The Venom legacy hits its 250th issue with a mix of the personal and the cosmic. Mary Jane Watson continues her unexpected turn as the current host of the Venom symbiote, juggling auditions, career roadblocks, and New York street-level battles. Meanwhile, far from Earth, a Skrull soldier uncovers a looming threat that could spell the return of Knull, the god of symbiotes. To top it off, the issue closes with a nostalgic Eddie Brock short that takes fans back to Venom’s Lethal Protector days. It’s a milestone that doesn’t just celebrate Venom’s history; it sets the stage for what’s next.
The main story wastes no time pulling us into two very different but equally gripping tracks. On one side, Mary Jane is wrestling with auditions and identity crises, landing a role in the reboot of a Lobster-Man movie, but not as the young love interest she once played; rather, as the hero’s aunt. That Hollywood burn stings almost as much as the villains she tangles with on the streets of New York.
On the other side, we’re in deep space with a Skrull named Captain R’Gars, who’s frantically trying to deliver a warning about a cult of Knull and their terrifying ambitions. The cross-cutting between MJ’s grounded, all-too-human struggles and R’Gars’ desperate cosmic mission creates an intriguing rhythm that feels both epic and intimate. And by the final page, the cliffhanger sets the stage for something massive, involving Knull himself and a Marvel villain no one saw coming.
What struck me most while reading this issue is just how well it balances tones that shouldn’t work together but absolutely do. On the one hand, you have Mary Jane trying to figure out who she is now that she has bonded with the symbiote. Her story feels like a spiritual sibling to Peter Parker’s, balancing the grind of real life with the responsibility of heroics, but it’s fresh enough because it’s MJ in the driver’s seat. The Lobster-Man casting subplot is a clever jab at Hollywood ageism, while also grounding her character in the kind of insecurities and frustrations readers can relate to.
Then, boom, cut to space, and suddenly you are in a symbiote horror-thriller. R’Gars’ storyline feels like something out of a cosmic espionage film. It’s dense with intrigue, paranoia, and escalating dread as he pieces together the return of Knull. Honestly, I didn’t expect to care this much about a Skrull soldier, but Ewing makes his perspective riveting, and Todd Nauck’s art gives the space sequences a cinematic sharpness.
And that’s the real magic trick of Venom #250: it marries two wildly different genres, street-level superhero drama and operatic cosmic horror, without either side drowning out the other. It also doesn’t feel like a bloated anniversary issue. Instead, it’s laser-focused, with just the right mix of action, tension, and character beats.
The art team deserves major credit here. Terry Dodson’s take on Venom/MJ fights is slick and kinetic, capturing the symbiote’s grotesque elegance while never letting the panels get too messy to follow. Nauck’s space opera scenes are packed with detail, giving the Skrull sequences an authentic, lived-in quality. And when the final twist hits, the visuals match the weight of the moment, feeling like one of those turning points Marvel will be referencing for years.
Not everything in MJ’s storyline feels brand new. The “hero can’t make the audition” beat is familiar territory for anyone who’s read Spider-Man. Still, that doesn’t make it less enjoyable, especially when you factor in the added sting of her being boxed out of roles she once owned because of her age. It’s a sharp commentary folded into superhero storytelling. On the flip side, R’Gars’ thread is the most ambitious part of the issue, but it takes a while to find its momentum. The slow burn pays off by the end, but some readers may find the pacing to be a bit too slow in the middle.
The bonus short by Charles Soule and Carlos Gomez, however, is a treat. Set during Venom’s Lethal Protector era, it nails the ’90s vibe perfectly and offers Eddie Brock fans a nostalgic shot of adrenaline, courtesy of Venom. It doesn’t carry the weight of the main story, but it doesn’t have to; it’s there to honor Venom’s past while the main plot rockets us into the future.
Venom #250 succeeds as both a celebration and a springboard. It’s an issue that knows Venom’s legacy isn’t just about one host or one kind of story, it’s about the collision of the personal and the cosmic, the grotesque and the human. If you have been curious about Mary Jane’s run as Venom, this is a perfect entry point. If you are a long-time fan, the ending alone is worth the price of admission.
‘Venom’ #250 Review: Mary Jane’s Symbiote Struggles vs. Cosmic Chaos
Venom #250 succeeds as both a celebration and a springboard. It’s an issue that knows Venom’s legacy isn’t just about one host or one kind of story, it’s about the collision of the personal and the cosmic, the grotesque and the human. If you have been curious about Mary Jane’s run as Venom, this is a perfect entry point. If you are a long-time fan, the ending alone is worth the price of admission.
