How Does The Series Venom Connect To Spider-Man?

The relationship between the alien Venon symbiote and it’s human host is one of the most compelling aspects of the comic book series, combining elements of horror, symbiosis, and even dark humor. When the alien bondes with a human it does not simply attach itself physically to its host. Rather it merges with the host on a cellular level to form a highly complex psychological connection between two beings. It is why in most of its hosts, especially Eddie Brock, the symbiote finds the greatest source of power in the host’s negative emotions such as anger, aggression, and even despair. The more the host’s emotions match those of the symbiote, the more powerful both the host and the alien become in a symbiotic relationship of mutual empowerment. What I find especially interesting about their pairing is the way that the relationship between them changes over time. Initially the symbiote would override Eddie’s will to do whatever it wanted to do but in later stories the two have formed a sort of co-dependent relationship. The two of them rely on each other for different reasons. Venom needs Eddie’s negative emotions in order to survive and in return he gives Eddie superhuman strength to exact revenge on the people who wronged him. They even refer to themselves in the plural and have at times acted as a single entity (something that even Eddie admits to at times). This sort of relationship is explored in a number of different stories and it really makes for a compelling read as it challenges the reader’s expectations of what it means to be a hero. The bond of Venom and his host is fascinating to consider. It is so much more complex than typical hero-villain tales and actually flips the typical script for possession and interactive. It is not so much Venom possessing his host and erasing their identity, but rather he enhances their already existing identity, for better or for worse. It is a negotiation for the both of them as they interact in a dynamic, positive or negative, for better or worse relationship that cannot be replicated by other comic book characters in the same manner.

Making strength debates in comics is messy. I’ve written previously about how in Ultimate Spider-Man the character’s lifting capacity was consistently written to be higher to reflect the more adult-toned world of the Ultimate Universe. I’m talking higher than classic Spidey swinging to lift a train in one cool panel. But 616 Peter has ‘old man strength’-type power, meaning he’s got decades of trained power plus lots of various power boosts (The Other, anyone?). Inversely, the strength of Ultimate Peter was a given at the start of his book while classic Peter’s increases in strength are revealed over time. Who’s stronger? Nobody. It totally depends on who’s writing him and what kind of story they’re trying to tell.

The origin of the Spider-Man in the comic book series Ultimate Spider-Man is very different from that of the classic Spider-Man. Instead of a random radioactive spider in a subway tunnel, the spider here is genetically altered in the labs of Oscorp. He was designed to rewrite human DNA. The transition wasn’t immediate or without discomfort and illness. He suffered from sweating, from painful cramps, from blackouts. And, yes, it is all depicted with lots of body horror, including a rather memorable page where his skin starts to peel off during the transformation. It’s interesting to note that the Ultimate universe pretty much makes Oscorp into a secondary antagonist by constantly hunting down Spider-Man. Yes, it’s a pretty paranoid take on Spider-Man, but it does make one appreciate the ‘relative simplicity’ of Spider-Man in other comic books. In addition, how Peter’s relationships fall apart under his newfound pressures is something that is also well done in this comic.

38! This is Peter B. Parker, the Spider-Man we see in the movie ‘Into the Spider-Verse’. This is a 38-year-old man. Typically, Spider-Man is young, agile, acrobatic. But Peter B. Parker is your typical middle-aged man. He’s a guy who can do a few kicks and groan at his age, looking back at ‘the good old days’. What makes Peter so lovable is that his failures, his divorce for example, have so much weight to them. But in the end he finds back to his hero days. His relationship with Miles is great because Peter B. Parker is not an idol. He’s a normal adult, with flaws, but who’s still inspiring.

From a purely lore standpoint, we can examine the chemicals at play here. The symbiote needs phenethylamine, a naturally occurring amphetamine found in the human brain. In chocolate, phenethylamine is released when the cocoa in the chocolate is broken down. This makes sense for the symbiote, as Venom is not always going to be hanging off of people's heads, and chocolate is an acceptable way for him to get his fix in society. But in enabling this habit in Eddie, we see that the symbiote’s curious connection to our protagonist also gives us insight into their relationship as a whole. It grounds this otherworldly entity in the most mundane of human vices. It even serves as a metaphor for unhealthy addiction, and Eddie’s complicity in Venom’s cravings making him just as bad as the entity itself. This very real craving for chocolate also captures a peculiar aspect of the symbiote’s animalistic nature: its craving for something that will give it pleasure. This small detail does a lot to define the dynamic between Eddie and Venom for the audience, and humanizes him in a way that makes him less simply evil.

You can see Peter Parker’s first appearance in comics compared to his first appearance on film in “Into the Spider-Verse”. While the film perfectly captures the essence of Peter Parker’s character in his first appearances in the 2011 comics, (reluctance to take on responsibilities, pressure from family to contribute, trying to live up to his father’s legacy), it is a condensed and reworked version of the source material for a new audience. Both are great introductions to the character of a smart, sensitive teenager thrust into an impossible role, and if you like the film, you should check out Peter’s first appearances in the 2011 comics by Sara Pichelli, all smartly designed and paced.

I have to give a hat tip to Marvel’s “Marvel Broadcast Spoiling Spider Man” for its very Meta take on spoilers. In this version of the Spider Man story, there are actually in-story news reports of upcoming events. Most of them are ignored by the characters but the audience gets to see them on TV sets and newspapers in the background as they happened. Many of the ‘spoilers’ are even embedded in casual conversations with phrases that seem to be just throw away lines but end up being key to later events. The show is also incredibly inventive when it comes to telling a story visually. For example, the damage to Spider-Man’s suit is gradually revealed over the course of several episodes before the cause is finally explained. Also, great use of mirror shots to reveal a character’s secret identity. For example, in a conversation between two characters, the reflections of both characters’ faces are shown swapping places briefly giving the audience a clue before the characters are. The show also is very humorous and gives the characters many near misses in their attempts to find out the truth. For example, Spider-Man constantly interrupts J. Jonah Jameson just as the publisher is about to discover a deep seated secret. Each twist has heavy emotional impact because of previous moments that get referenced. In one moment a throwaway line from before the episode even started is used in a tragic scene where a beloved character dies. Even the opening credits get changed up to foreshadow future reveals. For example, a character’s shadow will appear in the background once their secret identity is revealed.

The two main characters of the book are Clay and Olivia. Clay is a soccer star from a very nice family, and Olivia is a very tough girl from the rough side of town. The two have an very hostile relationship, but as the book continues, it slowly develops into something more. Most of the other characters in the book are in the background because of the great push-and-pull between Clay and Olivia, making the book very character-driven.

McFarlane's work on Spider-Man in the 1990s was pure genius. I have found Spider-Man #1 lying about for $15 or so in stores. Amazing Spider-Man #300 is another key book, but even in mid-grade it can be found for $500 or so. The cover for Amazing Spider-Man #328 is particularly nice with Spider-Man's suit torn. You can find trends and what people are paying for such comics by looking up completed eBay listings. I have noticed a large increase in price for Venom related comics when a new Venom movie comes out. Grading is also important, a 9.8 can triple the value of the same lower graded comic. As always, I say buy what you like because the comics can fluctuate in value, but the work of McFarlane will never depreciate in value.

Clockwork Angel is the first installment in The Infernal Devices, the first series set in the Shadowhunter Chronicles by Cassandra Clare. We are introduced to the main character Tessa, a complete mystery to herself as well as to everyone around her. There are also a lot of great and intimidating villains in this book with a steampunk twist to the typical monstrous creatures. We also get to see the dynamics of the people in the London Institute, particularly Will and Jem and how they will change as the books progress. There are also many items that reappear in future books including the clockwork angel and Tessa’s connection to Shadowhunter lore is also introduced in this book. Overall, it’s a very sleek and moody first book that sets up many more twists and turns in the rest of the series.