Venom Break Out Star Gets a Marvel Solo Series

Acclaimed manga creator Taigami is creating a Marvel solo series, Kid Venom, which will launch in April 2024.

Marvel first introduced Kid Venom in Taigami’s Death of the Venomverse series. In 10th century Japan, a young hero named Kintaro protected his village from mysterious symbiote attacks by bonding with a symbiote named Clinter. Kintaro gains new abilities and becomes Kid Venom, who will now cross over into Marvel’s present-day 616 in Taigami’s four-issue series. Taigami writes and illustrates Kid Venom, which features a first-issue foil variant cover by Gerardo Sandoval.

Kid Venom #1

Written by TAIGAMI Art and Cover by TAIGAMI Foil Variant Cover by GERARDO SANDOVAL

Marvel’s Kid Venom series description reads, “Japan, 977. Kid Venom has made his presence known to the evil symbiotes, taking people and creatures hostage, but who else has their eye on Kintaro and his symbiote? Witness the world of Kid Venom expand as new characters and dangers are revealed.”

Taigami discussed Kid Venom and revealed he had always been a fan of Marvel. “It is an honor. I was a big fan of the Marvel Universe since I was in school,” the artist said. “So this feels unreal that the characters and the stories that I came up with are in that Universe, and I still can’t believe it,” the creator added. Taigami would go on to describe how the opportunity came to create the character, revealing, “Kid Venom was based on a one-shot that I sent for a manga contest Shonen Magazine and Marvel held in 2018. One of the rules for the contest was [to use a theme or a character from Marvel and write and draw a first episode for a new series], and the theme that I chose was a symbiote.”

Taigami further elaborated on the inspiration for the character, stating, “The next thing that I thought was who would be the best host for a symbiote. There were already many Venoms, and there were enough variations, so I thought it had to be something totally new to be recognized. In Japan, there are several famous folklore such as ‘0Momotaro’ and ‘Urashimataro.’ Among them, there is a story of ‘Kintaro.'”

Taigami continued, “The legend is about a boy who was strong, living with his mother in Mount Ashigara. He was later hired by Minamoto Yorimitsu, a very high-ranked samurai, and defeated many yokai. Later, he becomes one of the four samurais of Minamoto Yorimitsu. This story is a mix of folklore and a historical story from the Heian Era of Japan. So when I mixed Symbiote with the legend of Kintaro, Kid Venom was born.”

Kid Venom #1 will arrive in comic book shops on April 17, 2024.

Source: Marvel