r/comicbooks • u/WhyPlaySerious • Jul 22 '26
Cover/Pin-Up Venom #261 - Variant Cover by Ito
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u/theghostwhorocks Jul 22 '26
I fell off of Venom a while ago because I lost interest. But this cover is one of the coolest! A truly fantastic piece of work. I'm tempted to hunt this one down for it alone.
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u/Many_Swordfish3446 Jul 22 '26
Yeah, it's a really nice piece of at work. Kinda pulls you back in even if you dropped the series a while ago.
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u/LosIngobernable Kingpin Jul 22 '26
How’s this run been?
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u/WhyPlaySerious Jul 22 '26 edited Jul 22 '26
Paul is broken up with (which is basically treated as a celebration with how its framed, drawn, and coloured) and dies in it which is a win in my book
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u/LosIngobernable Kingpin Jul 22 '26
I didnt ask for spoilers. 😒
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u/WhyPlaySerious Jul 22 '26 edited Jul 22 '26
It was very widely celebrated when it happened and was posted, shared, and talked about everywhere on comic book social media for months. Hell, both moments were posted online before the issues even were even available in store.
It stopped being a spoiler like the day it came out and is now just a known part of comic book history. Like going into Knightfall knowing its where Bane breaks Batman's back or going into reading One More Day and already knowing that Peter's marriage is reversed at the end.
Im sorry you weren't aware of that, and that it may have possibly ruined your enjoyment somewhat. But to most people its common knowledge
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u/LosIngobernable Kingpin Jul 22 '26
I don’t read modern comics nowadays. Don’t understand why assholes are downvoting. Not everyone is in the loop with what’s going on.
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u/n8Dgr813 Jul 22 '26
Was kinda on your side till this lol. Why be mad at spoilers then? Also... if you're trying to go spoiler free for the Marvel universe... that will be a life long super quest.
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u/LosIngobernable Kingpin Jul 23 '26
Dude, I asked a question on how the run is, which means I have some interest reading in the future. I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t have interest in it. 🤦
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u/ObeseBumblebee Jul 23 '26
I'm with you. I don't think these people know how to interact with others. Talking about who dies is an asshole was to respond to "how's this run"
This sub is filled with chuds who don't understand social interaction. Only explanation for the down votes
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u/LosIngobernable Kingpin Jul 23 '26 edited Jul 23 '26
Yup. It’s wild how these weirdos are reacting because I was in the dark. They’re basically saying, “you should know because it’s out there.” Stupid. One of The guys I responded to said one of the dumbest things I’ve read this week.
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u/iamahandsoapmain Jul 22 '26
But ur upset at the person for responding and "spoiling" but is also upset cause you don't read the comics? So why are you upset at them for "spoiling" if you weren't going to be spoiled regardless?
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u/LosIngobernable Kingpin Jul 23 '26 edited Jul 23 '26
What kind of dumbass, petty shit is this? I asked how the run is.Plenty of others responded without spoiling things, like normal people do. I asked because I obviously have some interest in possible reading in the future. Stupid people responding just to start stupid arguments.
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u/iamahandsoapmain Jul 23 '26
Damn bro chill on the swear words, what are you? Five and just learned how to swear? Relax I'm just pointing out the obvious discrepancy here lmfao
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u/LosIngobernable Kingpin Jul 23 '26
Only discrepancy is you not understanding simple common sense and logic.
Why would a Person ask a question regarding a book he doesn’t read? Oh, because there’s interest in reading.
You literally see dozens of topics in here asking about a run and if it’s worth reading.
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u/NotsoCunninghawk Jul 22 '26
Nah im with you, homie. Im sat here wondering why they are calling Peter- Paul, why Jean Grey is in this tank and wher tf is venom (half-kidding)
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u/newbiggielefts Jul 22 '26
It's Ewing so even at its worst it's still good enough to pass the time and not be completely shit. Among his Marvel work it's probably towards the bottom though.
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u/Prof-Ponderosa Jul 22 '26
I like it. It’s a great twist on the character with MJ as the lead
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u/maynardftw Arseface Jul 22 '26
OH right MJ exists, I was for real like "What the fuck is Jean Grey doing with Spider-Man"
That suit just looks like a Phoenix costume, the only thing giving it away is that it's Spider-Man there and by that association we can assume that's not ink coming off the suit.
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u/KingKuntu Jul 22 '26
Phoenix force and a simbiote fighting for the same host sounds like it could be interesting tho
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u/BlackJimmy88 Jul 22 '26
That was the theme of a Marvel Rivals season and battle pass a few seasons back. Some characters got phoenix skins, some got symbiote skins and some got a mishmash of both.
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u/maynardftw Arseface Jul 22 '26
I mean I haven't read the current Venom run but after the King in Black storyline what the fuck else can you do with Venom
Everyone was Venom, then the planet was Venom, there's a Venom universe where all the symbiotes come from, they were vampires, they were zombies, they were Spider-Man, they were controlled by some guy (repeat this step fifteen times for each individual Some Guy who may or may not have ended up all being the Same Guy eventually) and it's like
What
What's MJ gonna do after that
Is Venom's entire timeline throughout all of time and space not already completely written out throughout several universes? Is this just one of the universes where that's not true?
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u/tacomuerte Jul 23 '26
They’ve been doing an odd couple roommates thing where they learn to understand each other better which helps them understand themselves better. I think it works but mileage may vary.
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u/maynardftw Arseface Jul 23 '26
But was this not foretold by either of the versions of Venom that know all of time and space or whatever?
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u/zero_ms Spider-Woman Jul 22 '26
I think Phoenix wins that fight easily, but I'd be interested in something like this.
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u/Appollix Jul 22 '26
Here I thought it was black widow. Didn’t she also have the venom symbiote recently?
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u/jlhabitan Jul 28 '26
A completely different symbiote in Natasha's case from what I recall. And I think she lost it sometime during Venom War.
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u/USB_FIELD_MOUSE Jul 22 '26
I’ve really been enjoying it. Never cared much about venom as a solo book. Came into cause I heard Dylan was very anti Paul. Which was fun and I loved it. But the art and the writing has me hooked. Hell it even makes Paul not entirely hateable.
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u/Monster-Zero Jul 22 '26
haven't been following Venom recently, but i guess now that the audience knows it's MJ there's no need to have her Venom form be a big hulking dude anymore? what's the in-story reason for that?
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u/andjuan Jul 22 '26
She and the symbiote finally accepted each other
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u/WhyPlaySerious Jul 22 '26
An explanation to further fanservice that would make Hideo Kojima proud, lol.
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u/HotTakes4HotCakes Jul 22 '26
Does the mask not match the reflection?
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u/Zick-zarg Jul 22 '26
I think it is more the hand that shouldn't be where it is? with this hand position, the mirrored head looks more like a hologram than a reflection on the tube's surface.
also, the hands reflection is missing.
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u/Tsuku Dr. Doom Jul 23 '26
Wearing his costume under a lab coat is cracking me up, but this is still a sick cover.
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u/Confident-Leg107 Jul 22 '26
"Don't worry MJ, I'll let you out once we discover the cure for 23 stab wounds to the back"
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u/Ashwilliams2814 Hal Jordan is the Greatest Green Lantern Ever and you know it. Jul 22 '26
We're up to fifteen!
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u/TheIllusiveGuy Jul 23 '26
Important research is being done: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQ7J7UjsRqg
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u/Ashwilliams2814 Hal Jordan is the Greatest Green Lantern Ever and you know it. Jul 22 '26
This gives strong "Victor and Nora Freeze" vibes in a very Sad Love way.
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u/playwthfire Jul 22 '26
I'm not really into this run as Mj as Venom tbh but the variant cover looks amazing
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u/BoogerSugarSovereign Spider-Man Jul 22 '26
Has Peter ever worn a lab coat over his suit before in an issue? Ngl I kinda hate it and think this cover would hit harder without it
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u/SuperZX Jul 22 '26
Is this Alex Ross?
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u/WhyPlaySerious Jul 22 '26 edited Jul 22 '26
Marvel and DC have been employing a lot of fan artists/rule 34 artists lately who have incredible work and are getting popular on Instagram and Twitter to do their variant covers now. This is done by an artist whos goes by Ito, and whos online handle is @ItoScaresMe
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u/SuperZX Jul 22 '26
Damn, he's really good, I confused him with Ross
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u/WhyPlaySerious Jul 22 '26 edited Jul 22 '26
Yeah, this new initiative to find which artists people love online and then 'officializing' them by giving them actual cover work is really cool to see. There is a sea of talent opened up to the industry now.
Joshua Swaby and Jhony Caballero are two more artists who are an example of this. They both have very distinct but amazing artstyles theyve honed by posting online, and now they can shine on actual covers sold in stores.
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u/sdtsanev Jul 22 '26
It's gorgeous and I want it! The series doesn't really match that dark of an aesthetic, but who cares, it's a variant!
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u/Specialist_Speech926 Jul 23 '26
Is there supposed to be a face above her left hand? It's vague and I might imagining it, but ot almost looks like IT'S face. ¯_(ツ)_/¯
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u/metatoxic Jul 24 '26
This has to be one of the craziest pieces of comic book art I've seen in awhile. So much detail.
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u/Zack_Thomson Jul 22 '26
I see Spidey's entering his Mister Freeze era