Marvel crossover events can get messy fast, but this King in Black reading order separates the central Venom story from every official tie-in. King in Black is a five-issue Marvel event by Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman that brings Knull, the god of symbiotes, to Earth after a story built through Venom and Absolute Carnage.
If you only want the main story, I recommend the ten-part sequence of King in Black #1-5 and Venom #31-35. Completionists can keep going through the background comics, direct preludes, historical tie-ins, complete event order, aftermath, and collected editions below.
Jump to:
- How to Read King in Black
- Complete King in Black Reading Order
- What to Read After King in Black
- King in Black Collected Editions
- What is King in Black?
How to Read King in Black
Essential Reading Order
For the central Eddie Brock and Knull story, this is the order I recommend. The other tie-ins expand the invasion across the Marvel Universe, but you do not need them to understand the main conclusion.
- King in Black #1
- Venom (2018) #31
- King in Black #2
- Venom (2018) #32
- King in Black #3
- Venom (2018) #33
- King in Black #4
- Venom (2018) #34
- King in Black #5
- Venom (2018) #35 / Venom #200
Venom #35 also carries the legacy number Venom #200. It is the epilogue to the event and the conclusion of Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman’s run, so I would not stop at King in Black #5.
Background Comics
The full setup for King in Black is Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman’s Venom run. If you want the whole Eddie Brock and Knull story in one place, I’d start with the Venomnibus by Cates & Stegman. It collects Venom #1-35, the main Absolute Carnage and King in Black miniseries, and the most important Web of Venom material.
For a shorter setup, my advice is to focus on the stories that introduce Knull, free him, and lead directly into his arrival on Earth.
- Venom by Donny Cates Vol. 1: Rex (collects Venom #1-6) (2018)
- Web of Venom: Carnage Born #1 (2018)
- Absolute Carnage (collects #1-5), read alongside Venom #16-20 (2019)
- Venom (2018) #25 (2020)
- Venom by Donny Cates Vol. 5: Venom Beyond (collects Venom #26-30 and material from Free Comic Book Day 2020: Spider-Man/Venom #1) (2021)
The Free Comic Book Day 2020: Spider-Man/Venom #1 (2020) story is included in Venom Beyond. If you are reading single issues instead, place it before Venom #26.
Direct Preludes
These stories provide the most direct transition from the wider Knull saga into the event. I recommend reading them after Venom Beyond and before King in Black #1.
- Web of Venom: Wraith #1 (2020)
- Web of Venom: Empyre’s End #1 (2020)
Optional Knull Background
The following comics add history or context, but they are not required. In my view, Silver Surfer: Black is the most useful choice here because it expands Knull’s cosmic history without adding another long event.
- Thor: God of Thunder #6 (2013)
- Web of Venom: Ve’Nam #1 (2018)
- Silver Surfer: Black #1-5 (2019)
- Incoming! #1 (2019)
- Scream: Curse of Carnage #1-6 (2019)
Thor: God of Thunder #6 is retroactive Knull lore. The character was not named there, but the story introduced material later incorporated into his mythology.
Historical Tie-Ins
These are official tie-ins, but most of their stories are set in the past rather than immediately before Knull’s invasion. I prefer reading them before the main event or saving them as optional side stories.
King in Black: Namor #5 has the strongest connection to the event-era story, but the miniseries reads better as one continuous historical tale.
Complete King in Black Reading Order
The main King in Black and Venom chapters have a clear sequence, but many side stories happen at the same time. The list below is my recommended issue-by-issue order for the complete event, not an official minute-by-minute chronology.
I have kept the historical Symbiote Spider-Man and Namor miniseries in the section above. That lets the main event order begin with Knull’s arrival and move forward without repeatedly jumping into the past.
- King in Black #1
- The Union (2020) #1
- Venom (2018) #31
- King in Black: Immortal Hulk #1
- Black Cat (2020) #1
- King in Black #2
- Spider-Woman (2020) #7
- King in Black: Iron Man/Doom #1
- Venom (2018) #32
- Guardians of the Galaxy (2020) #10
- King in Black: Return of the Valkyries #1
- Spider-Woman (2020) #8
- King in Black: Planet of the Symbiotes #1
- S.W.O.R.D. (2020) #2
- King in Black: Gwenom vs. Carnage #1
- King in Black: Thunderbolts #1
- The Union (2020) #2
- King in Black #3
- King in Black: Black Knight #1
- Black Cat (2020) #2
- Deadpool (2019) #10
- Daredevil (2019) #26
- King in Black: Return of the Valkyries #2
- Savage Avengers (2019) #17
- Venom (2018) #33
- King in Black: Captain America #1
- King in Black: Marauders #1
- King in Black: Gwenom vs. Carnage #2
- King in Black: Black Panther #1
- King in Black: Thunderbolts #2
- S.W.O.R.D. (2020) #3
- Daredevil (2019) #27
- Fantastic Four (2018) #29
- King in Black #4
- Miles Morales: Spider-Man (2018) #23
- King in Black: Planet of the Symbiotes #2
- King in Black: Return of the Valkyries #3
- Savage Avengers (2019) #18
- Black Cat (2020) #3
- King in Black: Wiccan and Hulkling #1
- King in Black: Gwenom vs. Carnage #3
- King in Black: Thunderbolts #3
- S.W.O.R.D. (2020) #4
- King in Black: Spider-Man #1
- Savage Avengers (2019) #19
- King in Black: Scream #1
- King in Black: Ghost Rider #1
- King in Black: Return of the Valkyries #4
- King in Black: Planet of the Symbiotes #3
- Venom (2018) #34
- King in Black #5
- Fantastic Four (2018) #30
The King in Black Handbook #1 (2021) is an optional reference guide to the event’s characters and concepts. It is included in the omnibus, but I would not insert it into the narrative order.
What to Read After King in Black
Fantastic Four #30, placed at the end of the complete order above, begins during the invasion and ends after the finale. Avengers #45 then deals with the battle and its immediate consequences. I recommend finishing with Venom #35 / #200 because it gives Eddie Brock’s story its proper conclusion.
If you are only following the essential Venom story, you can move directly from King in Black #5 to Venom #35 / #200.
King in Black Collected Editions
You do not need to buy every tie-in collection to understand the event. I think the simplest choice depends on whether you want the central Venom story or every official branch of the crossover.
Core Story Collections
- King in Black (2021), collecting King in Black #1-5
- Venom by Donny Cates Vol. 6: King in Black (2021), collecting Venom #31-34 and Venom #200 (#35)
Those two books contain the complete essential sequence. I recommend them for most readers who do not want dozens of side stories.
Complete Collections
- King in Black Omnibus (2022): Collects the five-issue main series, every official tie-in included by Marvel, Venom #31-34, and the King in Black Handbook.
- Venomnibus by Cates & Stegman (2022): Collects the full Cates and Stegman Venom saga, including Venom #1-35, the main Absolute Carnage and King in Black series, and key one-shots. It does not collect every side tie-in.
Tie-In Collections
The remaining trades are best for readers who want specific characters or corners of the invasion. The contents below make it clear which issues actually belong to King in Black.
- King in Black: Avengers (2021): Collects the Black Panther, Captain America, Ghost Rider, Immortal Hulk, Iron Man/Doom, and Wiccan and Hulkling one-shots.
- King in Black: Planet of the Symbiotes (2021): Collects King in Black: Planet of the Symbiotes #1-3 and King in Black: Black Knight #1.
- King in Black: Gwenom vs. Carnage (2021): Collects King in Black: Gwenom vs. Carnage #1-3 plus the Scream and Spider-Man one-shots.
- King in Black: Thunderbolts (2021): Collects King in Black: Thunderbolts #1-3 and King in Black: Marauders #1.
- King in Black: Return of the Valkyries (2021): Collects King in Black: Return of the Valkyries #1-4.
- King in Black: Namor (2021): Collects King in Black: Namor #1-5.
- Symbiote Spider-Man: King in Black (2021): Collects Symbiote Spider-Man: King in Black #1-5.
- King in Black: Atlantis Attacks (2021): Collects Atlantis Attacks #1-5. Only #5 has the direct King in Black connection, so I consider this loosely connected rather than essential event reading.
- Black Cat Vol. 4: Queen in Black (2021): Collects Black Cat #1-4 and material from X-Men: To Serve and Protect #4. Only Black Cat #1-3 are King in Black tie-ins. This is not the separate Queen in Black crossover published in 2026.
- Spider-Woman Vol. 2: King in Black (2021): Collects Spider-Woman #6-10. Only #7-8 are King in Black tie-ins.
- The Union: The Britannia Project (2021): Collects The Union #1-5. Only #1-2 are King in Black tie-ins.
- Savage Avengers Vol. 4: King in Black (2021): Collects Savage Avengers #17-22. Only #17-19 are King in Black tie-ins.
What is King in Black?
King in Black is a Marvel crossover written by Donny Cates and primarily drawn by Ryan Stegman. The five-issue main series was published from 2020 to 2021 and continues the Knull storyline developed through Cates and Stegman’s Venom run and Absolute Carnage. Knull reaches Earth with an army of symbiote dragons, forcing Venom, Spider-Man, the Avengers, the X-Men, and heroes across the Marvel Universe into the fight.
Knull first fully appeared in Venom #3, so King in Black is the culmination of his original saga rather than his introduction. Web of Venom: Empyre’s End uses the aftermath of Empyre to set up Knull’s arrival, but in my view the event works best as the finale to the Cates and Stegman Venom story.
Looking for more books in order?
If you want more fantasy authors and reading-order guides like this one, start with my Fantasy Books in Order index.
2 thoughts on “King in Black Reading Order: Complete Venom Event & Tie-Ins”
I’d put Fantastic Four #29 somewhere between KiB #1-2, and Fantastic Four #30 somewhere between KiB #2-3. Also not the biggest deal, but I’d read all the Daredevil tie-ins before KiB Thunderbolts #1. Otherwise, pretty solid list.
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