10 Reasons Why Donny Cates’ Venom Was So Great

Since its introduction in Amazing Spider-Man #252, the history of the symbiote and its entire race has been about as nebulous as the black goo itself. Some writers would have you believe that the symbiotes, or Klyntar as they later came to be known, are a peaceful species and that Venom is a rare example of a crazy, violent one. Others would tell you that the symbiotes are inherently malicious creatures and that the Venom symbiote was cast out for being too empathetic and wanting to bond with its hosts rather than drain them.

The foundation that Cates lays for the symbiote mythos in this run is rock-solid enough that future writers can build on it, rather than ignoring or retconning it. While some readers may miss a more sci-fi oriented approach, giving the symbiotes a creator in the form of Knull grounded the entire fictional species, and allowed for unique storytelling developments, such as the reveal of the symbiote planet’s true nature.

Cates’ success in putting meat on the bones of the Venom mythology is one of the most emphasised elements in discussions of his run, and it’s easy to understand why. Any time questions had been answered about the mystery of the symbiotes’ past beforehand, they were never particularly groundbreaking or hard-hitting, whereas Cates’ worldbuilding has injected new life into the concepts of symbiotes in general, rather than just the one we all know and love, Venom.