Venom Annual # 1 2018 NM-

Venom Annual #1, released by Marvel Comics on October 17, 2018, marked the very first time the character received a standalone annual issue.

Supervised by the main series writer Donny Cates, this 40-page anthology comic uses a framing sequence to tell multiple separate stories about the terrifying history of the symbiote.

Anthology Breakdown & Plot Details

• "Tall Tales" (Main Framing Story): Set at the infamous Bar With No Name (a classic hangout spot for Marvel villains), a group of low-level bad guys sit around trading stories about their terrifying run-ins with Venom. The issue builds up to a chilling ending where the actual symbiote makes a surprise appearance.
• "Round Two" (Venom vs. Black Cat): Written by classic Venom scribe David Michelinie with art by Ron Lim, this story jumps back into the timeline. Felicia Hardy (Black Cat) recounts a chaotic past clash with Eddie Brock where she was forced to blow up an oil truck to escape him.
• "Nobody Does It Better" (Venom vs. Wolverine): Written by Jeff Loveness, this story focuses on Wolverine recalling a brutal, rain-slicked bar fight he had with Venom. As noted by a reviewer on a Marvel Community Forum, this flashback retroactively bridges the gap between Eddie's early villainous days and his transition into the "Lethal Protector" by forcing him to control his raw rage.
• "Unstoppable" (Venom vs. Juggernaut): Written and illustrated by James Stokoe, a high-tech corporate enforcer details the time Juggernaut traveled to San Francisco. Juggernaut found himself utterly humiliated and overpowered by a virus-augmented iteration of Venom.