"Eddie, we should be out there snacking on bad guys! I am a predator! I need to be free."
The first Venom figure from Sony’s Spider-Verse movies was released in the Marvel Legends series in 2020 and was based on his debut film from two years prior in 2018. After that, the Legends offerings for Sony movies went quite apart from the animated Spider-Verse figures - until in 2024 it was confirmed we were getting a brand new Carnage from Venom: Let There Be Carnage, and an updated Venom to go with him.
The new ‘Let There Be Carnage’ release of Venom is a Target exclusive in the US and sold via Fan Channel retailers elsewhere. It arrived here in the UK in September 2024, landing in the new format square packaging but in a standard-size box and not the Deluxe size we may have expected. The black box design features the ‘Let There Be Carnage’ movie logo on the front with Venom artwork to the right-hand side and a large reverse image inspired by the movie poster.
Venom stands around 7.5 inches tall and is cast entirely in a slick black plastic with grey/white jagged lines added around the neck and upper chest and on the lower part of his forearm. We have two head sculpts included one with a grinning look for Venom and the other with mouth open and tongue snaking out. Both heads are cast in a similar finish to the body with painted white eyes, off-white teeth, and red gums and tongue. You get two different sets of hands to choose from with a pair of clenched fists and a second pair of outstretched clawed hands.
vs 2020 release (right)
The figure is the same as was released in 2020 as are the heads and alternative hands. The white paintwork for the jagged lightning-like lines is paired back on the new release and is more subtle. The red of the jaw is also deeper while the first release was more pink.
Both the new and old Venom figures share the same pinned articulation, with 19 points of articulation that allow our Symbiote to kneel, crouch, or be displayed in some more dynamic ‘bad guy eating’ poses.
There is a change around the back of the figure, with the upper rear back now incorporating two slot-in sockets into which the newer symbiote arms insert. These accommodate two sets of symbiote tendrils, each featuring a peg at one end, and then a split tendril out from this base ending in two mini Venom heads. Each tendril is also slick black with the heads painted with white eyes, off-white teeth, and red gum lines and tongues to match the main head.
Each tendril is shaped to slot into its position, and once engaged they do hold in position clipped into the rear of the figure - while still being easy enough to remove. Disappointingly none of the tendrils include a metal armature as seen recently on Carnage, and this means that the tendrils are subject to gravity and the weight of the heads. While they do hold some level of position and can be heated up and moved around - over time the tendrils will simply sag and hang down off the body - particularly the pairing on the right-hand side who arrive in the sagged position.
While it is positive that we are getting a Venom re-release, particularly ahead of his third movie outing, the execution of the figure is lacking. The tendrils were something the first figure lacked, but rather than give us generic symbiote tendrils - a decision to include mini Venom heads has been made, and this is strange considering we never see this in either movie - and the only time Venom is seen with ahead on a tendril is when he is speaking with Eddie in human form. This is compounded by not including an inner metal armature to pose these tendril heads leaving each to sag away from the body as though they’ve wilted.
There are positives, in particular, that the figure was held as a standard figure in terms of price, and that the overall base figure is reasonably accurate and well-defined. Instead of the tendrils, it would have been good to get a variant head or updated hands. One that won't please the movie accurist collectors, but will allow those who missed out on the first release or who were unhappy with the initial paint job to get a minor upgrade.
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About Me : As a child of the 70's and 80's I grew up in a golden age for action figures and in my youth bought and sold myself through collections of Star Wars, G.I. Joe (Action Force) and M.A.S.K. while also dabbling in He-Man, Transformers and Ghostbusters. Roll forward and I am now reliving that Youth with the action figures of today and am a collector and fan of the larger 6-8 inch figures from my favourite movie and TV licences - including the ones mentioned above, but also the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Who and the Aliens. I launched The Mephitsu Archives in 2015 with a view of creating a UK focused site or these figures where fans can pick up the latest action figure news, read reviews and get information on where to buy their figures and what is currently on store shelves. I hope I am delivering that to you guys...
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