Dylan Brock is currently the most important person in the Marvel cosmos. If you’ve been following the massive Queen in Black crossover, you know things are spiraling. This August, Queen in Black #3 lands on shelves, and Al Ewing and Iban Coello are positioning Dylan as the literal key to stopping the carnage. It’s a direct payoff to the groundwork laid in the 2025 Venom run and that terrifying Knull limited series. Dylan isn’t just Eddie’s son anymore; he’s the pivot point for a war that could blink out the galaxy.
Hela Versus the God of the Void
The power dynamic in the symbiote hierarchy just got messy. Hela managed to snag Knull’s old throne, and she’s currently running the show as the Queen in Black. She’s got a whole legion of symbiotes at her beck and call. Meanwhile, Knull hasn’t just gone away to lick his wounds. He conquered the Lightforce Dimension and leveled up into the God of the Void. It’s a clash of two absolute monsters, and Earth is basically the front yard they’re trying to wreck.
The August Tie-In Blitz
Marvel is flooding the gates in August with a stack of issues that flesh out this war. You’ve got Defenders of Light and Dark where Iron Man and Beta Ray Bill are putting together strike teams to run interference. Over in Asgard, a few one-shots are going to explain exactly how Hela pulled off her coup against Knull in the first place. Then there’s Eddie Brock. He’s stuck in a prison cell in Venom Unchained, trying to break out so he can actually help his kid. We’re also seeing some massive changes for Mary Jane Watson in the main Venom title that will definitely impact how this all ends.
QUEEN IN BLACK #3
Written by AL EWING
Art by IBAN COELLO
Cover by RYAN STEGMAN
On Sale 8/12
The Codex is the key! Hela wants him as her secret weapon – Knull just wants him dead! Dylan Brock’s survival might be the one thing Venom and Eddie Brock agree about – but even at the end of the world, can they work together? All this and the rollicking return of the Fantastic Five!
QUEEN IN BLACK: DEFENDERS OF LIGHT AND DARK #2
Written by TOM WALTZ
Art by ZÉ CARLOS
Cover by DAVID MARQUEZ
On Sale 8/12
Light and Dark collide! The Defenders have taken the fight to the dual threat of Hela and Knull, choosing offense over defense to save the Earth. But will in-fighting and tragedy combine to seal the fates of Team Dark and Team Light before they can complete their desperate mission? Or will the mysterious and dangerous “Plan B” turn the tide in this seemingly unwinnable battle? The fate of the world hangs in the balance between the forces of light and dark!
QUEEN IN BLACK: VENOM UNCHAINED #2
Written by CHARLES SOULE
Art by JUANAN RAMÍREZ
Cover by LEINIL FRANCIS YU
On Sale 8/19
Jailbreak! Sleeper has broken Eddie Brock out of prison only for him to return to… the Queen in Black trying to take over the world?! Eddie wants to try to help or at least to go protect the people he loves – but Sleeper has other plans!
QUEEN IN BLACK: THOR #1
Written by AL EWING
Art by SERGIO DAVILA
Cover by PASQUAL FERRY
On Sale 8/5
A true king rises! As Beta Ray Bill battles Hela at the edge of space, he considers his role as the heir of Thor’s story… little dreaming that the story continues with Sigurd Jarlson or that the Death-Goddess has plans for the Mortal Thor. Somewhere in the city, a man with a hammer is about to face the ultimate test.
VENOM #261
Written by AL EWING
Art and Cover by CARLOS GÓMEZ
On Sale 8/26
Venom’s oldest enemy returns! Long ago, a friend of Reed Richards had a problem: an alien costume that didn’t want to come off. Reed Richards blasted it off with a sonic weapon and imprisoned it for study. It seemed like a good idea at the time… but now he’s got to work with that alien to save the world – and Venom holds one heck of a grudge!
Check out the new covers and pick up QUEEN IN BLACK #1 at your local comic shop on July 1.
