Marvel Comics has confirmed that Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman's Venom run will conclude this April with issue #200. They helped redefine the character over the past few years, exploring the mythology behind the symbiote and the nature of Venom as a hero rather than a Lethal Protector.
Picking up after the events of King in Black, it's said that this finale will "leave a lasting impact not only on the character of Venom but on the Marvel Universe as a whole."
Over the years, Cates and Stegman have torn Eddie Brock's life asunder while introducing new villains and uncovering long-hidden mysteries about the nature of symbiotes, so what could they have planned for this fan-favourite character before a new creative team takes charge of Venom's story?
"It's something that we've been building to, and building to, and building to. Now we're here," Cates says. "Ryan and I talk about that a lot. About how Ryan will send in a new page or King in Black, and it's finally like a drawing of something that we've all been thinking about, a particular moment or a scene that we've all been thinking about for almost four years now."
"So it's pretty surreal. It's crazy. It really is a testament to how awesome the Marvel fanbase has been and the Venom fans in general, that they've supported the book so much. That this crazy idea of this Knull thing has stuck around so long, that we're actually getting to do this."
Other artists who have been part of Cates' run are also expected to be part of the Venom #200 creative team, and if the cover below is any indication, some big changes could be in store for the symbiote...