Spider-Man: Birth of Venom [Paperback]

Jim Shooter (Author), Tom DeFalco (Author), John Byrne (Author), Louise Simonson (Author), David Michelinie (Author), Mike Zeck (Illustrator), Ron Frenz (Illustrator), Rick Leonardi (Illustrator), Greg LaRocque (Illustrator), Todd McFarlane (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 4, 2007 | Grade Level: 4 and up

The Beyonder's Battleworld might seem a strange place to get new threads, but it's Spider-Man who becomes unraveled when his shape-changing costume attempts to darken his life as well as his fashion sense! But ridding himself of his riotous raiment proves an even greater mistake when its alien enmity bonds with mortal madness to form our hero's most dedicated decimator! Plus: the first appearances of Puma and the Rose! Mary Jane Watson's startling secret! And the debut of the battling...Bag-Man!? Guest-starring the Black Cat, the Fantastic Four and more! Collects Secret Wars #8; Amazing Spider-Man #252-259, #298-300 & #315-317; Fantastic Four #274 and Web of Spider-Man #1

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Marvel; Direct Ed edition (April 4, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0785124985
• ISBN-13: 978-0785124986
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 0.6 x 10.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #55,077 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #52 in Books > Children's Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Superheroes

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent background for "Spider-Man 3" movie, March 30, 2007

By 

Todd Grotenhuis "tgrotenhuis" (Grand Rapids, MI) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Spider-Man: Birth of Venom (Paperback)

This book contains a wonderful history of Spider-Man's earliest dealings with the alien costume that eventually became Venom. What makes this book better than earlier trade-paperbacks is that it's so much more comprehensive: You don't only get the "Saga of the Alien Costume," but also the David Michelinie / Todd McFarlane stories introducing Venom -- plus a couple of extra issues, to boot! Prospective buyers be aware, though, that this compilation does not include *all* of the full issues listed in the Amazon description (also listed on the back cover of the book) -- some of the issues only have a page or two that dealt with the Alien Costume or Venom. Also, the storytelling and artwork is considerably more simplistic in the early issues (as comics tended to be, in the early 1980's), but they do tell the full background of one of Spidey's most popular villains. All in all, you get:

Marvel Secret Wars #8 (two-and-a-half pages + cover)
Amazing Spidey #252-259 (full issues + covers)
Fantastic Four #274 (two pages)
Spectacular Spider-Man #100 (4 pages: not listed on the back cover, but I don't think these pages are part of any of the other comics)
Web of Spider-Man #1 (full issue + cover)
Amazing Spidey #298 (one page), #299 (two pages),
Amazing Spidey #300, 315-317 (full issues + covers)
Amazing Spidey Annual #25 (ten pages)
"Venom" entry from "Who's Who in the Marvel Universe" (three pages)

As you can see, even with a few pages' excerpts from some comics, you still get an awful lot to read (350 pages!), and regardless of the quality of the early parts, they are all loads of fun. Anyone wanting to read the "birth" and early history of Venom will love this: Highest recommendation!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars When Venom wasn't a joke, April 7, 2007

By 

Babytoxie (Dallas, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Spider-Man: Birth of Venom (Paperback)

The trade paperback SPIDER-MAN: BIRTH OF VENOM expands on the 1991 trade SPIDER-MAN: THE SAGA OF THE ALIEN COSTUME, collecting either complete or partial stories from Secret Wars #8, Amazing Spider-Man #252-259, 298-300, & 315-317; Fantastic Four #274; and Web of Spider-Man #1. Contained here is everything you need to know about how Peter Parker's black and white "costume" from the Beyonder's Battleworld became one of his greatest foes. From the brief initial appearance of the costume in Secret Wars through its evolution to a full-fledged villain, it's all here, plus appearances from Puma, Jack O'Lantern, Kingpin, the Rose, Black Cat, and the Fantastic Four. To me, these are the only Venom stories worth reading, as they came before the character's overexposure and inexplicable transformation into something of a "good guy".

The first half of the book follows Peter's discovery of the true nature of his costume, the majority of which is by writer Tom Defalco and artist Ron Frenz. Even though I have read these stories many times, the fun and suspense were still there. Defalco's use of expository dialogue and thought balloons are excessive, but the writing is no less solid for it. Frenz' art is superb, strongly resembling the work of Frank Miller at the time, while successfully incorporating Spidey's unique fighting style and general quirkiness as defined by Steve Ditko.

The second half of the book contains the Venom stories written by David Michelinie and illustrated by Todd McFarlane. This includes the introduction of Eddie Brock and the development of Venom as a major Spidey villain. These guys were certainly the most prominent creators during this period of Spider-Man's history, but I feel that more work is included from them than necessary. This collection could have easily ended with ASM #300, which features the initial battle with Venom and Spidey's return to the red and blue costume. The stories that follow aren't really what I'd call the "birth" of Venom - just more pages of battles.

For me, the best part of this collection is the work from Defalco and Frenz. But overall, the whole book works well - certainly a testament to the creative abilities of all involved.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Venom flows, April 30, 2007

By 

N. Durham "Big Evil" (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Spider-Man: Birth of Venom (Paperback)

With Spider-Man 3 looming, fans will finally get to see Venom on the big screen. However, for those who have less experience with the old Spidey comics, this TPB serves a big purpose. Spider-Man: Birth of Venom showcases the original stories that have been condensed and adapted for the mega budget film, as this large TPB focuses on the seperation of Peter Parker and the black, alien costume that turns out to be a symbiote. Soon after, the symbiote bonds with the disgruntled Eddie Brock, and Venom is born. Like previous reviewers have stated, these issues were crafted before Venom was massively overexposed and re-written as a dark hero. This TPB showcases Venom as the best Spider-Man villain since the Green Goblin from the Lee and Conway days, and features a variety of talent including a pre-Spawn Todd MacFarlane, legendary John Byrne, and the great Mike Zeck. Some of the dialogue and writing, namely from Tom DeFalco, is a bit dated, but the good definitely outweighs the bad here. All in all, Birth of Venom is a significant chapter in the aching Spider-Man saga, and this TPB should definitely be given a look by Spidey and/or Venom fans new and old.