Over half a decade ago, the first review I ever wrote on this site was for the exceptional Marvel Select Venom figure—a figure I still think stands out today as one of the best toys of the character ever. But as that figure has been sold out and unavailable for a while now, many collectors may still need one—and now they’re getting a chance at an updated version: a new Disney Store Exclusive Marvel Select Venom figure is now up for order! And the stylized heads in this set feel anything but rehashed…

When Diamond Select Toys released their Venom Select 7” figure in 2013, it was already a near-perfect action figure that would be virtually impossible to improve upon. So how do you follow that sort of a triumph up…? Well, how about with a refreshed version of that outstanding figure with three wild all-new heads and some huge articulated tendrils?!

Basically, DST has taken the existing tooling for the old Venom that’s been reissued several times in the last 5 years, and added some all-new heads and accessories to make it feel new and interesting again as a Disney Store Exclusive release.

I’ve got so many Venom action figures at this point in my life that it’s really difficult to grab my attention, but Diamond Select has really succeeded with making my eyes bug out with this reworked iteration.

Rather than going for the “same old” looks for Spider-Man’s most popular foe, DST has picked some of the most crazy, off-the-wall comic book looks ever for the Lethal Protector.

He’s packaged with a closed-mouth Skottie Young portrait by default, but also comes with a Dark Origin Angel Medina-styled head and what I think is an Erik Larsen-inspired head.

All three heads are comic book accurate and look totally faithful to the source material and also different from everything else on the shelves. These are far from the “darkest” or most “realistic” takes on Venom toys out there, but they are unquestionably some of the of the most unique and fun ones. These won’t be for everyone, but I love it!

But don’t fret, those who have and prefer the “serious” heads and Eddie Brock head from the original release—those heads are compatible with this figure as well. So if you just need an extra Venom body to stick extra heads you have lying around on—you’re in luck.

In addition, this old (symbiote) dog has another new trick: long, attachable tendrils with multiple points of articulation! These are an accessory that make sense and add a lot of new intriguing display options to what was already a terrific figure. Great extra add-on, DST!

While some fans are going to (and in some cases, already started to) gripe about this release, I’m pretty excited about it. There’s a lot of new tooling and twists added to a beloved favorite figure that’s been out of circulation for a while. For a limited store exclusive, I think this is a pretty sweet item.

The Marvel Select Venom Exclusive figure is now available for order online, and has also begun to show up at some local Disney Stores (although I haven’t seen it yet in New England myself). With the holidays imminent, the movie a huge success, and symbiote figures always being natural hot-sellers, this should rival the exclusive Select Thanos as far as fast sell-outs go.

What do you think about this fresh and unique interpretation of Venom by Diamond Select Toys, Marvel collectors? Are you compelled by any of the new heads and/or tendrils included with the figure, and is this figure bound for your symbiote shelf?