The highly anticipated Venom movie will be getting a prequel in the form of a comic book. The movie is not due to be released for several more weeks, but the comic should offer eager fans a chance to see the Lethal Protector in action before he hits the big screen. It will also offer comic book readers a chance to compare how the film version of Venom matches up to the original in his native medium.
Loosely based upon the popular Spider-Man villain, Venom centers upon reporter Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy), whose investigation into the sinister Life Foundation leads to more than he bargained for. The foundation's research into alien life forms called symbiotes releases a threat that could spell doom for all of humanity. Brock unwittingly finds himself bound to one of the symbiotes, to create the gestalt entity known as Venom.
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IGN reported on the new prequel comic, which is scheduled for digital release at 11 a.m. ET/8 a.m. PT on Friday, September 14, exclusively on the Marvel.com website. A collectible print edition of the comic will also be given away at select AMC Theater locations, while supplies last, on the movie's opening weekend.
Nothing has been said of the story of the new comic, beyond it setting up the events of the movie and being simply titled "Venom." The story was written by author Sean Ryan, who previously worked on the Nova and Prowler monthly solo comics as well as an Avengers anti-bullying special. The artwork is provided by artist Szymon Kudranski (Spawn, Detective Comics), colorist Ian Herring (Ms. Marvel, Silk) and letterer Joe Sabino. The cover art, as seen above, was by SKAN.
This new comic is only the latest in a series of books Marvel has published to promote the upcoming movie. The company also recently released Venom: First Host - a mini-series which reveals the hereto unknown history of the first being to bond with the symbiote that later became one-half of Venom and its surprising connection to the Kree-Skrull War that will lie at the center of the upcoming Captain Marvel movie. Another special mini-series, Web of Venom: Ve'Nam, reveals how long before Peter Parker discovered the symbiote on an alien world, it traveled to earth and briefly bonded with Wolverine.
This sort of cross-promotion is par for the course whenever a comic book movie is released. Marvel can be forgiven for being a little overzealous in their efforts to feed the hype. Given that Venom is expected to shatter the records for an October film release, it is only natural that the publisher would like to turn some of those movie-goers into comic collectors.
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Source: IGN
