Venom 42
Courtesy of CBR:
The final issue of VENOM comes out October 23rd.
Nrama: Spider-Man and Venom have crossed passed numerous times, but never as Spidey-Ock and Agent Venom, Flash Thompson. What kind of fireworks can readers expect?
Gage: Big, gooey, symbiote-substance fireworks… by the brilliant art team of penciler Humberto Ramos, inker Victor Olazaba, and colorist by Edgar Delgado. So, scary and awesome and beautiful. This is my first time working with Humberto since our run on Avengers: The Initiative back during the “Dark Reign” era, and he’s only upped his game since then…he’s blowing me away with every page! Oh, and there’ll be a different kind of fireworks between Otto/Pete and Anna Maria Marconi…and our art team is excelling with those as well.
Nrama: Flash has a long history with Spider-Man –he grew up idolizing the Peter Parker version, but that’s not the one he’s meeting with here. How are you tying the history – or non-history in terms of Doc Ock & Flash meetings – into this impeding face-off?
Gage: It’s a big part of the story. When Otto removed all traces of Peter’s mind from his, he basically lost any chance to “read” any of Pete’s memories that he hadn’t already looked at. And he hadn’t had any reason to recall Pete’s friendship with Flash. So when Otto/Pete encounters him, he has no idea who Flash Thompson is…though it’s clear Flash knows him. Which means there’s a danger of his secret being exposed. And we know Otto will go to great lengths to protect his secret…
Nrama: And you also have the added catalyst of the Venom symbiote being in on this, who isn’t on the best terms with Spider-Man – no matter who’s inside it. What’s the Venom symbiote thinking in all of this?
Gage: That’s the wild card. It’s not a human being, it’s an alien, whose thought processes we can’t possibly understand. When Peter magically erased the memory of his secret identity from the minds of everyone in the world, did that include the symbiote? It has a new host…how does it feel about its old one?
Nrama: Seeing Superior Spider-Man come up against the Venom symbiote, another creature who unsuccessfully tried to gain control of Peter’s body, is an interesting idea. What can you say about that?
Gage: It brings up some interesting questions. Does the symbiote remember its former host? Does it remember that he’s Peter Parker…does a creature like this even grasp the concept of a “secret identity?” And whether it does or not, will it sense that there is something different – something off – about its former host now? How will it respond? That’s a huge part of the story.
Month | Comic | Rank | Est Sales | % Up/Down |
---|---|---|---|---|
Aug 2013 | Venom 39 | 105 | 20,212 | -0.56% |
Jul 2013 | Venom 38 | 125 | 20,325 | -2.62% |
Jul 2013 | Venom 37 | 121 | 20,872 | -1.97% |
Jun 2013 | Venom 36 | 104 | 21,291 | -1.39% |
May 2013 | Venom 35 | 108 | 21,591 | -2.39% |
Apr 2013 | Venom 34 | 94 | 22,119 | -0.93% |
Apr 2013 | Venom 33 | 93 | 22,326 | -0.84% |
Mar 2013 | Venom 32 | 100 | 22,521 | -3.92% |
Feb 2013 | Venom 31 | 91 | 23,441 | -4.51% |
Jan 2013 | Venom 30 | 83 | 24,548 | -0.38% |
Jan 2013 | Venom 29 | 82 | 24,641 | -3.64% |
Dec 2012 | Venom 28 | 85 | 25,572 | -17.83% |
Nov 2012 | Venom 27
Venom 27.1
| 74 85 | 31,121 25,729 | -1.85% |
Oct 2012 | Venom 26 | 80 | 31,708 | +25.63% |
Sept 2012 | Venom 25 | 89 | 25,240 | -16.08% |
Sept 2012 | Venom 24 | 76 | 30,078 | +12.01% |
Aug 2012 | Venom 23 | 91 | 26,854 | +0.45% |
Aug 2012 | Venom 22 | 93 | 26,734 | +0.74% |
July 2012 | Venom 21 | 88 | 26,538 | -1.51% |
July 2012 | Venom 20 | 87 | 26,945 | -6.10% |
June 2012 | Venom 19 | 86 | 28,696 | +1.37% |
May 2012 | Venom 18 | 92 | 28,307 | -6.13% |
May 2012 | Venom 17 | 84 | 30,155 | +6.03% |
Apr 2012 | Venom 16 | 77 | 28,440 | -1.45% |
Apr 2012 | Venom 15 | 73 | 28,858 | -0.25% |
Mar 2012 | Venom 14 | 69 | 28,929 | -12.79% |
Feb 2012 | Venom 13
Venom 13.1
Venom 13.2
Venom 13.3
Venom 13.4
| 61 72 75 78 76 | 33,170 27,517 27,152 26,966 27,123 | +15.45% |
Jan 2012 | Venom 12 | 66 | 28,732 | +0.25% |
[Symbiote Sire] Venom |
[Symbiote Sire] Venom + |
[Thunderbolt] Agent Venom |
[Thunderbolt] Agent Venom + |
[Third Generation] Toxin |
[Third Generation] Toxin + |
[Regeneration] Anti-Venom |
[Regeneration] Anti-Venom + |
[Symbiote Insanity] Carnage |
[Symbiote Insanity] Carnage + |
[Maximum Carnage] Carnage |
[Maximum Carnage] Carnage + |
CBR News: Cullen, when did you find out you were going to have to bring Flash's solo adventures to an end? Were you able to wrap up most of the plot threads you wanted to bring resolution to? Or were there a few that you just didn't have the time and space to get to?
Cullen Bunn: I think I got the call around the time the fourth issue of the "Toxin" arc was hitting the stands. So I was in the middle of writing the mini-arc in issues #31-#38. To some degree, it's tough for me to distinguish between the plots I had already set up and the stories I wanted to tell. I tend to plan for much longer arcs with plot points and clues that weave in and out of the story. That said, I was able to wrap up some of the threads that I had established, but there is still plenty of story left to be told.
"Venom" may be ending, but it sounds like you're going out with a bang. The solicitations and our most recent discussion suggest that you packed your final story with emotional moments, supernatural horror, and big visceral action. In terms of scope and scale how does this final story compare to your previous ones?
The final arc is definitely a rip-roaring action/horror adventure! We're going to see Lord Ogre's story come to an abrupt end -- thanks to Mania -- and we'll see Mania coming into her own. We'll see Flash and Andi's relationship evolve into something Flash would have never envisioned. And we'll revisit the "Devil's Mark" that Flash is branded with. That storyline will both resolve and continue in a new direction. There is so much packed into the last three issues. It's definitely going to move at a breakneck pace. Hellstrom, Lord Ogre, the D.O.A., Mephisto -- they all have a role to play. And in the middle of all this, Flash will finally have a conversation with the symbiote.
Looking back at your run on a "Venom" as a whole is there anything you would have done differently? And what stories are you most proud of?
Yeah, there are a number of things I would have done a little differently. For one, I would have tried to think in 12-issue arcs instead of the 30-something issues I outlined in the beginning. That outline was just too ambitious, I think, and it drives me nuts that I won't be able to introduce some of the story lines I had planned. I might have sprinkled in a few more street-level stories early on. Issues #27.1 and #36 are a couple of my favorites, and I think something like that might have helped readers transition from Rick's run to mine. Overall, though, I'm proud of the book as a whole. There are some stories I like better than others, obviously, like the two single issues I already mentioned. I was also really pleased with what Declan Shalvey and I did with the Toxin arc, and I was thrilled with the introduction of Mania.
Flash is an interesting, complex and very human character. How did you feel about him when you began working on "Venom?" And how do you feel about him now that the book is almost over? Will you miss him?
I'll definitely miss Flash. I wasn't sure how to feel about him when we started out. He was the bully I always hated when I was a kid. But his flaws make him so compelling as a hero. One reader wrote to me, saying that Flash Thompson was his Peter Parker, and I think that's a cool thought. I think we're leaving Flash in a very interesting place. There are definitely stories out there for him.
"Venom" may be ending but you're still actively involved in the Marvel Universe with books like "Fearless Defenders." Is there a chance that we might see (assuming she survives the next few issues) Mania, or some of the plot threads you introduced in "Venom," over in "Fearless Defenders?"
Don't think it hasn't crossed my mind that the Fearless Defenders need an arachnid-themed character on the team. And Mania would definitely bring something new to the group!
Finally, looking back on your run as a whole, how does it feel to have been part of "Venom?" The series may be ending before you planned, but do you feel like it's had a good run?
It's been a real honor. Following in Rick's footsteps, working with my editors Steve [Wacker] and Tom [Brennan] and Sana [Amanat] on the book, and collaborating with so many great artists -- the book has been a pleasure for me. I know a lot of people would say that a book like this wouldn't even last 12 issues, but I co-wrote or wrote something like 27 issues, not to mention Rick's run. That's pretty impressive, if you ask me, and I'm chalking it up as a win.
Newsarama: Late last month we got the news that Venom was ending with October’s #42. Cullen, when did you find out and what are your thoughts on the conclusion?
Cullen Bunn: I got the call that the book would be ending a few months ago. It was disappointing to me, because we were coming off the Toxin arc, which got a pretty strong fan reaction. And I had just started writing the first Mania issues of the book. I think the writing was on the wall for me, though. I don’t pay much attention to sales figures, but a lot of fans (or more specifically anti-fans) take great delight in e-mailing or tweeting or otherwise crowing about the numbers. But I was still hopeful. I still had a much, much longer story in mind. So it knocked me for a bit of a loop. These things happen, though, so I did my best to roll with it and wrap up a few loose ends.
Nrama: Given the quick turnaround nature of comics, did you have a chance to work on these final issues to tweak them now that they’ll be the series finale- especially given the promise of a Mephisto appearance in the solicits?
Bunn: I had a story in mind for issues 37 – 42. It was always intended to be Mania’s origin. I tweaked a few things to wrap a few (but not all) of the loose ends up with Venom #42. A few elements were rolled into this arc that weren’t originally intended, but for the most part it is pretty close to what I had originally intended.
Nrama: Between you and Rick Remender, by the end of this you’ll have carved out a healthy two and a half year, 42 issue run of Flash Thompson as Venom. Although his series is ending, do you think Flash Thompson-as-Venom’s story continues?
Bunn: I’m certain the story continues. I know a few of the things that are in the works for Flash, and it’s pretty crazy and exciting stuff!
Nrama: Speaking of exciting stuff, this month’s Venom #40 is really showing off Flash’s student Andi in her new guise as Mania. For those who might be behind a couple issues, what can you tell us about her?
Bunn: Well, Mania first appeared in Venom #38, so by now most readers know that she is Flash Thompson’s student and neighbor Andi. She gets caught in the middle of a fight between Flash and Jack O’Lantern. Flash tries to protecther during the fight and somehow… symbiofies… her. She suddenly finds herself saddled with a symbiote very much like Venom. The strange thing is, she seems to bond with it much more quickly than Flash ever bonded with Venom. The mystery, of course, will be how the Venom symbiote spawned Mania. We’ll be answering that question in the final arc… in Venom #42 specifically.
Nrama: Each symbiote has shown its own unique powers – what can you tell us about Mania’s?
Bunn: Mania is very similar to Venom… and there is a reason for that… but she will have some gifts that will be a little unexpected and confusing for everyone involved. These gifts will also make her the target of some very bad folks.
Nrama: Part of me says that Flash isn’t the type for a sidekick, thinking about Mania – but in a way he’s always had one with the symbiote. How does Flash feel about having a partner?
Bunn: At first, at least, he doesn’t see Mania as a partner. In fact, he directs a lot of energy toward separating her from the symbiote. But as they begin to work together, their relationship will change quite a bit. I think it will be an interesting progression from where Flash started. It’s also something I’m a little heartbroken that I won’t be able to explore further. But I think Venom #42 leaves Flash and Andi in a very interesting place. That issue is gonna be crazy and action-packed, but there is an undercurrent that makes the issue very personal to me.
Nrama: In addition to showing Mania in full bloom, the most recent issue also brought Damion Hellstrom back into the picture – as well as D.O.A. What can you say about this?
Bunn: Hellstrom is showing up again, but he’s still locked up. He’s not running with the D.O.A. right now. In fact, he’s probably pretty glad he’s behind bars once he figures out what the D.O.A. is up to. Hellstrom is an interesting conundrum. He “went bad” in Fear Itself: The Fearless, but he showed up in several other comics around the same time. And he was portrayed in vastly different ways in each book. I promised readers I’d make sense of that, so I’m doing so in the final arc.
Nrama: After facing down some real monsters in previous issues, the solicits for Venom #41 promise not only a face-off with Lord Ogre but also Crossbones. What can readers expect?
Bunn: A lot of blood. Mania and Venom versus Lord Ogre will not be pretty. Venom versus Crossbones will be even less pretty!
Nrama: And as mentioned earlier, the series finale Venom #42 promises a rare appearance by Mephisto. Before I even get into the why and the hows, can you tell us about your impressions of Mephisto – especially given your other stories about demons in things like Sixth Gun?
Bunn: In my favorite depictions of Marvel’s Mephisto, he’s the most charming of demons. He’s the guy who seems like he cares about your well-being… while he’s carving out a condo for your soul in Hell. He’s the grinning, friendly demon who can come across as your best friend... right up until the point when he rips your spine out.
Nrama: Last question, Cullen… Enough beating around the bush – what does Mephisto want with Venom here? Last time he crossed one of Marvel’s spider-family heroes, things didn’t turn out so well.
Bunn: Ah ha! What does Mephisto want with Venom? Well, we already know that the demon has marked Venom as one of the possible heirs for a throne in Hell. But in this case, the story isn’t going to be about what Mephisto wants from Venom as much as what Venom wants from Mephisto. But neither one of them is in the deal-making mood.