional in its own right and has significantly enhanced the Venom character.

With that in mind, let’s dive into Donny Cates’ acclaimed run and explore why it’s so beloved.

What you need to know about Donny Cates

Donny Cates has been a mainstay in the comics industry for quite some time, working with publishers like Marvel and Image Comics on numerous projects for both companies. For Image Comics, he produced titles such as Redneck, Crossover, The Ghost Fleet, and his most critically acclaimed work, God Country. His contributions to Marvel Comics include runs on Doctor Strange, Guardians of the Galaxy, Thanos, among others. Some of these comics were published before or simultaneously with his Venom series, while others like Thor, Hulk (for Marvel) and Vanish (for Image) came after it.

Cates excels at blending grandiose, interstellar notions with down-to-earth narratives, making characters confront the consequences of these extraordinary events and their past transgressions. For instance, during his tenure on Doctor Strange, he introduced a character – a talking ghost dog named Bats. Initially, you might assume such an outlandish creature would be incongruous for the comic. But surprisingly, Bats proved to be so amusing and entertaining that he harmoniously fit within the Doctor Strange universe, despite his peculiar origins and appearance stemming from a very unusual source.

Cates’ Venom run is no exception to the rule.

Where things stood before Cates’ Venom run

Initially, Venom’s introduction sparked immense popularity, causing Marvel to launch numerous spin-off titles featuring Venom and different creative teams throughout the ’90s. However, due to his ubiquity, readers eventually became fatigued with Venom, leading to a temporary hiatus. Yet, he reappeared in the early 2000s, making a return to the comic book scene.

During the 2000s and 2010s, the Venom symbiote shifted to hosts other than Eddie Brock, with one of the most notorious instances being The Scorpion who took on the role of Venom. While Eddie was considered an anti-hero, The Scorpion was a full villain when he bonded with the symbiote. This Venom was particularly bloodthirsty, outdoing all the evil acts that Eddie had committed. However, The Scorpion’s tenure as Venom ended when the symbiote was passed on to another long-standing character in the Spider-Man universe, Flash Thompson.

As a die-hard Spidey fan, I used to know Peter Parker’s high school nemesis, Flash Thompson, as the guy who gave him a hard time back in the day. But over time, their rivalry transformed into an unbreakable bond of friendship. Later on, during his military service, Flash bravely lost both legs in combat, but his bravery and skills earned him a unique opportunity: to join a clandestine program that eventually led to the Venom symbiote being bestowed upon a soldier under U.S. control – marking the start of Agent Venom’s era. This new phase captivated many fans like myself, as it offered a refreshing twist on a character that had seemingly hit a plateau.

During this period, it appears Eddie Brock was out of the picture. Stricken with cancer, the Venom symbiote found him no longer beneficial, thus leaving him permanently. For years, the symbiote shifted hosts, while Brock grappled with the aftermath of his Venom days and his cancer diagnosis. Yet, in a typical comic book twist, he developed another symbiote within himself that was distinct from Venom, transforming into Anti-Venom instead.

The unique danger posed by Anti-Venom lay in the fact that mere contact with him was lethal for all symbiotes. Moreover, he held the power to strip Spider-Man of his abilities and heal any illnesses. Unfortunately, Eddie Brock, the man behind Anti-Venom, grew increasingly unstable, even more so than before. He started to see himself as a messianic figure, drawing crowds of people who admired him and wished to emulate his actions.

Initially, Brock parted ways with the Anti-Venom symbiote, only to join forces with another one called Toxin. Later on, in a fresh Venom series launched in 2016, he was reunited with his original symbiote companion. Following this phase, Donny Cates assumed control of the series starting from 2018.

About Donny Cates’ Venom run

Donny Cates started his Venom series with issue #1 in May 2018 and ended it with issue #200 in June 2021, which was a special celebration for Venom’s 200th issue. This run encompassed the regular Venom comics, as well as two major events – firstly, Absolute Carnage, and secondly, King in Black. Additionally, it included standalone stories like Web of Venom, where Cates’ new Venom lore is deepened and extended further.

In this comic book series, Eddie Brock finds himself transformed as Venom once more. Over successive nights, he’s been plagued by unsettling dreams involving hordes of ancient warriors being overwhelmed by a massive, shadowy monster. The dreams never progress beyond this point, but they leave him with an ominous sense of impending disaster. These recurring nightmares serve as the impetus for Eddie and Venom to delve into the true history of the symbiotes, uncovering the malevolent force that governs them all: Knull, the Symbiote God, the Black King!

In the beginning, Knull’s debut on Earth was not welcomed by Venom and several other Marvel superheroes. However, they were underestimating the power controlling Knull, along with the vast symbiote armies at his disposal. Knull seeks a fragment of the Venom symbiote to escape his prison and cause chaos across the cosmos – a plotline seen in Venom: The Last Dance. It’s later unveiled that Knull is also targeting anyone who ever donned a symbiote (a large number of Marvel heroes) because he implanted a “codex” in their DNA, which could set him free from his confinement.

In a narrow victory, Venom manages to fend off Knull, yet the remainder of the series delves into uncovering the villain’s origin story and the methodology behind the creation of the symbiote species. Additionally, Eddie grapples with the repercussions of his past wrongdoings as they resurface.

In the course of this storyline, Cletus Kasady resurfaces and transforms back into Carnage, serving as Knull’s deputy in the joint series titled “Absolute Carnage“. Meanwhile, Eddie discovers an unexpected sibling he was unaware of, which serves as a connection to the goodness within him that was believed to be gone. The narrative reaches its climax with Knull’s Earth invasion during the crossover event called “King in Black“.

Reviewing the Venom run

Donny Cates’ run on Venom stands out as revolutionary because he didn’t just revamp the Venom legend, but also transformed the character of Eddie Brock. Previously, Venom had started losing its charm during the ’90s, with much of the dissatisfaction centered around Eddie Brock. Many readers felt that Brock’s storylines were no longer engaging, and although he remained in Marvel Comics for several decades, he was often overshadowed by other symbiote-wielding characters or relegated to the sidelines. However, Donny Cates breathed new life into the Venom mythos, particularly focusing on Eddie Brock’s transformation.

In a captivating fashion, Cates delved deeper into Eddie Brock’s past, revealing his complex relationship with his father, his strained bond, and the shocking revelation of his brother Dylan. This background made Eddie Brock more relatable and emotionally resonant than ever before. Initially, the Venom character was portrayed as a psychopathic beast with a twisted concept of justice. However, Cates managed to humanize both Eddie Brock and the Venom symbiote in ways I hadn’t conceived. The narrative remained cohesive and engaging throughout, although some storylines following the Absolute Carnage event didn’t quite match the brilliance of the earlier segments. However, the narrative momentum was re-established with the grand finale against Knull in the concluding issues of the main Venom series and the King in Black crossover.

Among the artists who worked on this series were Iban Coello, Mark Bagley (renowned for his work on Spider-Man and Venom), and Ryan Stegman, a frequent collaborator of Donny Cates. While all the artwork in this saga is impressive, it was Stegman’s that stood out to me the most. He illustrated the first six issues and both crossover events, delivering art that was both grandiose and emotionally authentic. His work felt particularly impactful, exciting, and epic, perfectly complementing Cates’ narratives.

Donny Cates’ run on “Venom” is an outstanding comic book series that I believe deserves the title of a modern masterpiece. It’s ideal for readers new to the Venom universe as it strikes a balance between referencing past tales and explaining crucial details, all while providing a fresh take on the characters of Brock and Venom. Therefore, I strongly recommend you give this series a read; I promise it will not disappoint!

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2024-12-07 18:01

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