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Venom: Miniseries
Venom: Separation Anxiety
The lethal protector continues his symbiotic crusade as the most fearsome antihero in comics! But the bounty hunter Mace and the Sunrise Society may well bring an end to Eddie Brock's new dawn! If not, perhaps the demonic vigilante Vengeance will be Venom's undoing when the two dark warriors are targeted by the Stalkers! Then again, Venom might end up caught in the familiar yet different web of the amazing, spectacular…Scarlet Spider? One way or another, Eddie and his other half are heading for some separation anxiety. But while the alien parasite begins a quest to reunite with Brock, five symbiotic spawns of Venom get to him first! Is this the end of a fearsome friendship?
Collects Venom: The Mace #1-3, Venom: Nights of Vengeance #1-4, Web of Spider-Man (1985) #118-119, Spider-Man (1990) #52-53, Venom: Separation Anxiety #1-4.
Collects Venom: The Mace #1-3, Venom: Nights of Vengeance #1-4, Web of Spider-Man (1985) #118-119, Spider-Man (1990) #52-53, Venom: Separation Anxiety #1-4.
343 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 3, 2017
14 people are currently reading
113 people want to read
About the author
Carl Potts
157 books12 followersCreative Director, Writer, Artist & Editor with experience in visual arts, entertainment, marketing, interactive and education.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
August 8, 2025
3.5/5 Stars
Individual Issues Rated Below -
Venom: The Mace #1: 3/5 Stars
Venom: The Mace #2: 3.5/5 Stars
Venom: The Mace #3: 3/5 Stars
Venom: Nights of Vengeance #1: 3.5/5 Stars
Venom: Nights of Vengeance #2: 2.5/5 Stars
Venom: Nights of Vengeance #3: 3/5 Stars
Venom: Nights of Vengeance #4: 3.5/5 Stars
Web of Spider-Man #118: 3.5/5 Stars
Web of Spider-Man #119: 3/5 Stars
Spider-Man #52: 4/5 Stars
Spider-Man #53: 4/5 Stars
Venom: Separation Anxiety #1: 3.5/5 Stars
Venom: Separation Anxiety #2: 3.5/5 Stars
Venom: Separation Anxiety #3: 4/5 Stars
Venom: Separation Anxiety #4: 4.5/5 Stars
Individual Issues Rated Below -
Venom: The Mace #1: 3/5 Stars
Venom: The Mace #2: 3.5/5 Stars
Venom: The Mace #3: 3/5 Stars
Venom: Nights of Vengeance #1: 3.5/5 Stars
Venom: Nights of Vengeance #2: 2.5/5 Stars
Venom: Nights of Vengeance #3: 3/5 Stars
Venom: Nights of Vengeance #4: 3.5/5 Stars
Web of Spider-Man #118: 3.5/5 Stars
Web of Spider-Man #119: 3/5 Stars
Spider-Man #52: 4/5 Stars
Spider-Man #53: 4/5 Stars
Venom: Separation Anxiety #1: 3.5/5 Stars
Venom: Separation Anxiety #2: 3.5/5 Stars
Venom: Separation Anxiety #3: 4/5 Stars
Venom: Separation Anxiety #4: 4.5/5 Stars
March 24, 2019
I've read a lot of Venom comics so far – Birth of Venom, Vengeance of Venom, Lethal Protector, Maximum Carnage, Enemy Within, Dark Origin – and the series has mostly been hit-or-miss up to this point. I was beginning to fear that the Venom series of comics was doomed to be entirely mediocre, or at best only sporadically great. Then I read Separation Anxiety, and all hope in Venom as both a character and a series was restored. It's about damn time!
The Separation Anxiety graphic novel, similar to the Venom: Enemy Within graphic novel, is comprised of several Venom limited series, so don't expect all 300+ pages to be the Separation Anxiety storyline. However, though the main attraction does not come until the very end, I never felt that any of the other arcs were detrimental to the whole, as each one contributed to the climactic build up in Separation Anxiety in their own ways.
The Mace:
The graphic novel opens up with this limited series, and it was okay. Nothing spectacular, but by no means anything bad either. The story centers around a mysterious new character named Mace entering Venom's domain, and the usual comic book tropes follow suit. They fight; they team-up against a common foe; the story concludes. Mace is not particularly interesting, but I don't think he was ever meant to stick around anyways. It is a little underwhelming, but that is only in terms of its main story. On the side, we get glimpses into Eddie Brock's motivations, his ever-developing humanity. We see how he fervently believes himself to be a hero and a good guy despite his lust for blood and tendency to scare those for whom he truly cares such as (his love interest?) Beck. These themes are only slightly touched upon, but the seeds have been sown for future Venom comics to expand in greater detail, which they even managed to do later in this same collection, so The Mace gets points for contributing to the continuity. Also, the art was pretty good, but Venom's proportions looked a bit odd at times. No major downfalls to report here.
Nights of Vengeance:
Things begin to pick up a bit of steam here, for Nights of Vengeance gave us what The Mace only barely managed to provide. The action is intensified, the characters are more interesting (especially Vengeance from the Ghost Rider franchise), and Venom's motivations become more evident. This time around, a group of alien-robotic hunters come to Earth to challenge the most worthy adversaries in a hunt a la the Predator movies. These villains, again, are nothing to write home about, but they are serviceable for the story. By a stroke of chance, Vengeance gets caught up in this hunt alongside Venom and they team-up to get the job done. It's a cool crossover, and I don't have much to complain about. But the real takeaway from Nights of Vengeance was getting to see more of Eddie Brock as a nuanced character and not merely as a bloodthirsty anti-hero. His love life (or lack thereof) is touched upon to a small degree, but that little bit of insight into his life gives just enough to be poignant and impactful. The story also ends on a cliffhanger that is returned to later in this graphic novel, so for continuity's sake this one is worth checking out. Like most Venom comics, the art was good and really gave me nothing to complain about. I always love to see Venom depicted in a cool, scary, intimidating way, and nearly all of this graphic novel has given me that version of Venom in spades.
The Exile Returns:
Here we go! This is where the collection gets good – really good! For me, this is a double whammy of awesomeness, for not only am I getting my favorite Spider-Man villain in a great story, but I am also getting the Scarlet Spider in all his glory. The Scarlet Spider is Spider-Man's clone from the Clone Saga, that convoluted mess of an event that is almost universally panned as being too overblown, too confusing, and far too lengthy to have ever had a chance at being remotely good in the state in which it was released. To a degree, you will have to know a little bit about the Clone Saga and Ben Reilly's character in order to fully appreciate this story, otherwise you may get distracted from the excellent story because of a trivial detail that was not touched upon in this graphic novel. The Clone Saga aside, the Scarlet Spider made for a great adversary to Venom, hearkening back to the days when Spidey himself was always tangling webs with the symbiotic savage (they have since come to an understanding to leave each other alone, so they barely interact now). These two cross paths when Ben Reilly returns to New York City and succumbs to his need to be a superhero, for living the life of a civilian is just not in Spider-Man's blood (so neither is it in his). Venom is also in New York City (gee, what a coincidence) trying to hunt down and eradicate Carnage and other symbiote hosts that still exist. The Scarlet Spider, along with all of New York, thinks Venom is still a bad guy, so things get ugly for him fairly quickly. Venom is misunderstood throughout, and it makes for an interesting dynamic to see the hero of this story systematically being reverted back to his old ways because of their inability to accept a newly reformed Venom. It is a challenge Venom has to face all the time, making him seem far more fleshed out as a sympathetic character than when he simply exists to fight Spider-Man. The fights between the Scarlet Spider and Venom are very cool, some of the best action sequences in all his comic books so far. The ending to The Exile Returns leads directly into the final story in this graphic novel, so even though these four issues weren't technically a Venom limited series, they served a pivotal role in the upcoming storyline and have to be read in order to understand what happens next.
Separation Anxiety:
The Exile Returns was technically part of the Spider-Man comic line, but Separation Anxiety goes back to being a Venom limited series, and it is the best story collected in this graphic novel, even the best Venom story so far in my reading. Rather than featuring Venom for most of its duration, Separation Anxiety gives us something different and very welcomed: a more intimate look into Eddie Brock's psyche. Now without his symbiotic other bonded to his flesh, Brock is forced to come face-to-face with his life, looking back on all that he has done since bonding with the symbiote. He is tormented, questioning who was really in charge when he was murdering those who threatened innocents. He wonders how much of him is left now that he has become so dependent on the symbiote. This relationship between Eddie Brock and his symbiotic costume seems to be allegorical of people coping with drug addiction and the pains associated with its subsequent withdrawal. Like a heroin addict who has been taken away from his needle, Brock feels physically, mentally, and emotionally tormented by the loss of something to which he has gotten so accustomed over the years, something he knows is poisoning him but possibly cannot live without. For a long time, Venom's symbiotic bond has been framed as being all-powerful and without downsides, but now a new perspective is being introduced, one that has not been touched upon since Spider-Man was bonded to the suit himself and was suffering from similar thoughts. Brock has never taken into account the dangers of being so closely attached to this parasitic being for so long, and now the consequences are taking their toll on him. To make his inner plight exponentially worse, the five symbiotes from Lethal Protector are back, seeking Brock out for help in quelling their alien others from taking control of them. Their inclusion accentuates Brock's own potential future, one where his symbiote may take complete control of him, effectively killing off Brock and leaving only Venom. Truly, this has been the Venom story that I was waiting for, and it only took me...six graphic novels to get to it! With any hope, all future Venom titles can match this one's excellence.
I am wholeheartedly impressed by Venom: Separation Anxiety as a graphic novel. I have come across some less-than stellar Venom collections before, some even verging on being irredeemable. I was honestly beginning to think that no Venom solo series was ever going to be as good as I always hoped it would be, but then along came this wonderful graphic novel to revive my hopes for Venom's future. Its inclusion of The Exile Returns and Separation Anxiety make this a must-read for Venom fans everywhere, as you would be hard-pressed to find better Venom stories anywhere else (not since Maximum Carnage have I been so amped up to read more stories including my favorite anti-hero, and I really loved that story). This is mandatory reading for those wanting to read all of Eddie Brock's run as Venom, but just be prepared to have some foreknowledge on who Ben Reilly is and also know the events of Lethal Protector since they directly tie-into this collection.
The Separation Anxiety graphic novel, similar to the Venom: Enemy Within graphic novel, is comprised of several Venom limited series, so don't expect all 300+ pages to be the Separation Anxiety storyline. However, though the main attraction does not come until the very end, I never felt that any of the other arcs were detrimental to the whole, as each one contributed to the climactic build up in Separation Anxiety in their own ways.
The Mace:
The graphic novel opens up with this limited series, and it was okay. Nothing spectacular, but by no means anything bad either. The story centers around a mysterious new character named Mace entering Venom's domain, and the usual comic book tropes follow suit. They fight; they team-up against a common foe; the story concludes. Mace is not particularly interesting, but I don't think he was ever meant to stick around anyways. It is a little underwhelming, but that is only in terms of its main story. On the side, we get glimpses into Eddie Brock's motivations, his ever-developing humanity. We see how he fervently believes himself to be a hero and a good guy despite his lust for blood and tendency to scare those for whom he truly cares such as (his love interest?) Beck. These themes are only slightly touched upon, but the seeds have been sown for future Venom comics to expand in greater detail, which they even managed to do later in this same collection, so The Mace gets points for contributing to the continuity. Also, the art was pretty good, but Venom's proportions looked a bit odd at times. No major downfalls to report here.
Nights of Vengeance:
Things begin to pick up a bit of steam here, for Nights of Vengeance gave us what The Mace only barely managed to provide. The action is intensified, the characters are more interesting (especially Vengeance from the Ghost Rider franchise), and Venom's motivations become more evident. This time around, a group of alien-robotic hunters come to Earth to challenge the most worthy adversaries in a hunt a la the Predator movies. These villains, again, are nothing to write home about, but they are serviceable for the story. By a stroke of chance, Vengeance gets caught up in this hunt alongside Venom and they team-up to get the job done. It's a cool crossover, and I don't have much to complain about. But the real takeaway from Nights of Vengeance was getting to see more of Eddie Brock as a nuanced character and not merely as a bloodthirsty anti-hero. His love life (or lack thereof) is touched upon to a small degree, but that little bit of insight into his life gives just enough to be poignant and impactful. The story also ends on a cliffhanger that is returned to later in this graphic novel, so for continuity's sake this one is worth checking out. Like most Venom comics, the art was good and really gave me nothing to complain about. I always love to see Venom depicted in a cool, scary, intimidating way, and nearly all of this graphic novel has given me that version of Venom in spades.
The Exile Returns:
Here we go! This is where the collection gets good – really good! For me, this is a double whammy of awesomeness, for not only am I getting my favorite Spider-Man villain in a great story, but I am also getting the Scarlet Spider in all his glory. The Scarlet Spider is Spider-Man's clone from the Clone Saga, that convoluted mess of an event that is almost universally panned as being too overblown, too confusing, and far too lengthy to have ever had a chance at being remotely good in the state in which it was released. To a degree, you will have to know a little bit about the Clone Saga and Ben Reilly's character in order to fully appreciate this story, otherwise you may get distracted from the excellent story because of a trivial detail that was not touched upon in this graphic novel. The Clone Saga aside, the Scarlet Spider made for a great adversary to Venom, hearkening back to the days when Spidey himself was always tangling webs with the symbiotic savage (they have since come to an understanding to leave each other alone, so they barely interact now). These two cross paths when Ben Reilly returns to New York City and succumbs to his need to be a superhero, for living the life of a civilian is just not in Spider-Man's blood (so neither is it in his). Venom is also in New York City (gee, what a coincidence) trying to hunt down and eradicate Carnage and other symbiote hosts that still exist. The Scarlet Spider, along with all of New York, thinks Venom is still a bad guy, so things get ugly for him fairly quickly. Venom is misunderstood throughout, and it makes for an interesting dynamic to see the hero of this story systematically being reverted back to his old ways because of their inability to accept a newly reformed Venom. It is a challenge Venom has to face all the time, making him seem far more fleshed out as a sympathetic character than when he simply exists to fight Spider-Man. The fights between the Scarlet Spider and Venom are very cool, some of the best action sequences in all his comic books so far. The ending to The Exile Returns leads directly into the final story in this graphic novel, so even though these four issues weren't technically a Venom limited series, they served a pivotal role in the upcoming storyline and have to be read in order to understand what happens next.
Separation Anxiety:
The Exile Returns was technically part of the Spider-Man comic line, but Separation Anxiety goes back to being a Venom limited series, and it is the best story collected in this graphic novel, even the best Venom story so far in my reading. Rather than featuring Venom for most of its duration, Separation Anxiety gives us something different and very welcomed: a more intimate look into Eddie Brock's psyche. Now without his symbiotic other bonded to his flesh, Brock is forced to come face-to-face with his life, looking back on all that he has done since bonding with the symbiote. He is tormented, questioning who was really in charge when he was murdering those who threatened innocents. He wonders how much of him is left now that he has become so dependent on the symbiote. This relationship between Eddie Brock and his symbiotic costume seems to be allegorical of people coping with drug addiction and the pains associated with its subsequent withdrawal. Like a heroin addict who has been taken away from his needle, Brock feels physically, mentally, and emotionally tormented by the loss of something to which he has gotten so accustomed over the years, something he knows is poisoning him but possibly cannot live without. For a long time, Venom's symbiotic bond has been framed as being all-powerful and without downsides, but now a new perspective is being introduced, one that has not been touched upon since Spider-Man was bonded to the suit himself and was suffering from similar thoughts. Brock has never taken into account the dangers of being so closely attached to this parasitic being for so long, and now the consequences are taking their toll on him. To make his inner plight exponentially worse, the five symbiotes from Lethal Protector are back, seeking Brock out for help in quelling their alien others from taking control of them. Their inclusion accentuates Brock's own potential future, one where his symbiote may take complete control of him, effectively killing off Brock and leaving only Venom. Truly, this has been the Venom story that I was waiting for, and it only took me...six graphic novels to get to it! With any hope, all future Venom titles can match this one's excellence.
I am wholeheartedly impressed by Venom: Separation Anxiety as a graphic novel. I have come across some less-than stellar Venom collections before, some even verging on being irredeemable. I was honestly beginning to think that no Venom solo series was ever going to be as good as I always hoped it would be, but then along came this wonderful graphic novel to revive my hopes for Venom's future. Its inclusion of The Exile Returns and Separation Anxiety make this a must-read for Venom fans everywhere, as you would be hard-pressed to find better Venom stories anywhere else (not since Maximum Carnage have I been so amped up to read more stories including my favorite anti-hero, and I really loved that story). This is mandatory reading for those wanting to read all of Eddie Brock's run as Venom, but just be prepared to have some foreknowledge on who Ben Reilly is and also know the events of Lethal Protector since they directly tie-into this collection.
August 26, 2021
So we get a few different stories and as always, different levels of bad and good.
So let's start with Venom: The Mace. A super 80's/90's action hero decides to enter Brock's world and they each hunt each other down after trying to stop a gang war. Miscommunication brings them to eventually fight side by side. This story is very cheesy but nothing horrible just decent with some really cool fights.
Next up is Venom Nights of Vengeance. So this has a knockoff Ghost rider and Venom teaming up to take out the trash...which is basically these aliens that come down hunting a agent who venom and ghost rider knockoff are protecting. This one is honestly pretty boring with the exception of some laugh out loud funny moments of two girls fawning over fucking Venom. Like come on bro.
Then we get to actually some good stories. Venom and Ben Riley, the replacement for Peter in the 90's as Spider-man, finally meet head to head. At first they ain't bros, and it goes even worse as they beat the living shit out of each other. Scream comes in half way to be like "Hey bros, I need your help" but they both ignore her to beat the shit out of each other. Eventually Spidy beats Venom and Venom is seperated from venom.
Which leads to the best story. The symbiote and Brock not together. Now Brock must help the other Symbiote users to control theirs but none of them listen while one of them is a killer. This leads to some really fun who done it moments, great fights, cool deaths, and Brock showing he's not such a airhead.
So first two stories are just okay, bit boring, but the following two are pretty good. Some of the better 90's venom. I'll bump this one to a 4 even if it's highest a 3.5.
So let's start with Venom: The Mace. A super 80's/90's action hero decides to enter Brock's world and they each hunt each other down after trying to stop a gang war. Miscommunication brings them to eventually fight side by side. This story is very cheesy but nothing horrible just decent with some really cool fights.
Next up is Venom Nights of Vengeance. So this has a knockoff Ghost rider and Venom teaming up to take out the trash...which is basically these aliens that come down hunting a agent who venom and ghost rider knockoff are protecting. This one is honestly pretty boring with the exception of some laugh out loud funny moments of two girls fawning over fucking Venom. Like come on bro.
Then we get to actually some good stories. Venom and Ben Riley, the replacement for Peter in the 90's as Spider-man, finally meet head to head. At first they ain't bros, and it goes even worse as they beat the living shit out of each other. Scream comes in half way to be like "Hey bros, I need your help" but they both ignore her to beat the shit out of each other. Eventually Spidy beats Venom and Venom is seperated from venom.
Which leads to the best story. The symbiote and Brock not together. Now Brock must help the other Symbiote users to control theirs but none of them listen while one of them is a killer. This leads to some really fun who done it moments, great fights, cool deaths, and Brock showing he's not such a airhead.
So first two stories are just okay, bit boring, but the following two are pretty good. Some of the better 90's venom. I'll bump this one to a 4 even if it's highest a 3.5.
December 22, 2021
This was part of my Venom and King in Black reading order.
Been reading lots of disappointing 90s comic series that I didn't read back then, and they're mostly disappointing.. BUT, this one was actually nice, you DO have to read the previous Venom mini-series if you're like me and you need to read everything chronologically, it's not like a MUST to know what's happening, but if you do read previous Venom series, you know where Brock is currently in his life, who's around him, and what he wants to do with his life. You also already know why he is where he is and who the hell are all these other symbiotes and how they came to be.
So, as you can tell from the title of this one, and if you read any Venom previous series, Eddie Brock is separated with his symbiote, and the symbiote is feeling lonely and wants to get back to Eddie, but, they have it contained and experimented on and Eddie is also somewhere else and contained.
So pretty much a bunch of fun stuff are happening here!
Been reading lots of disappointing 90s comic series that I didn't read back then, and they're mostly disappointing.. BUT, this one was actually nice, you DO have to read the previous Venom mini-series if you're like me and you need to read everything chronologically, it's not like a MUST to know what's happening, but if you do read previous Venom series, you know where Brock is currently in his life, who's around him, and what he wants to do with his life. You also already know why he is where he is and who the hell are all these other symbiotes and how they came to be.
So, as you can tell from the title of this one, and if you read any Venom previous series, Eddie Brock is separated with his symbiote, and the symbiote is feeling lonely and wants to get back to Eddie, but, they have it contained and experimented on and Eddie is also somewhere else and contained.
So pretty much a bunch of fun stuff are happening here!
March 6, 2019
Reprints Venom: The Mace #1-3, Venom: Nights of Vengeance #1-4, Venom: Separation Anxiety #1-4, Web of Spider-Man (1) #118-119, and Spider-Man (1) #52-53 (May 1994-March 1995). Venom continues to protect the undergrounders of San Francisco though the battle is getting harder. When he learns of a new Spider-Man in New York City and the potential return of his symbiote spawns, Eddie Brock is headed back to the Big Apple…and Venom always takes a big bite!
Written by Carl Potts, Howard Mackie, and Terry Kavanagh, Venom: Separation Anxiety is a collection of Marvel Comics Venom limited-series from the 1990s. Following Venom: The Enemy Within, the collection features art by Liam Sharp, Ron Lim, Steven Butler, Tom Lyle, and Ron Randall, and the issues were also collected in Venomnibus—Volume 1. The collection also features the first appearance of the Scarlet Spider in the Venom-Spider-Man crossover storyline “The Exile Returns” which were collected multiple times as part of the Clone-Saga (including Spider-Man: The Complete Clone Saga Epic—Book 1 and the Spider-Man Clone Saga Omnibus—Volume 1).
I really liked Venom when he first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man. He was dangerous, deadly, and a clever storyline to spin out of the black costume. The 1990s were not kind to Venom. The popularity of character meant guest-starring and limited series all over the place. The character quickly became watered down. This collection is a nice trip back to the 1990s, but it doesn’t mean that it is that good.
The collection features three limited series and the Spider-Man crossover. Of the three series, Venom: The Mace is probably the most forgettable simply because not much was ever done with the character besides this entry. While the Venom: Nights of Vengeance was not particularly entertaining either, it at least benefited from having a known costar…even if it was the Ghost Rider knock-off.
The Separation Anxiety storyline was probably the most entertaining of the limited series. The other symbiotes were fun, and the characters develop a bit more since the Venom: Lethal Protector story barely used them. This is combined with a Ten Little Indians type of story where someone is a killer, and though the killer was pretty predictable, it still is nice to have a mystery involved.
The Clone Saga was much maligned at the time of its release, but there was something enjoyable about it. The story kicks off the Clone Saga and Venom’s involvement almost seems secondary at points. It is a necessary part of the Venom story to get him back to NYC, but it feels a bit extraneous.
If you are tired of today’s heavy-handed comics and just want some “non-filling” comfort comics food, Venom: Separation Anxiety might be the solution to this. The comics aren’t serious, and they are rather generic, but that sometimes is just what you need when read…a nice escape you can laugh at. Venom: Separation Anxiety is followed by Venom: Carnage Unleashed.
Written by Carl Potts, Howard Mackie, and Terry Kavanagh, Venom: Separation Anxiety is a collection of Marvel Comics Venom limited-series from the 1990s. Following Venom: The Enemy Within, the collection features art by Liam Sharp, Ron Lim, Steven Butler, Tom Lyle, and Ron Randall, and the issues were also collected in Venomnibus—Volume 1. The collection also features the first appearance of the Scarlet Spider in the Venom-Spider-Man crossover storyline “The Exile Returns” which were collected multiple times as part of the Clone-Saga (including Spider-Man: The Complete Clone Saga Epic—Book 1 and the Spider-Man Clone Saga Omnibus—Volume 1).
I really liked Venom when he first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man. He was dangerous, deadly, and a clever storyline to spin out of the black costume. The 1990s were not kind to Venom. The popularity of character meant guest-starring and limited series all over the place. The character quickly became watered down. This collection is a nice trip back to the 1990s, but it doesn’t mean that it is that good.
The collection features three limited series and the Spider-Man crossover. Of the three series, Venom: The Mace is probably the most forgettable simply because not much was ever done with the character besides this entry. While the Venom: Nights of Vengeance was not particularly entertaining either, it at least benefited from having a known costar…even if it was the Ghost Rider knock-off.
The Separation Anxiety storyline was probably the most entertaining of the limited series. The other symbiotes were fun, and the characters develop a bit more since the Venom: Lethal Protector story barely used them. This is combined with a Ten Little Indians type of story where someone is a killer, and though the killer was pretty predictable, it still is nice to have a mystery involved.
The Clone Saga was much maligned at the time of its release, but there was something enjoyable about it. The story kicks off the Clone Saga and Venom’s involvement almost seems secondary at points. It is a necessary part of the Venom story to get him back to NYC, but it feels a bit extraneous.
If you are tired of today’s heavy-handed comics and just want some “non-filling” comfort comics food, Venom: Separation Anxiety might be the solution to this. The comics aren’t serious, and they are rather generic, but that sometimes is just what you need when read…a nice escape you can laugh at. Venom: Separation Anxiety is followed by Venom: Carnage Unleashed.
May 10, 2021
This was an exhausting mess of a collection. In order to follow Venom's adventures chronologically without reading all of the Spider-Man books as well, you've got to just lot a ton of stuff slide or yo are going to be Lost.
This story starts with Venom still on the West Coast with the underground cult he's been hanging out with, protecting them from gangs, corporations, aliens, whathaveyou. The first story involves a misunderstood character who appears to be a villain but ended up an ally because bad government guys show up. The second story involved a misunderstood Ghost-Rider character who appears to be a villain but ended up an ally because bad government guys being controlled by aliens whose powers seem similar to the Phalanx in the X-Men show up.
Then we switch gears entirely as we get a glimpse of Ben Reilly, Spider-Clone. You kno he's a clone of Peter Parker because he mentions it on every page. He is a just a clone. Woe is his memories for he is just a clone. He doens't know about Venom's powers because he is just a clone. He doesn't know if he is a hero for woe he is a clone, etc.
This part of the story is pretty exhausting. We do have the B-story that reveals that at least one of the five other symbiotes from Venom: Lethal Protector are still around, and want Venom's help. But Venom is focused on taking down Ben Reilly Spider-Clone, oh woe is him who is a clone.
The end of the previous story leads into the final arc, a completely repetetive adventure where Eddie Brock battles the five other symbiotes because ... the writers were out of ideas?
I've mentioned that quite a few of these Venom collections are better than I expected, as I remembered Venom being a very 90s-era character constantly plopped into confusingly dense continuity, beset with other clones of Spider-Man and clones of Venom, and clones of Carnage. The stories in this volume are precisely the ones I was thinking of. This is a headache-inducing volume, and I had to put it down repeatedly because I just didn't care.
This story starts with Venom still on the West Coast with the underground cult he's been hanging out with, protecting them from gangs, corporations, aliens, whathaveyou. The first story involves a misunderstood character who appears to be a villain but ended up an ally because bad government guys show up. The second story involved a misunderstood Ghost-Rider character who appears to be a villain but ended up an ally because bad government guys being controlled by aliens whose powers seem similar to the Phalanx in the X-Men show up.
Then we switch gears entirely as we get a glimpse of Ben Reilly, Spider-Clone. You kno he's a clone of Peter Parker because he mentions it on every page. He is a just a clone. Woe is his memories for he is just a clone. He doens't know about Venom's powers because he is just a clone. He doesn't know if he is a hero for woe he is a clone, etc.
This part of the story is pretty exhausting. We do have the B-story that reveals that at least one of the five other symbiotes from Venom: Lethal Protector are still around, and want Venom's help. But Venom is focused on taking down Ben Reilly Spider-Clone, oh woe is him who is a clone.
The end of the previous story leads into the final arc, a completely repetetive adventure where Eddie Brock battles the five other symbiotes because ... the writers were out of ideas?
I've mentioned that quite a few of these Venom collections are better than I expected, as I remembered Venom being a very 90s-era character constantly plopped into confusingly dense continuity, beset with other clones of Spider-Man and clones of Venom, and clones of Carnage. The stories in this volume are precisely the ones I was thinking of. This is a headache-inducing volume, and I had to put it down repeatedly because I just didn't care.
April 19, 2021
COLLECTS VENOM: THE MACE #1-3, VENOM: NIGHTS OF VENGEANCE #1-4, WEB OF SPIDER-MAN (1985) #118-119, SPIDER-MAN (1990) #52-53, VENOM: SEPARATION ANXIETY #1-4
The Ben Reilly version of Scarlet Spider is on the cover of this collection, so I had to at least check it out. I've read the four issues in this collection that feature Scarlet Spider numerous times, especially as a kid, and it is actually one of my favorite Ben Reilly stories. It features the debut of his iconic Scarlet Spider costume. I love those issues.
The rest of this collection is just OK. I ended up skimming through most of the rest of it, but "Separation Anxiety" did have some good aspects.
The Ben Reilly version of Scarlet Spider is on the cover of this collection, so I had to at least check it out. I've read the four issues in this collection that feature Scarlet Spider numerous times, especially as a kid, and it is actually one of my favorite Ben Reilly stories. It features the debut of his iconic Scarlet Spider costume. I love those issues.
The rest of this collection is just OK. I ended up skimming through most of the rest of it, but "Separation Anxiety" did have some good aspects.
February 16, 2022
This is really four different arcs.
“The Mace” was pretty good, albeit a bit random.
“Nights of Vengeance” was good. Being that this is a Venom collection, I expected a bit more of Venom but Vengeance is a good sidekick/not actually a sidekick, more of a partner.
“The Exile Returns” was definitely the weak link (and the reason for the loss of a star). Ben Reilly aka Scarlet Spider is just a whiny emo bitch and I can’t get into that.
“Separation Anxiety”, as the titular arc, was by far the best. I was actually surprised with how it turned out, having never read it before. Totally worth every penny for that arc alone.
“The Mace” was pretty good, albeit a bit random.
“Nights of Vengeance” was good. Being that this is a Venom collection, I expected a bit more of Venom but Vengeance is a good sidekick/not actually a sidekick, more of a partner.
“The Exile Returns” was definitely the weak link (and the reason for the loss of a star). Ben Reilly aka Scarlet Spider is just a whiny emo bitch and I can’t get into that.
“Separation Anxiety”, as the titular arc, was by far the best. I was actually surprised with how it turned out, having never read it before. Totally worth every penny for that arc alone.
April 20, 2021
A mixed bag of venom stories so brimming with 90's aesthetic that all the characters might as well be wearing shellsuits.
The standout highlight was the four-issue tussle with the original Scarlet Spider and the criminally underused female Symbiote.
I think I probably had unrealistic expectations for the titular Separation Anxiety arc, because I've wanted to read it since I was a kid. The symbiotes have really interesting designs but the dialogue and motivations have unfortunately not aged like a fine wine.
Overall I'm glad that I took the time.
The standout highlight was the four-issue tussle with the original Scarlet Spider and the criminally underused female Symbiote.
I think I probably had unrealistic expectations for the titular Separation Anxiety arc, because I've wanted to read it since I was a kid. The symbiotes have really interesting designs but the dialogue and motivations have unfortunately not aged like a fine wine.
Overall I'm glad that I took the time.
October 22, 2018
This comic showcases some of the best of Venom and it has some ties to the Clone Saga of Spider-man, so we got to see Ben Reilly (Scarlet Spider) do some webslinging to combat Venom. I love the artwork in this and the story was great. Brock is fighting his connection with the symbiote, not sure who's responsible for the worst actions committed by Venom when they are bonded. He is not to keen to find out where he stops and the symbiote begins.
September 22, 2025
If you want heavy duty storytelling with characters and plot to make you think and ponder, go read "Maus," "Watchmen," or "Saga." If, however, you need some cartoonish violence and want a pseudo-anti-hero, this is the tale for you.
Aside from the Scarlet Spider whining about how he's a clone and not a hero (just move to another city and start a new life, you crybaby), Venom is entertaining. The best selection was "Separation Anxiety" in which Eddie Brock gets separated from the symbiote.
Aside from the Scarlet Spider whining about how he's a clone and not a hero (just move to another city and start a new life, you crybaby), Venom is entertaining. The best selection was "Separation Anxiety" in which Eddie Brock gets separated from the symbiote.
October 24, 2018
I never read comics books as a kid, so I feel like I'm getting caught up on what I missed out on. Venom: Separation Anxiety gets four stars from be due to the amazing art, the interesting story lines, and it simply fun.
I admit however, that Eddie Brock confuses me. I'm unsure of who he really is, which for me makes the ending of the series very good. (no spoilers).
I admit however, that Eddie Brock confuses me. I'm unsure of who he really is, which for me makes the ending of the series very good. (no spoilers).
December 15, 2018
I don't read the older comics too often but I needed to get up to date with the Venom arcs and comics that didn't feature Flash Thompson as the host. So first off: Mace narrating his every move was both annoying and hilarious. Second: Scarlet Spider is SOOOOO angsty. Good lord. I don't think I've heard that much whining since...anime. Third: Eddie's mullet 💯 🔥 👌
July 11, 2020
Venom is hunted by another super hero, and with his capture he encounters some of the offspring of his symbiote. Venom deals with Carnage, and others...
July 29, 2022
Enjoyable collection of Venom stories.
The art is 90s, especially that hair, but for the most part I liked it, especially Lim.
The art is 90s, especially that hair, but for the most part I liked it, especially Lim.
August 31, 2023
‼️ The Mace, Venom: Nights of Vengeance, Web of Spider-Man, Spider-Man, venom: Separation Anxiety
August 23, 2025
I loved it. It was terrible. So 90s.
Every story felt like a backdoor pilot for an even more 90s character, but often that character was killed anyway
Every story felt like a backdoor pilot for an even more 90s character, but often that character was killed anyway
February 11, 2025
Muy buenas y emocionantes historias.
March 5, 2017
"The Mace" and "Nights of Vengeance" are skippable fluff. But "Return of the Exile" and "Separation Anxiet"y" itself are gold. However "Return of the Exile is in the Complete Clone Saga / Ben Reilly collections, so this is potentially not good value if you have a decent spider-library.
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