AIPT Comics
Jordan D. White — Venom Unleashed (Uncut)
Episode Summary
Today’s episode is a big one for symbiote fans, as we’re joined by Jordan D. White, editor on Venom and more, to talk about everything from Mary Jane’s evolution as Venom to the massive Spider-Symbiote event Death Spiral kicking off 2026 in a big way. This is the full, uncut version of Venom Unleashed #15, where Jordan dives deep into the thinking behind MJ as the most heroic Venom yet, teases the terrifying new villain Torment, breaks down how Venom and Amazing Spider-Man are colliding for the event, and even settles—once and for all—whether Buddies is better than Friends.
Episode Notes
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NEWS
- Marvel reveals who’s still standing in 'Ultimate Endgame' #5, plus new covers & interior art for issue #2
- Ryan Stegman reveals he's done with X-Men, save for one last project
- DC stacks Free Comic Book Day 2026 with Next Level debuts, Sonic crossover, and horror hits
- Skybound and Hasbro announce Energon Universe Special 2026 for Free Comic Book Day
- Ram V, Anand Radhakrishnan, and Evan Cagle sign massive global deal for new graphic novel series with Morgen
- 'Baby Garfield' is here — and it’s the cutest new comic you’ll read all year
- Exclusive: 'Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees Artist’s Edition' reveal
Our Top Books of the Week:
Dave:
- Absolute Superman #15 (Jason Aaron, Juan Ferreyra)
- Marvel: Black, White & Blood and Guts (2025) #4 (Various)
Coplan:
- Ultimate Wolverine #13 (Chris Condon, Domenico Carbone, Bryan Valenza)
- Absolute Batman: Ark M Special #1 (Scott Snyder, Frank Tieri, Josh Hixson, etc.)
Standout KAPOW moment of the week:
Coplan: Ultimate Wolverine #13 (Chris Condon, Domenico Carbone, Bryan Valenza)
Dave: Venom #253 (Al Ewing, Carlos Gomez)
TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK
- Coplan: Alice Forever After #1 (Dan Panosian, Giorgio Spalletta)
- Dave: Pig Wife (Abbey Luck)
JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.
Interview: Jordan D. White - Venom Unleashed #15 uncut!
Let’s dig into our two poll questions. The first was:
Jordan hinted that one moment in Death Spiral has been locked in since the very beginning of planning the event. What are you most excited to see when that moment arrives?
A whopping 40% said they’d like to see a major MJ’s symbiote relationship (30.8% said a big Eddie vs. Carnage throwdown). Given how strongly readers responded to the idea of Mary Jane’s symbiote journey, what was it about pairing MJ with a symbiote that felt essential to Death Spiral, and how early did that relationship start shaping the story?
AIPT: For the second poll, we asked:
Jordan suggests MJ might be shifting from “anti-hero” to something else entirely. What do YOU think her 2026 role will look like?
Over 50% of the answers said they want something they haven’t even guessed yet (second place was a full street-level hero arc with 32%). Might they be on the right track?
AIPT: Venom #253 is out now (January 7th), and with it’s a whole new ballgame with AIM. Madame Masque is a character not often used, at least in the last decade. Might you have a favorite story she’s kicked butt in?
AIPT: And for our monthly gotcha question: What’s a better TV show, Buddies or Friends?
Onto fan questions:
- Spencer asks: What can you tell us about Torment?
- One more about Torment from Patrick: Was the name of Death Spiral's villain, Torment, inspired by the Todd McFarlane story, or is it a coincidence that the name has a history with Spider-Man?
- Ol’ Monster-Face asks: Last time you got asked about taking the story in a space opera direction… What about a Wild West theme? "Death Spiral" does look like it could set up a classic "The Good The Bad And The Ugly" standoff…
- Barrett asks: With two big Spider / Symbiote events coming up very soon will the main ASM book and Venom books both be tie-ins for the foreseeable future?
- Anonomous asks: Will Dylan and Sleeper be an important role in Death Spiral? They are related to both Eddie and the Venom symbiote after all.
- Murphy asks: Did you look at any prior stories when writing the Rick Jones and Toxin bond? It reminds me of the relationship he had with Genis, especially when he went off the rails.
- Garlador asks: As a repository of host memories, Venom is uniquely aware of many characters current conflicted feelings - Peter, MJ, Eddie, Dylan, Flash, etc. That’s been an off-limits locked box issue with MJ, but can we expect to see Venom share more of prior hosts’ buried feelings with her soon, or is that too messy for now?
- RadiantBlue asks: Which Venom host is your favorite?
- Midnighter82 asks: Symbie, Spider-Man's symbiote companion in his galactic adventure, is he bound to a host or not?
- Jimmy has a food and calories question: So, what is it like for Mary Jane in her daily life? The symbiote probably weighs at least twice her weight and leaves a bunch of goop all over after fights, so presumably that would be lots more food than she would be used to having.
- Anonomous asks: Its kinda frustrating seeing VENOM everywhere and no Carnage. If you could would you tackle a carnageverse? Besides the Anne Lethal Protector universe, are there worlds where carnage is an anti-hero?
- Jeduwin asks: As a fan of Eventuality, how much is it kept in mind when you're writing Eddie Brock? Its existence seems like it shifts where Eddie's stories are headed, since all roads lead to the King in Black.
- Another Flash question from Symbiobro: In All-New Venom #10, we got to see a deep dive into both MJ's and the symbiotes relationship with Eddie, but Flash Thompson also played a big role in both these people's lives. Can we expect a similar delve into how he helped shape the symbiote into what it is today?