My Thoughts on The Return of Eddie Brock as Venom

Marvel announced earlier today that the original host of Venom and current host of Toxin in the Carnage series by Gerry Conway. Brock will replace current host Lee Price on apparently issue #6, having Price only be venom for a whopping 5 issues.

This new volume comes off the back of a 5-year run of longtime Spider-man supporting cast member Flash Thompson carrying the mantle as Agent Venom and Later Venom: Space Knight. This run redefined the Venom character and made the former villain a real hero, as a both a member of the Secret Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy. This change in the status quo also added a level of diversity to one of the largest icons in the Marvel Universe, since Thompson was a double amputee thanks to his time in Iraq.

Diversity seems like a major goal in Marvel Comics right now seeing as almost all of their major legacy characters have been replaced with younger more diverse people (see Thor, Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk, Spider-Man, Wolverine, etc.), So the decision to replace their diverse character with another "boring straight white male" seems like such a weird decision that doesn't seem to fit with their current editorial mission. However, Marvel is no longer just a publishing house, they're now a multi-media entertainment company. We also know longtime Venom antagonist Spider-Man is getting his first solo Marvel Studios Film this summer, so does this mean that we will see Brock appear in "Homecoming"? Marvel has a long history of returning characters to their status quo right before a major media appearance, So maybe this is something we should expect?

Personally, as a longtime Spider-Man fan, I'm disappointed to see Marvel continue to reference and want to return to the worst era in Spider-history: The Clone Saga. We have now seen Marvel do yet another "epic" clone event which now featured the return of Ben Reily (Also getting his own book), and now even Venom is returning to the state he was at in the 1990's. Does this mean Marvel is out of ideas? They have no idea what to do with Venom (Even though Thompson was only 5 years old and the fanbase had responded really kindly to him) They have to dig up "Lethal Protector"(A story the promotion material for issue #1 had said was "No more!")

This seems to me like even more proof that Marvel knows they don't have to try to sell comics anymore. Being subsidized by Disney means they don't have to work as hard to sell books as DC does. The clear commitment to fans DC is making in it's current Rebirth is made even more obvious by this example of Marvel doing the opposite.

Thoughts on Brock returning to Venom? I know some people are fans

hell yeah !

You know what I fairly Agree. I personally think the effort in bringing him back is so so, when I think more on it.. in a confused and irrated tone, I can't help but.. Why?

Let's just be honest on one thing.

At least that cover is sick.

We still don't know why Flash doesn't have the suit and it's kind of annoying we'll only see Price until issue 5. Maybe Brock doesn't keep it for long and they are just united for a bit. Because apparently this run will probably feature the previous hosts. We already know Gargan is in (I wonder what he feels about eating people now).

@nickzambuto: It is pretty dope

@rabumalal: I think this is a reactionary response from editorial to the really poor response people had had to Price. They probably felt like returning to the status quo they had just left would be a clear signal had no faith in what they were doing. They probably feel like the safest way to save the series was to return to the what the "original" status for the character was

I don't like this. Eddie has been away from the venom symbiote for so long now, and Flash has been really great as venom that I think he was a good host....Maybe not better than Eddie but I feel like they wasted Flashes potential when they brought Flash to space. I also feel marvel didn't do anything with Flash. I mean he's had literally 2 fights with spider-man, and barely any interaction with him. I thought it was pretty ironic that Flash got the symbiote (Peter's former bully, and one of his closest friends, bonding with symbiote) so I think they could have created a pretty good dynamic if Flash had the chance.

I mean I guess I'm glad its Eddie if Flash isn't going to be venom anymore, but I feel like there is a lot more untapped potential with Flash that marvel is just throwing away at this point. I would have liked to see Flash be more of an antagonist to Peter before his reign was done.

Doesn't work any more

I will be more then happy to see Brock back, but I don't want to see anti-hero Brock. I'd rather see Brock come back in the pages of Spider-Man, as a true Spider-Man villain. I want to see Venom hate Spider-Man again.

Then after that is wrapped up, give Brock his book as an antihero.

As for Flash being done, I think he had his moment in the sun. His book was easily my favorite series at the time when it first started. I liked seeing him on military-lIke missions, while mixing it up with Spider-Man stories when he's back home. I didn't care for him getting involved with the rest of the Marvel Universe at all. I absolutely hated him when he went to space. There were a good 30 issues of him being a completely pointless addition to the Guardians. He didn't contribute a single iota to the storylines. Then Bendis had to write the symbiote homeworld arc, and neutered everything that made symbiotes such great dark violent characters, in a single issue....That arc makes me literally mad just thinking about it.

Flash peaked early as Venom, then the writing spiraled quickly. He hasnt been written well in a long time. It's time to let him go.

This has happened a lot with Brock too, but not nearly as bad as it did for Flash. Hopefully Brock will get som more lasting respect this time around.

EDIT: I don't really care about Price, which is why I didn't mention him.

I'm not all that excited. I liked that Eddie had come to terms with himself and moved on. Making him Venom again doesn't really seem to work. Especially of they want him to go full villain again.

Flash Thompson was a horrible character. Funny how no one ever brought up the fact that he was a wife beater, like they liked to do with Ant-Man.

It's about time Eddie returned.

two question. what is going to happen to the Toxin symbiote and will Flash Thompson still be a hero ?

@kid_omega_prime: I think they will determine what will happen with Toxin when the Carnage series by Gerry Conway wraps up later this month. I don't know what Thompson is up to, I just know he recently lost the symbiote a couple of issues ago (Lee Price is venom currently)

Flash as Venom was a good concept when he worked for the military as a special agent. It was something I had never seen done for the character, and made me forget about how over saturated Venom was in the years before. Then he joined the Guardians of the Galaxy and I lost all interest. I'm glad to see Eddie Brock return, and I hope that a lot more of Marvel's classic characters will follow suit.

It doesn't really seem to fit in at this point after all the development Flash and venom had.

I don't like Price at all, he's as lame as Sentry. A complete nobody comes along, can control Venom easily and whoops everyone without trouble. Brock is better

The current Venom series has some of the best art the symbiote has seen in years, but the host is so boring lol.

Bring back Flash. At least he was interesting. Eddie's been a crappy character since Day 1. Good for fights, not good for anything else. The only Eddie Brock I truly enjoyed in every way was this guy:

Way to just crap all over Flash, Marvel.

@nicksmi56: good point. This was the most compelling version of Eddie-Venom. Classic Eddie Brock wasnt all that great of a character. He was fun in fights with his twisted humor and the like but other then that he didn't offer much as a character until he gave up the symbiote.

The most important thing is that Lee is gone or at least changes somehow, right now he's ruining the Book

That art doesn't look very good...

I liked Eddie, and have been wanting him to return as Venom every since Scorpion took it. I never liked Flash as a main character. He should of stayed as a support.

almost forgot but if brock is coming back as venom then what about Lee Price ?

@revive: when was he married and who was he married to? This is my first time hearing of it?

He was married in the 80's.

Both scans are from The Amazing Spider-Man #275.

@revive: I thought they were just living together..... thats prettt effed up. Anyway, I can understand why it's mentioned more with Hank than Flash.

@avenging_x_bolt: You may be right about them not being married. I was confusing their marriage falling apart to Ned and Betty's. Flash and Sha Shan got back together after that, briefly.

I always liked Eddie Brock as Venom, but it was mostly for a "he looks so cool" type of reason. After reading Agent Venom/Space Knight....I'd prefer Flash as Venom. He had so much more character to him,the dynamic between the two was great. Also..Space Knight was just f**cking good.

so if brock is getting back to be venom then dose the mean Flash or Lee Price will get Toxin ?

I hated good guy space knight agent venom so this is a good surprise for me. I don't care if Eddie is the host but Venom should be a bad guy. The symbiots should be sci fi monsters.

EDIT: For fracks sake I just read the OP ugh.

@revive: anything pre 2012 Marvel Now is almsot never referenced. Stuff like Flash hitting Sha Shan is probably forgotten even by Marvel.

Every time I hear "Eddie Brock" I think "Eric Foreman". Thanks Sam Raimi.

I get why he chose him, they wanted someone similar to Tobey because they wanted to follow the idea that Venom the dark evil version of Spider Man but still it was a bad way to go. THey should have gone closer to the comic.

Not a huge Venom fan in general but I'm liking the new host in this. It'll be a shame if he goes after just 5 issues. Not a popular on here though.