Genre: Superhero | Publisher: Marvel Comics | Release Date: 2017
In Venomverse (5 issues), Eddie Brock is pulled into a war across dimensions, joining Venomized heroes to battle the Poisons—parasitic beings that consume symbiotes and hosts. As assimilation spreads, survival hinges on chaos, sacrifice, and unstable alliances.
Writing
Venomverse is a miniseries with a premise that sounds compelling on paper: Venom is pulled into a multiversal conflict alongside other Venom-bonded versions of Marvel heroes to combat a terrifying new species called the Poisons—beings that assimilate symbiotes and feed on their hosts. However, the execution falls far short of that promising concept.
The story kicks off when Eddie Brock is transported to another reality by an alternate Doctor Strange who has been collecting Venomized heroes from across the multiverse to wage war on the Poisons. Right away, this setup feels off. It’s hard to understand why Strange would bring in more symbiote hosts when the Poisons specifically feed on symbiotes. Why not summon the Avengers, the X-Men, or even the Fantastic Four—teams with experience fighting cosmic threats who aren’t vulnerable to assimilation? It would’ve made more sense narratively if the symbiotes were fleeing from dimension to dimension, trying to escape their predators, with the Poisons in pursuit.
As for characters, Venom is fine. Carnage adds some chaotic energy and Deadpool brings in his usual flair, providing the comic's rare moments of fun. But beyond that, the cast feels undercooked. Most of the Venomized heroes contribute little beyond the novelty of their appearances. Unlike Spider-Verse, which took time to distinguish each variant and gave them personality, Venomverse seems content to make every alt-universe character feel like a palette swap with a black suit. It’s a missed opportunity. Instead of introducing compelling new characters or exploring interesting "What if?" angles, the book leans too hard on the gimmick of "Venom-fused X."
The Poisons themselves are an interesting idea in theory—predators of the symbiotes, capable of taking over and erasing the hosts’ personalities—but they lack substance. They’re basically just evil versions of the Venomized heroes with no clear motivations beyond assimilation. There's no central antagonist among them, no philosophical clash, no emotional stakes. They’re visual threats, nothing more, and once you've seen a few "Poisonized" characters, the gimmick gets old fast.
The narrative also suffers from a lack of weight. Stakes feel non-existent because the world being defended is already ruined. There's no clear reason why any of these characters need to be involved or what happens if they fail. The stakes are abstract at best, and at worst, meaningless. That undermines the tension and any investment the reader might have.
Cullen Bunn’s dialogue is serviceable but uninspired. Characters talk, but rarely say anything. There's no real character growth, no arcs, and no memorable exchanges. It's all plot mechanics and exposition with brief flashes of personality, mostly from Deadpool or Carnage.
Ultimately, the story feels like it wants to be a symbiote-themed version of Spider-Verse but doesn’t understand what made that work: character variety, emotional depth, and a sense of fun and discovery. Venomverse tries to be edgy and cool, but ends up shallow and forgettable. It’s frustrating because the idea could’ve been something special with a stronger narrative backbone and more inventive storytelling. Instead, it's a stylish mess that doesn’t hold up under scrutiny.
Rating: 1 out of 5
Art Style
If there’s one area where Venomverse manages to impress, it’s the art. Iban Coello’s work is energetic, sharp, and well-suited to the kind of chaotic action the story demands. Characters move with kinetic energy, battles are dynamic, and the layouts never feel cluttered, even when the panels are packed with symbiote tendrils, explosions, or flying limbs.
The Venomized character designs are visually cool, even if conceptually lazy. Many of them look like their default selves in black suits with white eyes and spider symbols. It's stylish, but lacks the monstrous flair one might expect from symbiotes. There’s a real missed opportunity to push the designs further—adding grotesque elements like elongated jaws, barbed tendrils, or warped musculature would’ve better emphasized the symbiote’s alien nature. Instead, most variants feel tame, as if dipped in Venom-brand paint without fully fusing with the creature's DNA.
The Poisons, in contrast, have slightly more alien designs, with pale armor and insect-like features. They provide decent visual contrast but never become iconic or scary in the way Xenomorphs or Brood-inspired characters might. Their designs reinforce their role as “blank slate” villains rather than fleshed-out threats.
Color work in Venomverse adds to the spectacle. The pages pop with rich, dark hues—purples, blacks, and neon blues that suit the book’s high-contrast aesthetic. Glowing eyes, acidic green blood, and energy effects are used well to make moments stand out. The use of shadows and lighting helps keep the tone appropriately eerie, though it’s rarely used for genuine horror.
Ultimately, the visual storytelling does a solid job of carrying a weak script. Coello injects energy and coherence into the battle sequences, and even when the story falters, the art holds your attention. While the designs could have gone further and embraced the monstrous side of the symbiotes, what’s here is clean, colorful, and stylish.
Rating: 3 out of 5
The Verdict
In the end, Venomverse is a visually slick but narratively weak entry in Marvel’s multiverse experimentation. Despite a fun premise and a few standout characters, the story fails to justify its concept or deliver memorable stakes. The Poisons are uninteresting villains, most of the Venomized heroes feel like afterthoughts, and the logic of the plot doesn’t hold up. Great art saves it from total mediocrity, but it’s hard not to view Venomverse as a missed opportunity earning it 2 out of 5.
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