Marvel’s “Black, White & Blood” anthology series has become an institution of great art and fun twisty tales, with Venom getting the spotlight launching this week. The first issue is stacked with talent as Spider-Man legend David Michelinie, Ryan North, and J.M. DeMatteis pen three tales drawn by some of comics’ most talented artists. These are tales revealing Venom, the monster, the compassionate hero, and the adult Eddie Brock, still reeling from the abuse of his father. Put plainly, it’s a good mix of tales!
Kicking off Venom: Black, White & Blood #1 is “Force Majeure” by Michelinie and Jonas Scharf. Set in the Pennsylvania Wooldlands years ago, Venom is hunting a few soldiers and a scientist. It has a Predator vibe as Venom hides in the shadows, observing and tracking them. Heck, he even kills one by skyrocketing them up into a tree! Far more gruesome than the other two tales, there are killer highlights like Venom camouflaging himself and playing with his final kill. Scharf draws the heck out of this tale, and it doesn’t need color to have a profound impact.
Ryan North and Creees Lee tell a tale of a young man’s final moments in “Sweet Will be the Flower.” He’s been shot, but Venom is there as he lies dying, giving him the symbiote to keep him alive a bit longer. He’s too far gone to heal permanently, but it allows for a final mission of revenge. The story takes a turn, and there’s a sweet and heartfelt final few moments that are moving. Plus, there’s a fun Kletus scene longtime fans won’t want to miss.
Frightening!
Credit: Marvel
Wrapping things up is “Fathers & Sons” by DeMatteis and Dave Wachter. This tale takes place after Maximum Carnage, cementing it around the time when Venom started to be more of a hero. He may have helped stop a team of villains, but his focus falls on a boy who is treated poorly by his father. It’s an interesting look at Eddie through the eyes of the symbiote, who tries to help him with the trauma. There’s an interesting twist on why the symbiote wants to help Eddie, and it makes a good case as to why Eddie leans even more into being a hero going forward.
The visuals in this story take the cake, thanks to some monstrous visuals of the symbiote changing into weird monsters. It’s in a scene where it’s trying to make him stronger, leading to a confrontation that acts as a nice test, as Eddie no longer sees killing as the only solution.
Venom: Black, White & Blood #1 is a strong start to the anthology, spotlighting the character’s multifaceted identity across horror, heart, and heroism, with top-tier creators leaning into the raw power of black-and-white storytelling. A blood-soaked, emotionally charged anthology that proves Venom is as terrifying as he is human.
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