· Episode Guide
· Episode Reviews
· Character Bios
· Interviews
· Archives
· DVD Releases
· Comic Gallery
· Title Sequence
· Downloads
· Live-Action Movies
· Message Board
· MAA Home Page

Venom Returns
Review And Media by Amazing Spidey

Episode #38 - Venom Returns
Original Airdate November 2, 1996

Venom Returns to steal an interdimensional transporter for Dormammu, and he's not alone...

Credits
Story By: John Semper
Written By: Stan Berkowitz , James Krieg and John Semper
Music Composed By: Shuki Levy and Kussa Mahchi
Animation Services By: Toyko Movie Shinsha (TMS)
Guest Starring: Christopher Daniel Barnes as Spider-Man/Peter Parker, Robert Hays as Tony Stark, James Avery as War Machine, Joseph Campanella as Dr. Curt Connors, Hank Azaria as Venom/Eddie Brock and Scott Cleverdon as Carnage/Cletus Kassidy


Review: After 2 full seasons worth of waiting, Venom finally returns. An interesting story to say the least, as how they planned on bringing him back after his appearance in the amazing “Alien Costume” storyline was a mystery that we’d been to see unravel for 2 years. It didn't really dissapoint, but unfortunatly, Dormammu did. For what should've been a 2 part story featuring Spidey teaming up with his greatest enemy to stop Carnage was often sidetracked for the dull Dormammu and boring Bordo. These 2 have no place on a Spider-Man show without Dr. Strange to accompony them.

What’s interesting about this episode is that it’s relatively slow paced, unlike most of the episodes, which were told at a breakneck pace. The beginning sees a pre-Carnage Cletus Kassady, which I thought was great. We get to see what a ‘monster’ Kassady is before he becomes Carnage and now has a genuine reason to hate his captor, Spider-Man.

War Machine actually looked cool here. I don't especially care for either of his designs on Iron Man, but the clunky armour look actually works well here. James Avery provided the voice for some of War Machine's first appearance over in Iron Man, but fairs better here, for whatever reason. Thankfully, he voiced all the lines himseld, no one here was randomly jumping in to say his lines.

The fight in the science hall was actually pretty well done. Carnage himself actually had a very badass design and an absoloutly perfect voice. Venom fairs better here than he did in his original episode, but when comparing this episode to it's conclusion, it's easy to say this comes off worse. It's not as colourful, which is a shame because there's some genuinly decent animation here which is ruined by very dull colouring.

Overall, a good episode that is easily topped by it's much superior conclusion.

Screenshots: