Venom, Vol. 5: Predestination

Venom (2021)

by Al Ewing, Torunn Gronbekk, Ramón F. Bachs (Artist)

Acclaimed author Al Ewing continues his sprawling symbiote saga that takes Venom to the edge of the universe!

As Eddie Brock finds his footing in the Marvel Universe, he’s going to need to come face to face with the very worst parts of himself — in the form of the time-displaced monster called Bedlam! Eddie has always been his own most brutal critic though, so this titanic beatdown will be no exception — and something new will be waiting on the other side! You saw what happened when Eddie flung himself into the far future of the Marvel Universe — now see what happens when he tries to traverse its past! Face to face with the mysterious Flexo, the part that symbiotes have played in the Marvel Universe will take a surprising and new turn!

Venom (2021) 22-25

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Superheroes, Graphic Novels, Graphic Novels Comics, Comic Book, Science Fiction

136 pages, Paperback

Published February 6, 2024

Reviews

[Lucas Savio · Rating 3 out of 5]

A parte cósmica do venom continua mas realmente bem confusa mas, ainda quero dar mais chance se tiver mais foco no dylan, já a parte de carnificina está uma confusão bem divertida e creio que o Ram v conseguiu inserir bem oque foi criado por ele e bem executado não achei tão desinteresse como a edição anterior. Já protetor letal que não estou vendo para onde está indo finalizando na próxima edição

[Matthew Ward · Rating 2 out of 5]

This will be the last volume of this series that I read. Unfortunately, I just don’t really care about this story anymore. I miss the relationships side of Eddie and Dylan and I think I’ve hung around for more issues waiting to get back to this than I should have.

[Anna Quilter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Focus is back on Eddie as he travels to face down Bedlam.
Dylan shares broccoli with Norman Osborn....

[Guilherme Smee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Depois de várias histórias bem legais, comecei a cansar de Venom. Principalmente pelas revelações sobre o futuro de Venom e suas possíveis transformações. Também porque o lado terrestre, com Dylan, foi deixado de lado e todo argumento concentrado na parte cósmica de Venom. Foi bem chato. Também está chato o arco do Carnificina, dessa vez no Inferno, só que não bem o Inferno, um Inferno, o Hel dos asgardianos, em que Carnificina e seus pretensos hospedeiros enfrentam o elfo negro Malekith. O melhor dessa edição da revista bimestral de Venom, então, acabou sendo a minissérie retrô Venom: Protetor Letal, que tem bons desenhos e um bom argumento, principalmente se for levado em conta que é feito por um veterano dos quadrinhos de super-heróis, David Michelinie.

[Roman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Сюжет розпочинає з історії яка була в спешлі до дня безкоштовних коміксів, у ній Юінґ перепредставив Флексо, який є персонажем із коміксів золотої доби тоді коли Marvel ще називалися Timely Comics, та підв'язав його до лору симбіотів. 22 же номер розповідає про те як Флексо виходить із заморозки в наші дня та вступає в сутичку із Діланом думаючи, що бореться з Едді. Загалом вийшло досить непогано, мені тут сподобалася взаємодія між Діланом та клінтаром, а також інтрига навколо того, що ж такого накоїв Флексо через, що його заморозили та до чого тут Едді та Доктор Дум.

У 23 номері неочікувано в сюжет вривається Токсин. Новим носієм симбіота є хлопець якого звуть Брен, батько якого працює на Алкемакс. Хлопець просить Ділана допомогти розібратися із загадковою людиною яка викрадає і катує працівників компанії. Цей номер пише Торун Ґрьонбек, яка як я зрозумів тепер буде відповідальна за лінію Ділана і загалом їй вдалося видати доволі хороший номер, я б навіть сказав, що це кращий з номерів про Брока молодшого, які були у цій серії за останній час. З того, що вартує також відмітити це те, що Чорна Вдова також розслідувала цю справу і в кінці номеру знайшла собі симбіота.

У 24 і 25 номерах ми повертаємося до лінії Едді, який прибуває до Латверії, щоб забрати у Дума машину часу оскільки хоче змінити своє майбутнє. Дум з очевидних причин не бажає віддавати прилад, а тому між ними зав'язується сутичка, яка переростає в те, що їх починає кидати у різні часові відрізки. З головних гайлайтів виділю вечерю між королями, розкриття того від чого ж відволік Еддлам Флексо, зустріч Дума з минулим собою та Брока з молодим Паркером.

Загалом 5 том для мене став найкращим за довгий час в серії, якщо лінія Едді до цього стабільно тримала планку, то тут навіть номери з Діланом мені сподобалися. Сподіваюся ситуації далі буде такою самою.

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another headscratcher of a Venom volume that doesn't quite match up to its ambitions. Now that Eddie has merged with Venom, he decides to time-travel to somehow unlock himself from the march-step destiny he's in to eventually become Meritus. How best to engage in a bit of time travel? Contact Doctor Doom, of course.

There are certainly great shenanigans to be had watching these two bop through the timeline, encountering both Venom dinosaurs and Kang. It's unclear what the purpose is, though, aside from a circular plot that seems Doctor Doom encouraging Flexo (a WWII era symbiote) to battle Dylan's Venom. Which, ultimately, will lead to Dylan's Venom battling Eddie's Venom? In another volume, perhaps.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5
The rotating stories between Eddie and Dylan have become excellent. Love the time travel stuff with Doom and Kang.

[Adam Fisher · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars.
I'm not sure what is going on with this title! We've got two stories going on...
1) Dylan Brock, now Venom, is working with Toxin (his friend Bren) to accomplish two goals: One, investigating Alchemax to try and determine why kids are being taken. AND Two, Venom needs Toxin to help him defeat Bedlam (Eddie Brock)... for some reason.
2) Eddie Brock, now Bedlam, wants to travel back in time to fight other versions of the King In Black to prevent himself from turning against his son. Fighting Doom for the use of his time platform: Eddie fights a symbiote T-Rex in the Cretaceous Period; summons the hero Flexo the Rubber Man during WW2 (which prevents him from completing his mission of killing Hitler); talks to Peter Parker in the 60's; and then is taken to Kang, who ultimately helps him (trading for a piece of Bedlam) get there.
It all ends with the reveal of Doom's plot to use Venom and Flexo to take down Eddie. Does he have aspirations of being the King in Black?
I really hope this title clears up soon. It's annoying to feel so disjointed reading it.

[Emmett Spain · Rating 3 out of 5]

Um … it was okay.

[Brandon Daniels · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series continues to impress. We get just enough Dylan to be reminded he exists, but the majority of the story focuses on Eddie and Doom doing fun time travel shenanigans that tie everything together and call back to previous interactions the pair have had.

I haven’t read Lethal Protectors, but Ewing now has me interested, which is about as good of a testimony to his ability to utilize continuity for the power of good as I can imagine. I hope Ewing is given more opportunities to write Doom and/or Kang.

The art continues to be great. Cafu is a real treasure that should be given one of the next big event books, and Ken Lashley is always a great. The rest of the team helped keep everything consistent enough not to be too jarring.

[James DeSantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another decent, dumb as fuck, but also mostly fun volume. The stuff with Dylan was actually my favorite part. I like him and Venom working together. The stuff with Eddie went a bit too over the top for me, going back into outer space and time traveling. But overall this is a fun but kind of dumb volume like most of this volume.

[Subham · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the run a bit but you know it kinda gets confusing and muddled as with other Al ewing stories and following it in singles is sometimes difficult and its so much time travel in this run that its a lot for new readers I feel but here you see Flexo and who he is and Eddie's connection to him and doom like in the later half of the run.. but yeah first its Dylan rescuing him and then teaming up with Bren aka TOXIN to help other kids too and then Eddie along with Bedlam wants to travel to the "Garden of time" using time machine so that he can carry his physical form and you have him vs Doom and in diff. time periods and its fascinating and it connects to Flexo and the big "Venom war" being teased and its a bit confusing to follow like with other Al ewing books sometimes but yeah here its like some good moments with how time works.. is it linear and all.. and I love the way he writes Doom and that arrogance and his plans for Venom overall..

so yeah.. its one of those runs where you have to read the entire thing together to get the big story told and like I said there are some good moments here and maybe my opinion will change once we get the full story and we can connect the dots and who Flexo is and what the big plan is and what the big Venom war is.. and how Eddie may have created an alternate timeline and what will his battle vs Meridius and co in Garden of time will be.. so yeah read it and find out for yourselves!

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume of Venom is a little bitty. It's only four issues (though one of those is mega-sized), and each of them focuses on something different, tying up plot threads and opening up new ones along the way.

There's some Free Comic Book Day pages here that lead directly into issue 22, which reimagines an old Golden Age character as a symbiote as he comes crashing into Venom's world. Issue 23 is a side-story featuring Toxin, which sets up the next arc headed by Torunn Gronbekk. I do love Toxin, though I'd forgotten all about the fact that he had a new host.

And then issues 24 and 25 bring Eddie Brock face to face with Kang and Doctor Doom, in a time travelling epic that wraps back around on itself in some bizarre ways that only Al Ewing can pull off.

A bit all over the place, kind of by design, but fun nonetheless.

[Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

The slowest of slow burns...
Are we any closer to Eddie unraveling his convoluted time travelling? Doesn't look like it. We're now at the part of the journey where we've gotten past the introspection and we're heading towards a resolution. The steps are just slow.

The problem? The resolution (at this pace) is probably a good 6 months away. Maybe there's too much going on in this book. Dylan could have his own book. Maybe that would have cleaned things up. It just keeps going......and going...

and going?
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Bonus: This will probably all make more sense when it's collected in its own omnibus.

[Ziyad Baksh · Rating 3 out of 5]

New pieces join the board.

Eddie goes on a time traveling misadventure as new pieces join the game between him and Meridus. But Doom is no more piece, and this chess match might turn into a 3 way brawl.

Ewing builds some connective tissue to Marvel's history and gets some juice out if Eddie's role as a foil to Peter Parker.

It's a long game story that could be make or break but it's been a fun ride so far.

[Sarospice · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Venom is bogged down in creating alternate timelines and therefore alternate symbiotes which is such a hack thing for writers these days: multiple versions of main characters from different timelines. Really, enough. The main daddy vs. son war heats up and at least for a moment we have some fun with Doom and his time travel machine.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is just way too many things going on in this. You've got Venom teaming up with Toxin and something going on with Alchemax. Then you've got this Flexo character from 1942. Finally Eddie Brock who is now Bedlam floating through time with Dr. Doom and Kang. It's too much. There's no clear arc with these 4 issues. It's just hunt and peck with Al Ewing's randomness.

[Nunya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Step on a butterfly.

Toxin's here. He's always a pleasure, but the real meat and taters is Venom and Doom's little quarrel. Their little battle through time was a lot of fun, though it does fall short next to what it's trying to set up.

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story is all over the place, literally, but still somewhat fun. There are some time-traveling hijinks this time, along with Doctor Doom and Kang. And the WWII-era symbiote known as Flexo, the Rubber Man, is interesting. Plus, Dylan has his own adventures. The art's all right.

[NarraTea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Venom #25 might be one of the best (and most quotable) issues in the series. Al Ewing keeps proving that he’s a fucking amazing writer that truly understands comic book characters to their full potential.

[Kevin · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have no idea what was going on in this book. Seemed like a mess to me, but maybe it's because I haven't been following the recent Venom storyline. Even with that being said, graphic novels should be able to be read as a stand along.

[Miga Avalos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Issue #24 and #25 alone is worth the price of admission. This Ruled!

[Nico · Rating 3 out of 5]

for the most part it keeps up the high quality of previous volumes, but one issue in the middle of the book randomly nossdives in quality, hurting the otherwise great volume

[Daniel Butcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75. Doom and time travel! Boom!