Enter Knull 
 
More than any other series, Venom embodies what Marvel's Fresh Start relaunch is trying to accomplish. It offers a clean entry point for a long-running franchise. It captures just enough of what readers loved about this character in his glory days while bringing a whole wealth of new elements to the table. This Venom relaunch is completely unlike any that's come before, and that's a very good thing.
 
 
While Donny Cates still crafts a fairly minimalist story that relies on imagery more than dialogue, there's a lot going on in issue #3. He briefly but effectively showcases the dynamic between Eddie Brock and Miles Morales (making full use of Miles' history with the Ultimate Universe version of Venom). Then he turns his attention to the big showdown between Venom and the Klyntar dragon storming its way through Manhattan. By the end, the mythology of this franchise has been completely turned on its head.
 
 
It’s not until the last 10 pages that the comic gets back to building a new lore for the Symbiotes. A major villain is introduced who has a creepy vibe, not unlike Dracula and he’s way out of Venom’s league. Cates has done a spectacular job establishing how unprepared Venom is up until this point which further casts him as the underdog. This is his fight though since this super villain is directly tied to Symbiote history.
 
 
The art continues to be excellent and this issue has a lot to enjoy. The use of rain gives each page a sense of chaos and romanticism that suits the reveal at the end. It also just dawned on me the symbol on Venom’s chest could actually represent wings, suiting this dragon he’s up against this issue. Speaking of which, this dragon is scary as hell with a great silhouette shot in the fog early on and more direct shots of it attacking here and there. The supervillain introduced later in the issue has an interesting design too which makes him look dignified and instantly compelling. There’s also a freaky moment after Venom slashes at him that may haunt your dreams. 
 
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