‘Venom Volume 1: Rex‘ is a 2018 comic book collection of a new series featuring Spider-Man foe by writer Ryan Stegman and artist Donny Cates. The graphic novel was released by Marvel Comics as a way to bring Eddie Brock as the primary symbiote host.

Eddie Brock’s symbiote is acting very strange, including having strange nightmares that show a symbiote as Grendel in ancient times. He is contacted by a mysterious man called Rex, a former host for a symbiote, who warns him that a symbiote dragon has awakened and it wants Venom. After briefly teaming up with Miles Morales, Venom has to take on a being who claims to be the king of symbiotes, trapped in a different dimension, but he wants out and New York is ground zero.

I would like to praise the artwork. It was really cool, especially the scenes where Venom gets armed to the teeth, quite literally, to take on the antagonist. Those had some pretty cool sequences with lots of action and fun. I definitely thought the way to extra symbiotes were drawn was spot on and brought out the kind of danger Venom found himself in, one from home, so to speak.

As for the story, while I am glad that Eddie Brock became Venom again after he went through a few other hosts, I do think having so many symbiotes ruins his specialness. Carnage, Toxin, Ant-Venom, Shriek, and several others have been introduced over the years and while I like several of these, I do think this push to overwhelm us with them got to be a bit much.

What do you think? Let me know in the comments below. Tell me if there is a comic book, movie, or novel you would like me to review. While you are at it, check out my reviews for Infinitale: Chronicles – The War of the Trees Book 1 and Destiny Volume 1. Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more posts like this one.

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