I like Venom as much as the next comic reader, but it feels like he’s been everywhere lately. Due to the live-action movie and the Absolute Carnage comic event, the market is currently flooded with the symbiote. This week though afresh ray of light shines through with Venom 2099. It’s a one-shot, so there’s no previous reading required.

The comic is a new take on the Venom 2099 origin story. It’s got the same old symbiote with memories of its Marvel history, but a new human host in Alea Bell. The comic begins with the symbiote used as a healing agent for Alea’s badly burned and scarred arm. From there, things take off, and we get a new story and a new version of Venom. It feels like a 2099 story and a Venom comic, but instead of giving us another episode, it shows us Venom’s first adventure.

The comic is full of surprises, action, and classic Venom attitude. From page 1, we are in an exciting new symbiote world. Alea is a reluctant host who owes the symbiote for healing her arm and quickly pays him back without much hesitation. It’s interesting to see a young woman working with the symbiote instead of Brock. They seem to mesh together well and have a more positive outlook on things. The story doesn’t steer away from violence or gore, though.

I think the art serves the story well, it’s fun but has a graveness to it. It displays the edgy, futuristic setting to set it apart from the modern Marvel stories. It presents a dark, technologically advanced future that requires a darker hero to rise to protect it. Venom’s design is very classic, except it is a woman. She’s all black with no symbol because hopefully, that’s a story for another comic.

Venom 2099 is a great one-shot that provides a fresh take on an overdone character. At this point, Venom or Carnage is in a comic book or two every week. Seeing someone new and unique take over the role is what brings new readers to comics. I think this version could take off in at least a successful miniseries. Since we don’t know Alea or everything going on right now in 2099, there’s plenty of opportunities to continue to add to the lore. I recommend Venom 2099 to older fans of Venom feeling burnt out and those just starting with comics, Venom, or Marvel.