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Marvel-Verse
Marvel-Verse: Venom
Collects Spider-Man Adventures (1994) #8-10; Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #317; Marvel Adventures Spider-Man (2005) #35. Venom has been one of the most vicious villains in the Marvel-Verse — and one of its most lethal protectors! Get to know the sinister symbiote with some of his most action-packed adventures! It all begins with Spider-Man's symbiotic black costume — a killer outfit in more ways than one! And Spider-foes including the Rhino and the Shocker will find out just how dangerous it is! But after Spidey scorns and abandons the alien suit, the vengeful symbiote bonds with disgraced reporter Eddie Brock to become…Venom! Together, the two target Spider-Man for destruction — and nearly succeed! Venom eventually turns over a heroic new leaf — but how will Spidey react when his former deadliest foe swings back into town wanting to be…his friendly neighborhood sidekick?!
129 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 14, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 27, 2026
The Washington Post here used to run "Spiderman" as a daily comic, and it was about the dumbest thing I've ever seen printed in a newspaper (in part because he's now a grown-up loser married to Broadway star Mary Jane) — and that's obviously saying a lot!
(And okay, that second one's just a meme, but adult Spidey does give off that creepy a vibe)
But anyway, damn if MARVEL didn't make some great (and SONY some not-so-great) movies from the character; and they even turned "Ant-Man" into a reasonable superhero.*
Anyway…year or so back I watched the first "Venom" movie with my son and we quite enjoyed it;** then recently watched the second (which was NOT very good) and then the third/final (which was much better), and realized I knew NOTHING about that character other than what Tom Hardy had shown me, so decided to get something from the library and give it a look. And, well…turns out the library has a LOT of stuff to choose from, including a 300+ compilation of comics (nope), a 300+ page novel (nuupe), and this one, which had just three comics (and a "preview" of another) that covered Venom's origin story (or at least one of them; not sure if this is THE canonical one — Jonah Jameson's astronaut son brings it back onboard the space shuttle?), and then some other nonsense. And while not really very good, at least now I feel better informed.
Surprisingly, Eddie Brock (Hardy's character in the movies, and Venom's main host) is the villain here, but…maybe he changes later on?
* Back in 2012 I read the Marvel Avengers: The Ultimate Character Guide and noted just how dumb some (i.e., most) of these characters are, but apparently I was wrong — although I'm sticking to my original thoughts on "Squirrel Girl!"
** Because, obviously, TOM HARDY.
(And okay, that second one's just a meme, but adult Spidey does give off that creepy a vibe)
But anyway, damn if MARVEL didn't make some great (and SONY some not-so-great) movies from the character; and they even turned "Ant-Man" into a reasonable superhero.*
Anyway…year or so back I watched the first "Venom" movie with my son and we quite enjoyed it;** then recently watched the second (which was NOT very good) and then the third/final (which was much better), and realized I knew NOTHING about that character other than what Tom Hardy had shown me, so decided to get something from the library and give it a look. And, well…turns out the library has a LOT of stuff to choose from, including a 300+ compilation of comics (nope), a 300+ page novel (nuupe), and this one, which had just three comics (and a "preview" of another) that covered Venom's origin story (or at least one of them; not sure if this is THE canonical one — Jonah Jameson's astronaut son brings it back onboard the space shuttle?), and then some other nonsense. And while not really very good, at least now I feel better informed.
Surprisingly, Eddie Brock (Hardy's character in the movies, and Venom's main host) is the villain here, but…maybe he changes later on?
* Back in 2012 I read the Marvel Avengers: The Ultimate Character Guide and noted just how dumb some (i.e., most) of these characters are, but apparently I was wrong — although I'm sticking to my original thoughts on "Squirrel Girl!"
** Because, obviously, TOM HARDY.
June 10, 2021
I should preface this review by saying I've never been the biggest fan of Venom. The character is an interesting idea, but I honestly think he's been overused and overexposed by Marvel since his creation.
So why, then, would I pick up this collection of stories focusing on Venom?
Call it an impulse check-out from my local library.
After reading this collection of five comics, I find myself wondering just who the target audience is for this collection. Is it young readers to introduce them to the character of Venom (in case you've just discovered comic books, I guess)? Or is it older readers to give a quick overview of Venom's origin? I don't necessarily think it's anyone who has only seen the big-screen, live-action version of Venom with Tom Hardy because that storyline doesn't include Spider-Man as part of Venom's origin.
The question of just who this collection is for was on my mind a lot reading this. The first three parts are an adaptation of the Venom story from the '90's Spider-Man cartoon. As a way to introduce the symbiote to the Spider-Man universe without delving into the Secret Wars aspect and the long burn that was Spidey's alien costume and the creation of Venom, it works fairly well.
Then, the collection gives us a Todd McFarlane Venom story that I've read elsewhere involving Spidey and Venom meeting on a beach to duke it out and Spidey figuring out a way to trick the symbiote as a way to defeat Venom. My reaction to this story is the same as I have to a lot of McFarlane's run on Spider-Man -- his art is great, but his stories just don't quite seem to have the same depth as those from Stan Lee or other Spider-writers I read growing up. I know I've lamented that a lot of comics these days feel like as single Stan Lee issue stretched out to six or eight issues, but I can't help but feel that this story would have benefitted from a bit more time to stretch its legs and breath a bit.
The final story was the one that held the least interest for me, though I hadn't read it or experienced it before. Honestly, I came away from this one feeling like it's more of the same and reminding me of why I'm not the biggest Venom fan -- the character feels too one-note at times for my liking.
There is a short little comedy add-on at the end, that may end up frustrating some -- I know it did me. It's a six-page story that serves as little more than a preview for more to come and encourages you to go out and buy another volume (which comic books have been doing since the dawn of time, but still....). The comedy gold of contrasting Spider-Man and Venom singing his famous '60's cartoon theme song and then possibly being Odd-Couple-like roommates seems like it could be a lot of fun -- though, I don't necessarily think I'll be running out for the next installment.
Your mileage on this collection may vary. If you love Venom, odds are you'll like it.
So why, then, would I pick up this collection of stories focusing on Venom?
Call it an impulse check-out from my local library.
After reading this collection of five comics, I find myself wondering just who the target audience is for this collection. Is it young readers to introduce them to the character of Venom (in case you've just discovered comic books, I guess)? Or is it older readers to give a quick overview of Venom's origin? I don't necessarily think it's anyone who has only seen the big-screen, live-action version of Venom with Tom Hardy because that storyline doesn't include Spider-Man as part of Venom's origin.
The question of just who this collection is for was on my mind a lot reading this. The first three parts are an adaptation of the Venom story from the '90's Spider-Man cartoon. As a way to introduce the symbiote to the Spider-Man universe without delving into the Secret Wars aspect and the long burn that was Spidey's alien costume and the creation of Venom, it works fairly well.
Then, the collection gives us a Todd McFarlane Venom story that I've read elsewhere involving Spidey and Venom meeting on a beach to duke it out and Spidey figuring out a way to trick the symbiote as a way to defeat Venom. My reaction to this story is the same as I have to a lot of McFarlane's run on Spider-Man -- his art is great, but his stories just don't quite seem to have the same depth as those from Stan Lee or other Spider-writers I read growing up. I know I've lamented that a lot of comics these days feel like as single Stan Lee issue stretched out to six or eight issues, but I can't help but feel that this story would have benefitted from a bit more time to stretch its legs and breath a bit.
The final story was the one that held the least interest for me, though I hadn't read it or experienced it before. Honestly, I came away from this one feeling like it's more of the same and reminding me of why I'm not the biggest Venom fan -- the character feels too one-note at times for my liking.
There is a short little comedy add-on at the end, that may end up frustrating some -- I know it did me. It's a six-page story that serves as little more than a preview for more to come and encourages you to go out and buy another volume (which comic books have been doing since the dawn of time, but still....). The comedy gold of contrasting Spider-Man and Venom singing his famous '60's cartoon theme song and then possibly being Odd-Couple-like roommates seems like it could be a lot of fun -- though, I don't necessarily think I'll be running out for the next installment.
Your mileage on this collection may vary. If you love Venom, odds are you'll like it.
December 2, 2022
When I was a kid, I used to read the TMNT Adventures comics. At least I think that's what they were called. They were more kid-oriented stories and not part of the mainline continuity/canon of the TMNT Comics and they featured more colorful insanity and wacky premises and it was kind of like the TV show in comic form.
I revisited the TV Show as an adult like, 10 years ago and found it soul-suckingly bad. That kept me from checking out those comics again.
This collection of alternate-universe Venom stories does the same. It's like the animated show in comic form and a reminder that the actual comics are so much better.
I revisited the TV Show as an adult like, 10 years ago and found it soul-suckingly bad. That kept me from checking out those comics again.
This collection of alternate-universe Venom stories does the same. It's like the animated show in comic form and a reminder that the actual comics are so much better.
July 2, 2022
I'm really enjoying these Marvel-Verse collections. This was another solid read, with a nice snapshot of the Venom character. I really enjoyed reading the story arc that was based on the '90s animated cartoon.... Ah, nostalgia. My favorite story was definitely the one where Venom wanted to be Spidey's sidekick. There were lots of fun little jabs at sidekick tropes and I chuckled out loud a few times.
June 15, 2024
Thanks for reading, Marvel-Verse: VENOM, A good person taught you not all of them are bad, even Grey squirrels with the black mask so you learned maybe those other ones, the dark ones are good too. How they remember Venom squirming through the same conundrum and deciding, ultimately, to do the right thing? So you can take this in your life to know the other side of sides or to help them even in their different situation and choosing kindness and goodness are important.
Love, Mom and Dad
Love, Mom and Dad
December 31, 2020
Me and my son enjoyed reading this. It was pretty good. My only complaint is that the last comic is super short and is really a teaser for the full comic. It looked like that one would have been our favorite, but it just would have been nice if at the beginning it said something like, "now enjoy a teaser of Spider-man & Venom: Double Trouble GN-TPB."
December 18, 2022
3.5 stars
A pretty good example of how one of these Marvel-Verse books should be made. Starts off with a 3-issue origin story for Venom, in the style of the animated series, which is a great new reader-friendly intro to the character. Afterwards, the return of Venom from ASM #317 is a solid Michelinie/McFarlane story with a slightly darker tone, showcasing the danger that Venom poses to Spider-Man. Towards the end of the book, we get a slightly silly but fun Marvel Adventures story with Venom trying to be Spidey's sidekick, and an excerpt from a kid-friendly graphic novel (Spider-Man & Venom Double Trouble) which is basically filler.
A pretty good example of how one of these Marvel-Verse books should be made. Starts off with a 3-issue origin story for Venom, in the style of the animated series, which is a great new reader-friendly intro to the character. Afterwards, the return of Venom from ASM #317 is a solid Michelinie/McFarlane story with a slightly darker tone, showcasing the danger that Venom poses to Spider-Man. Towards the end of the book, we get a slightly silly but fun Marvel Adventures story with Venom trying to be Spidey's sidekick, and an excerpt from a kid-friendly graphic novel (Spider-Man & Venom Double Trouble) which is basically filler.
September 14, 2021
This book was awesome!!! All of them were
March 19, 2022
This story was adapted in the very popular Spider-Man cartoon show of the late 90s. Interesting to see how it played out in print and the stylistic differences both book and show had.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews