The 'Venom' vs 'Watchmen' Debate Is Finally Over

A feud has been brewing in the comic book community between the current Venom creative team and [...]

By Jamie Lovett

A feud has been brewing in the comic book community between the current Venom creative team and the venerated comic book series Watchmen. Now that rivalry has finally been settled.

The debate began when Venom artist Ryan Stegman took to Twitter to promote the new Marvel Comics series.

"I don't want to sound too cocky but this Venom comic we are making is way better than Watchmen," Stegman tweeted.

Stegman and Venom writer Donny Cates have kept up the tongue-in-cheek offensive. Stegman tweeted about searching for more challenging artistic rivals.

"Now that we've VANQUISHED Watchmen with the first arc of Venom I'm considering which work of art to take on next," he tweeted. "I'm thinking big. The Godfather? The Mona Lisa? Outkast's ATLiens?!!!!!!!!"

Cates took a jab when he shared Eminem's song from the Venom movie's soundtrack.

"Damn. So cool that Eminem wrote a song about Ryan Stegman and I's Venom series. Dang. So cool," Cates tweeted. "How many songs did Slim Shady write about Watchmen I wonder. Probably none. Idk."

It seems as though it was taken in good fun. Donny Cates shared a photo of himself with Watchmen writer Alan Moore. Cates declared that the rivalry was a draw.

"Okay okay. So Alan Moore and I talked about it and we agreed to call the Venom vs Watchmen debate a tie," Cates tweeted.

While comparisons to Watchmen may be exaggerated, Cates and Stegman's Venom has so far been well-received by fans and critics, including by ComicBook.com.

"Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman team up for this new Venom series that puts Eddie Brock and his lethal protector back into the spotlight, trying to solve a symbiotic mystery that dates back centuries," Charlie Ridgely wrote in his 5 out of 5 review of Venom #1. "This first issue peels back the curtain on the Symbiotes, letting the readers know that there is so much more to the history of this race on Earth than we ever knew, all while setting the stage for a Lovecraftian mystery that one would never expect in a Venom series, but is more than a welcomed change of pace."

What do you think of the Venom vs. Watchmen debate? Let us know in the comments!

The first five issues of Venom are on sale now. The first collected edition, Venom by Donny Cates Vol. 1: Rex, goes on sale Oct. 1st.

[H/T] Bleeding Cool

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