NOSTALGIA PART FIRST!
Who remembers back in 2007 when Spider-Man #3 hit theaters? It was directed by Sam Raimi as the third installment in the Spider-Man franchise, starring Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Thomas Haden Church, and Topher Grace.
Peter Parker was revelling in his role as Spider-Man, Mary Jane Watson was chasing her Broadway ambitions, Harry Osborn sought revenge for his dad's death and escaped convict Flint Marko transformed into the Sandman after that particle accelerator accident.
Then of course, an alien symbiote crashes on Earth, bonding with Peter and corrupting his behavior. When Peter rejects the symbiote, it merged with Eddie Brock, Jr., turning him into Venom, forcing Peter to confront his toughest foe yet.
I loved this flick. Pure Spidey-fun and that scene with the construction pipes was awesome, but seeing Venom in action was really mesmerizing. After all, he’s kind of a big deal in the comics where we all know how well those books do.
WHAT'S A SYMBIOTE?
But…what was this alien symbiote? Where was it from? At the time, it was just a really fun way to build battle scenes for Spidey for those that loved the movies, but probably didn’t grow up reading the books. Enter VENOM #1 in 2018, with Tom Hardy as the symbiotic Eddie Brock. A little more info is shared, where it’s learned a comet was floating around in space covered in symbiotes looking for planets to posses and devour its inhabitants.
Where did this comet from again though?
Venom #2, Let there be Carnage in 2021, introduced moviegoers to CARNAGE, but it took all the way to the mid-credits scene where Venom reveals a tidbit of info to Eddie about the symbiotes knowledge of the universe. Venom #3 Last Dance is right around the corner, with its October 25th 2024 release date, the origin of the symbiotes should be revealed…via KNULL. If you’ve followed print and/or digital sales trends, it seems VENOM #3 “THE COMIC” has been seeing a symbiotic relationship growing with its fanbase too!
Venom #3, published in 2018, has some modern comic collectors speculating its potential, as it introduces Knull, the Symbiote god. Knull, the malevolent creator of the alien symbiotes, made his first cameo in Thor: God of Thunder #6 before being fully introduced in this issue. His arrival sent shivers through the Marvel Universe, as he represents an ancient darkness that predates the universe itself. The spiral emblem associated with Knull draws from Lovecraftian mythology, adding depth to his character's eerie, godlike presence.
September 2024 saw renewed excitement for Venom #3, thanks to the reveal of Knull as a villain in the upcoming Venom 3 film. This announcement has revitalized the book’s market value, with numerous sales reaching significant heights. Knull’s full introduction spent three weeks on the Hot 10 list, twice at the top spot. A Near Mint ungraded copy recently sold for around $115, while a CGC-graded 9.8 fetches $240. Per GoCollect, the Molina Variant currently sells in the $400 range. (This is a 1:25 variant cover; the incentive offered to comic stores to order titles in bulk. IE., buy 25 copies of cover A to receive one copy of the Molina variant).
Collectors are also taking interest in the second printing of Venom #3, illustrated by Ryan Stegman, as it's considered Knull’s first cover appearance. With 75 graded 9.8 copies sold in September alone, the book has outpaced sales from earlier in the year.
And of course, there are the digital (blockchain-first-ever) collectors, where Venom #3 has been available on VeVe as a Marvel-licensed asset that released in July, 2022, including the popular and sought-after variant covers. Of 20,000 total minted only around 100 remain listed for sale in VeVe’s public market, or just 0.5% as digital collectors were quick to grab these up. The Secret Rare variant sales floor currently sits in the $65 range (though only 16 are available), which is a 10X increase for those who were fortunate enough to land one on drop day for its $6.99 release price.
Although the prices have fluctuated, Venom #3 could be a decent title to have in the set, especially if the on-screen appearance of Knull nails the character and resonates with fans. For me, I’m a big Halloween fan so the timing of a movie like this just before the end of October is a pretty fun way to pair collecting & reading the comic with seeing it in the theater.
Thanks for Reading!
(Sales Data Reference From https://www.keycollectorcomics.com/)
