Venom, Vol. 3: Dark Web

Venom (2021)

by Al Ewing (Writer), Ram V (Writer), Bryan Hitch (Artist)

At the mercy of Bedlam! With Dylan Brock's life hanging in the balance, where is his father, Eddie, the original Venom? Or more when?! After the Venom symbiote's Hail Mary decision, Dylan is about to see sides of symbiosis, the Klyntar and perhaps even his own father that he never imagined! And forced to watch his son suffer from across the timestream, Eddie finds himself surrounded by enemies - alone and with no one to trust, until an unexpected ally intervenes. Suddenly, Eddie is caught in a dark web spun by Chasm and the Goblin Queen - with all his deepest fears realized! Meanwhile, Bedlam is determined to kill Dylan and Venom once and for all - unless an old friend can lend a crimson-clad hand. Collecting VENOM (2021) #11-16.

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

144 pages, Paperback

Published May 2, 2023

Reviews

[Subham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reread: 13/05/2024

Now that I am binging the series again you are actually seeing all the connective tissues and the larger story that the writer has been trying to tell and show how Eddie is transforming into different versions before he ultimately becomes Meridius and I love the transformation to Finnegan and like how it connects to this first experience and its a fun trying to connect the dots experience and the writer has really mapped it out and then you see the transformation to Bedlam and the fight with his son, tying to Dark web event and the limbo adventures, fight with Synch and all but its kinda one of those things which is tying into the event but also progressing the larger story of Eddie!

Plus Dylan gets the focus also and you see how he is changing and the CODEX story was awesome and so many big reveals, it really turns the whole Venom mythos on its head and I love the Venom family being formed and how they bring in Red Goblin also that was awesome and their battle was good, the things that are being teased of whats to come is gonna be exciting!!
_________________________________________________________________________
This was quite fun omg like the first half is about Dylan and him getting some character development and the big reveal of his exact birth and I love it and how it ties into Cates run fantastically!

And then the eddie stuff and what exactly is going on and Eddie's transformation into Bedlam slowly bro that one was the good stuff and yeah it may seem confusing as to how the linearity of the events play out but the way it is executed and ties into dark web is awesome, I love the art there btw too and how you can almost see Eddie losing himself and the events playing out so well that lead in the next arc well, this arc has been trippy but gets exciting here.

[Jamil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good even with the weak dark web stuff

[NarraTea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great progression and deep dive into the Venom lore. Happy to know why Bedlam wants the Venom symbiote to evolve, interesting stuff. RAM V keeps surprising me.

[Matthew Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m still very much interested in the story and relationship of Eddie Brock, Dylan Brock, and Venom. I just wish that this series would progress a little quicker than it has.

[Emmett Spain · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half was great, with plenty of time-bending twists and turns. In the second half, the Dark Web event intrudes and complicates everything, before not completing the event itself in this collection. Pretty sloppy. I’m enjoying the run overall though.

[Alex Sarll]

Well, strictly speaking just the half that isn't in the big collection of the Dark Web event proper, because I've got that next. If nothing else I'm impressed that Hitch is keeping up with a monthly.

[Brandon Daniels · Rating 3 out of 5]

Al Ewing and Ram V get swept up in the Dark Web crossover, and it’s not a complete trainwreck. I liked the contrasting of Venom with his previous self, showing just how much the character has evolved. Sure, his lore and extended cast have become incomprehensible, but that’s superhero comics for you. Despite everything, the team is able to maintain a throughline, or maybe it’s two throughlines. Also, I desperately miss the Krakoa era of X-Men, so having them shoehorned in here also didn’t hurt.

[Sarospice · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Venom doesn't need Dark Web. It's getting in the way of the cool story going on in this title already, however, it is in danger of doing that thing of telling the characters and us too much of a character's future now, so that we lose interest in how they get there. It's the danger of any story that uses future timelines or infinite powers... You get to WHO CARES? Let the characters grow and be challenged. You don't have to tell us where they are going to end up early.

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Al Ewing and Ram V's Venom series was already confusing enough without getting tangled up in an unnecessary event. Before we get to that, injured Dylan is trapped inside his Venom's brainspace, which of course means we get a trippy dream-ish sequence in which Dylan confronts his father and learns that he can break the chain between a symbiote and the King in Black. An interesting twist in the narrative, if poorly told.

Then the tie-in kicks off. I already read this in Dark Web, where it really didn't make sense. At least here, you get the issue that shows Eddie Brock escaping Meridius's time wheel and landing in Limbo. Madelyne Pryor snaps him up to do her bidding, which plays into the cycle of Kings in Black by turning Eddie into Bedlam (albeit without Eddie's memories because reasons).

A series of tedious battle scenes ensues, plus some new symbiote heroes because we certainly can never have enough of those! The end pages reveal an upcoming battle between the Kings in Black and Dylan's symbiote gang. Hopefully that's more straighforward than all this nonsense!

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alright we're making some headway, finally. While the inclusion of Dark Web and it's effects on the plot seem a little forced, especially the inclusion of Ms Marvel, we do get a important confrontation with father and son here, the return of a infamous weapon, and the return of a unlikely symbiote. While the path to Bedlum was a little screwy, I can accept it.

[Kyle Dinges · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another story disrupted by having to tie in with an event in a different book

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25
A slow burn comic that is picking up steam.

[Roman · Rating 3 out of 5]

​​Продовжуємо розбирати онґоїнґ Венома.

По традиції починаємо з лінії Ділана. В 11 та 12 номерах нам показують, після сутички з Бедламом яка відбувалася в минулій арці Веном помістив свідомість хлопця в себе через, що Ділан опинився у місці яке називається світ Венома. Там же він дізнається, що є не тільки сином Брока та Енн, але й сином Венома і що він наполовину симбіот який здатен від'єднати симбіотів з якими з'єднується від колективного розуму. Паралельно нам показують як Арчер, Сліпер та Сплячий Агент (кусок Сліпера, який був залишений на військовому Генку Генслі під час "екстримальної різні") викрадають тіло Ділана, яке опинилося у Фонді Життя. Після того як свідомість Ділана повертається в своє тіло то він перетворюється в Кодекса (якщо не пам'ятаєте то так звали антагоніста з арки "Venom Beyond" у рані Кейтса. Забігаючи трохи вперед, далі Ділан вирішує врятувати Брока, а тому збирати команду яка йому в цьому допоможе. Першим рекрутом стає Нормі Озборн якому Ділан дає симбіота і малий стає новим Червоним Ґобліном.

В 13 номері ми повертаємося до лінії Едді який переміщаючись з саду часу/симбіотів/Мерідіуса потрапляє в Лімбо в якому наривається на сутичку з місцевими демонами, залишає кусочок симбіота з якого пізніше зроблять Рек-Рапа та зустрічає Меделін Прайор… ох дідько, ми потрапили в Дарк Веб (нагадаю, до відгук на цей сюжет є на каналі).

В 14 номері Бен поглинає спогади Едді про Ділана в результаті чого Брок деградує до своєї поведінки з 90-х. І от якого хуя? В основному сюжеті натяку не було, що Бен здатен на таке, а якщо і був то навіщо був потрібен весь цей план із закриттям Паркера в Лімбо, якщо Рейлі міг просто напасти на людей які знають його і поглинути спогади про себе. Велс, Лов якого Мефісто? Так, я щось відволікся, повертаємося до Венома. Еді в цьому номері вторгається в будиночок на дереві Іксів який знаходиться в Нью-Йорку для того щоб відволікти Синха поки Геллов Ів викрадає церебро носій для Меделін. А сам Брок після сутички остаточно перетворюється у Бедлама.

В 15 та 16 номерах відбувається сутичка між Бедламом, Червоним Ґобліном та Міз Марвел. Під час протистояння Ділан намагається розірвати зв'язок батька з колективним розумом, але йому не дає цього зробити Камала оскільки це може вбити Брока старшого, в результаті це дає можливість Бедламу втекти.

Загалом Веном продовжує тримати планку, не скажу, що ця арка була гіршою чи кращою за минулу. Мені тут сподобалися взаємодії між Діланом та Камалою, та Геллов Ів і Меделін, місцеві твісти продовжують бути цікавими. Що найголовніше я вкотре переконався в тому, наскільки ця серія є продуманою.

[Adam Fisher · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Volume was a bit better than the previous one, but still a bit odd. Wonder what the author is ultimately setting Eddie up for....
Highlights:
- After the events of the last Volume, Dylan and Venom are separated: Dylan's body with the LIfe Foundation, and Venom on his own in the sewers. Oddly enough, Venom has chosen to protect Dylan's soul by placing it inside him, making Dylan the symbiote (in a way) inside him.
- With the help of Sleeper, Dylan is rescued and reunited with Venom. He adopts a new form... think Venom, but exposed head and ninja mask, carrying All-Black, and going by the name Codex. The blade can separate symbiotes from the connection to the Klyntar hive mind.
- Eddie continues his journey in the Garden of Time, and finds out that one day he will become the ravenous symbiote Bedlam. He tries to resist, but his pull towards saving Dylan is causing him to make bad decisions.
- It's at this point when the Volume joins into the Dark Web story, and Eddie teams with Chasm and Maddie to determine what has happened to his son. The villains, of course, push Eddie closer and closer to Bedlam... which he does become.
- Eddie heads to the X-Men's treebase, and fights the remaining member, Synch. The fight is broken up by Dylan who arrives as Venom and brings along Normie, who is wearing some sort of Anti-Red Goblin?
- Very odd setup for next Volume.. some kind of outer space symbiotes battle?

Overall, I did like it, and it helped provide context for the Dark Web event as a whole. Still not encouraged by where the book is heading, but I'll keep reading.
Recommend.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark Web ensnares Venom, and in true Al Ewing fashion, he and Ram V make the crossover work for them rather than having their own stories derailed, a skill I wish more writers these days had.

The opening few issues focus more on Dylan and Sleeper as they reel from the events of the last volume, before Dark Web captures the latter half of the book and puts Eddie in the spotlight as Maddie Pryor gets into his head and screws everything up. There's a neat little appearance by Red Goblin which made me smile; Dylan and Normie is an unlikely friendship, but it works, strangely.

Bryan Hitch ends an unbroken 15 issue run, which continues to surprise me given how slow I've known him to be in the past. He's defined this run, and I'm curious to see a) how long new artist CAFU sticks around and b) how many issues he can do in a row, because I bet it isn't 15.

It's easy to be put off by the Dark Web banner on this book, but it's definitely a big part of the story that Ewing and V are telling, and shouldn't be missed for that very reason.

[Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rise above your weak crossover connection...
(Yes, Dark Web is still a weak storyline)

This is yet another lesson on dropping amazing Venom lore and weaving an amazing story. We get more Sleeper (Agent?), Goblin Child, Bedlam, and Venom. Finally, we even get the great Dylan reveal we've been waiting months for. It just keeps adding up.

And still, the story isn't over yet. Dark Web waylays it, but it gets all timey wimey and dodges that bullet. Love it. Ram V and Cates really plotted this out looooooong term.
----
Bonus: Venom visits Limbo?
Bonus Bonus: Sleeper is almost OP for a symbiote. How are you going to keep that character from being too BA?

[Nunya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bedlam, mate. You're just not you when you're hungry.

It's a tie in. BUT. A good one. The focus is still largely on the main plot as we follow Bedlam, Dylan finally gets his shit together, and he bumps into Ms. Marvel again. It's good stuff. The contrast of Dylan becoming more self assured and Eddie losing his mind is also a nice touch.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half of this was solid with some new revelations for Dylan and then Eddie's involvement in the Dark Web nonsense. Those issues are uneven because the setup for it isn't in this collection. Grrr. Once it gets going though, Ewing makes it work surprisingly because Dark Web itself was a dumpster fire.

[Conor Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kinda feel like this book was somewhat hampered by an event, but Ewing makes it work. Continue to find the weird Venom time shenanigans and inevitabilities really damn cool and very exciting to see where it goes.

[Juan Francisco · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bueno, esto empieza a empeorar. El cruce con Dark Web es... interesante. Diría que incluso positivo, ya que Venom participa activamente y se observan las consecuencias. Aún así, la historia es lo que, y sigo sin entender absolutamente nada de lo que pasa.

[Craig · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not loving it...

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reliving a timeline but not necessarily the same one. Dimension hopping as well.

[Daniel Butcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dark web really takes away from the story beats.

[mayleh · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️3.5

[Keegan Schueler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lot of time warpy stuff with Eddie and Dylan goes full demon mode as Venom so a full out war is bout to start.