This Venom #1 comic review looks at Marvel’s 2026 relaunch of the symbiote series from writer Charles Soule and artist Tommaso Bianchi. After years apart, Eddie Brock and the Venom symbiote are finally reunited, giving one of Marvel’s most famous partnerships another chance to prove that together they can still be something more than a monster.
This copy features the Cover E Adi Granov Variant, with Spider-Man caught in a dark, striking composition as the Venom symbiote closes in around him.
Comic Book Details
- Title: Venom
- Issue: #1
- Volume: 6
- Publisher: Marvel Comics
- Release Date: October 14, 2026
- Written By: Charles Soule
- Art: Tommaso Bianchi
- Cover Variant: Cover E Adi Granov Variant
- Cover Artist: Adi Granov
- Cover Price: $4.99
- Pages: 32
- Rating: T+
- UPC: 75960621682600141
Adi Granov’s variant immediately stands apart from many traditional Venom covers. Spider-Man occupies the center of the image while the Venom symbiote appears to engulf him from above and behind, creating an unsettling combination of two characters whose histories have been connected since the symbiote first entered Peter Parker’s life.
Granov’s darker approach, heavy shadows, and muted blue background make the red of Spider-Man’s costume particularly striking. Rather than relying on a straightforward Venom portrait, the cover plays with the long history between Spider-Man and the symbiote.
Venom #1 Comic Review: Story Analysis
Venom #1 brings Eddie Brock and the Venom symbiote back together after years apart.
That reunion is the foundation of the new series. Eddie is determined not to waste another opportunity with the symbiote and wants to prove that he can once again be Venom’s ultimate host.
More importantly, Eddie wants their renewed partnership to mean something.
Venom has spent decades moving between villain, antihero, reluctant protector, and outright hero. Reuniting Eddie with the symbiote gives writer Charles Soule an opportunity to revisit the relationship at the center of the character while moving both of them into another chapter.
The premise is especially interesting because Eddie’s confidence is clearly part of the conflict. He does not simply want to bond with Venom again—he wants to prove that the two of them belong together and that they can be heroes regardless of what anyone else thinks.
That gives the new series a straightforward starting point while leaving plenty of room for conflict with the larger Marvel Universe.
Art and Visual Design
Artist Tommaso Bianchi takes on the interior artwork for the new Venom series.
Venom is a character who depends heavily on visual presence. The symbiote needs to feel powerful, unpredictable, and physically different from the heroes surrounding it, while Eddie Brock still needs to remain recognizable beneath everything Venom brings to the page.
The reunion of Eddie and the symbiote also creates an opportunity to visually emphasize the idea of two characters becoming one again.
For this particular edition, however, the immediate attraction is Adi Granov’s variant cover.
Granov’s realistic, heavily rendered style works especially well with characters such as Venom. Instead of presenting Spider-Man and the symbiote in a brightly colored superhero pose, the image feels darker and almost horror-inspired.
The result is a cover that emphasizes the uncomfortable connection between Spider-Man and Venom rather than simply treating them as opponents.
Character Development
The most important relationship in Venom #1 is the relationship between Eddie Brock and the Venom symbiote itself.
The two characters have been separated, reunited, changed, and pushed in dramatically different directions throughout Marvel history. Bringing them together again allows the series to ask whether Eddie and Venom can actually return to what they once were—or whether both have changed too much.
Eddie’s determination to become the symbiote’s ultimate host also reveals something important about him.
This is not simply a partnership of convenience. Eddie views Venom as a fundamental part of his identity, and losing that connection has consequences.
Their reunion therefore carries more emotional weight than simply putting a familiar costume back on a familiar character.
The question going forward is whether Eddie’s belief that they belong together will ultimately make both characters stronger—or create another problem neither of them is prepared to handle.
Collectibility and Market Significance
Venom #1 has several elements that make it worth watching from a collector standpoint.
It launches a new volume of Venom, reunites Eddie Brock with the symbiote, and features a creative team of Charles Soule and Tommaso Bianchi.
Marvel also released the first issue with several variant covers from major artists.
The Adi Granov Cover E Variant is a regular open-order variant rather than a ratio incentive. Collectors should therefore not assume that the book is scarce simply because it is a variant edition.
Its appeal comes instead from the artist and subject matter.
Adi Granov remains a popular Marvel cover artist, while the combination of Venom and Spider-Man imagery gives this cover an immediate connection to the symbiote’s history.
There is also a separate Adi Granov virgin incentive version of the artwork, making this regular Cover E the more affordable way for collectors to own Granov’s image without paying the premium associated with the incentive edition.
Final Verdict
Venom #1 brings the character back to the partnership that helped define him.
Reuniting Eddie Brock and the Venom symbiote gives Charles Soule a strong foundation for the new series while opening the door to questions about how much both characters have changed during their time apart.
Tommaso Bianchi’s artwork takes on the challenge of presenting that renewed partnership, while Marvel’s selection of variant covers gives collectors several distinctly different interpretations of Venom.
For this edition, Adi Granov’s Cover E Variant is the major attraction. The dark Spider-Man-and-symbiote composition draws directly from the complicated history between the characters and gives the issue a cover that feels appropriately sinister.
Recommended for Venom fans, Eddie Brock collectors, Spider-Man readers, Adi Granov collectors, and anyone interested in the beginning of Marvel’s newest Venom series.
Venom #1 Adi Granov Variant is available from Razmataz Comics & Hobbies at razmatazcomics.com while supplies last.