Venom: Along Came A Spider...

Venom: Miniseries

by Larry Hama, Len Kaminski, Joe St. Pierre (Illustrator)

It's Venom vs. Spider-Man once again...for the first time! Eddie Brock takes on a very different web-slinger: Ben Reilly! With Venom a wanted man and Eddie's ex-wife Anne Weying caught in the middle, a deadly rivalry is reborn! And when the symbiote-hunting alien Xenophage targets Venom, this time it's Eddie's brain in danger of being eaten! Meanwhile, four imprisoned symbiotes join together to become Hybrid - but how will this unstable new hero be judged by the Jury? And as Venom's hunger threatens to overwhelm him, can Eddie keep his "other" in check - or will everyone's favorite symbiote become a crazed cannibal killer? Either way, Venom's in for a world of hurt - courtesy of Dr. Paine!

COLLECTING: VENOM: ALONG CAME A SPIDER 1-4, VENOM: THE HUNTED 1-3, VENOM: THE HUNGER 1-4, MATERIAL FROM SPIDER-MAN HOLIDAY SPECIAL 1995

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Spider Man

392 pages, Paperback

First published August 22, 2018

About the author

Larry Hama is an American writer, artist, actor and musician who has worked in the fields of entertainment and publishing since the 1960s.

During the 1970s, he was seen in minor roles on the TV shows M*A*S*H and Saturday Night Live, and appeared on Broadway in two roles in the original 1976 production of Stephen Sondheim's Pacific Overtures.

He is best known to American comic book readers as a writer and editor for Marvel Comics, where he wrote the licensed comic book series G.I. Joe, A Real American Hero, based on the Hasbro action figures. He has also written for the series Wolverine, Nth Man: the Ultimate Ninja, and Elektra. He created the character Bucky O'Hare, which was developed into a comic book, a toy line and television cartoon.

Reviews

[Katherine (Kat) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 Stars
Individuals Issues Rated Below -

Venom: Along Came A Spider #1: 3.5/5 Stars
Venom: Along Came A Spider #2: 3.5/5 Stars
Venom: Along Came A Spider #3: 3.5/5 Stars
Venom: Along Came A Spider #4: 2.5/5 Stars

I didn't expect to, but I enjoyed the Hybrid issues way more than the Venom ones.

[Adam Stone · Rating 3 out of 5]

Larry Hama is a beloved GI Joe author, and one whose work I haven't really come across before. This volume didn't really endear me to him. We do get a bit more knowledge about the Venom Symbiote, as Hama evolves Eddie Brock/Venom from just being a Violent Symbiote Who Wants To Protect Innocents But Is Happy To Kill Anyone Else to A Creature Who Needs Certain Chemicals In Human Brains To Survive And That's Why He Must Kill People And Eat Their Brains.

It ain't literature but it's an interesting new addition to the symbiote lore.

If you're a 90s Venom fan, you might love this, but it's completely skippable if you're just looking for a good story. I'm not 100% yet that this whole volume gets retconned, but I'm Pretty Sure they don't keep the brain eating as part of the symbiote lore going forward.

[Gareth Leadbetter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely more of a mixed bag compared to the last set. I think some of the ratings are a bit harsh for this run of Venom. Maybe comic writing has developed in the 21st century, but the nineties was also a golden era, particularly for the Spiderman group of comics. The Larry Hama stories were my entry point into reading American comics and I loved them, including the great b stories, such as Hybrid and the Jury. It was amazing when these worlds started converging.

I think this volume starts quite strong, pitting the former Scarlet Spider against Venom in a story which is well paced but maybe lacks the final punch. In The Hunted there is definitely a real sense of threat for Eddie. I remember finding The Hunger a bit weird and it still feels out of place. The Hybrid story arc is still a highlight for me.

[Jamie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty bad book, couldn’t even finish it.
Very goofy writing and artwork. A whole lot of action, but not much else. No real substance in the story. I do however really like the cover, it’s what made me buy the book! But I really struggled to get through this one and kept leaving it for ages. Some of the pencils are the worst I’ve seen in comics. Just incredibly amateur and awful proportions.
Before finishing, I started to try sell it and I don’t think I’ll ever go back to it….
Couldn’t recommend at all.

[James DeSantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This volume wasn't as fun as the last. The Bside stories in these were interesting and introduced "hybrid" who I liked enough to research and do a video. I also enjoyed the hunted just because introduced a new alien who eats symbiote which is cool. But the along came a spider and hunger storyline were good but standard 90s venom comics you'd expect, cheesy dialogue and all.

[Miga Avalos · Rating 1 out of 5]

No

[John H · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this would have more Venom vs Spider-Man in it, but it didn't have much and it's Ben Reilly Spider-Man.

[Benton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've never been a van of Venom and hoped this book would change my mind.

Nope

[Leeann Scaramuzza · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the storylines were great. Others not so good.
The artwork was very jumbled and the pages looked chaotic. Not my favourite venom book.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pure 90s cheese

[Lillian Francis · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Hunger - didn't enjoy and the art is messy.
Preferred ACAS and Hunted.

[lex · Rating 4 out of 5]

‼️ venom: along came a spider 1-4, venom: the hunted 1-3, venom: the hunger 1-4

ni siquiera hablemos de the hunger porque algo terrible ocurre dentro de mí.

[Josiah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Awful art and contrived storyline. Don’t bother.

[James Biser · Rating 5 out of 5]

As Venom deals with the offspring of his symbiote, Spiderman joins the fight. Even though Eddie Brock is his sworn enemy, his spidey senses convince him to assist Venom in this fight.