Amazing Spider-Man #664 & Venom #4

Spidey comics time!!! I'll be taking a look at the latest issue of Amazing, as well as the newest issue of Venom. If these comics are anything like the prior few have been, this should be good...

Amazing Spider-Man #664:

Summary: We kick this one off with Anti-Venom trying to convince the captive Spider-Man that Martin Li and Mr. Negative were one and the same. Needless to say, Spidey isn't about to take Anti-Venom's word for it(he is a few cards short of a deck), so Anti-Venom heads off to do some scouting to see what he could learn. While Anti-Venom is learning how Negative was smuggling heroin into the country, Spidey's girlfriend, Carlie, was figuring out that her captain was the one behind the Wraith mask. As for Spidey, it takes him a few hours, but he finally manages to free himself from the goo Anti-Venom trapped him in... Just as Anti-Venom returns. D'oh! Anti-Venom wraps Spidey up again, and tells him that they were heading to the museum to thwart Negative's smuggling plans. Upon arriving at the museum, Anti-Venom sticks Spidey to a statue and heads off to defeat Negative to prove to Spidey(and the world) that he was one of the good guys. Unfortunately for Anti-Venom, Negative gets the jump on him and he gets stabbed with a sword that negates his healing factor... Once again, D'oh! It turns out that Wraith was also investigating the museum and she helps free Spidey from his goo prison, and the two rush to assist Anti-Venom. While Spidey tangles with Negative, Wraith uses the facial recognition technology in her mask to positively identify Negative as Martian Li, news she immediately broadcasts to every major news organization in New York. With his cover blown and his drug trafficking plot foiled, Negative throws down some cyanide gas and beats a hasty retreat. With Negative gone, but now on the run, Spidey pulls the sword out of Anti-Venom, admitting to Anti-Venom that he was right about Li all along. Happy to finally have Spidey's approval, Anti-Venom takes off, just in time for Spidey to overhear Carlie telling her captain that she knew her captain was the Wraith, and that she'd keep the information a secret. Later that night, back at Peter Parker's place, Peter tells Carlie that Spidey had told him about Carlie's captain being the Wraith... Really smooth, Peter... Peter inquires why she was keeping her captain's secret, and Carlie tells him she wouldn't turn her captain in because her captain was one of the good guys. Carlie then asks Peter what his connection to Spider-Man was, and instead of coming clean, Peter gives Carlie the excuse that he was Spidey's tech guy, which Carlie accepts.

Thoughts: As usual, this was an extremely good issue of this series. No surprise there. There's really nothing here I can point to and say I didn't enjoy... Well expect for Carlie, but that's the Mary Jane fan in me talking. Nope, all in all, this was a very good comic, so I might as well post the score and move on.

Score: 9 out of 10.Spidey's, "Let's not get carried away..." line had me laughing... Poor crazy Eddie...


Venom #4:

Summary: With the Venom symbiote now in complete control, all it is concerned with is killing Spider-Man, while Flash is trapped inside it trying to regain control so he could save his girlfriend, Betty Brant, from the Crime Master's bombs. You see, Spidey thinks Venom kidnapped Betty, and is trying to beat the answers out of Venom to learn her location. Oh, and the symbiote managed to pull out the bomb the army implanted in it in case Flash lost control. After a good, old, Spidey/Venom throw-down, Venom winds up knocking Spidey into a pharmacy, at which point Flash manages to regain temporary control of the symbiote and downs a mess of sleeping pills to sedate the symbiote. With Flash holding a momentary grip on the symbiote, he tells Spidey where Betty was being held. Spidey isn't sure what kind of game Venom is playing, and the symbiote retakes control, throwing a bus at Spidey before taking off for the warehouse to save Betty itself. Unfortunately, by the time Venom reaches the warehouse, it explodes. The shock of seeing the explosion is so much it jars Flash back into control and he bemoans the fact that he allowed the symbiote's rage to basically allow Betty's death. While mourning, Venom spots Spidey coming out of the burning warehouse with a shocked, but otherwise unharmed Betty. Spidey tells Venom it wasn't over between the two of them before leaving with Betty. As for Flash, the symbiote realizes it went to far and cedes full control back to Flash, at which point he contacts his very concerned army superiors and tells them he was heading to find the Crime Master and his stolen Vibranium. Venom is intercepted by Jack O' Lantern, who tells Venom that they were now ARCH-enemies! Ooo, that means it's on! Jack manages to catch Venom in a net, but is called away by the Crime Master to defend the Vibranium shipment from some government agents. From there, Flash heads back to Project Rebirth and the army removes the Venom symbiote from him. When asked what happened, Flash only gives his commanding officer partial information, hiding some of the facts behind what happened between him, the Crime Master and the symbiote. With that, Flash heads home, and this issue ends.

Thoughts: As usual, I find myself enjoying this series. I like Flash as Venom, I LOVE Jack O' Lantern as his arch-enemy, the Crime Master stuff adds some intrigue, as does the fact that the Crime Master knows Flash is Venom. Flash and the symbiote bonding on a deeper level, with Flash lying about how long he was under the symbiote's control also adds something to this series. I've got to say, the potential stories for this series really seems through the roof.

Score: 8 out of 10.When you get an arch-enemy, you know you've hit the big time!