Batman: Venom

by Jose Luis Garcia Lopez, Dennis O'Neil, Russell Braun, et al.

A new edition of the classic Batman tale by writer Dennis O'Neil that introduces the strength-enhancing drug Venom. After Batman fails to save a young girl, he begins taking the drug in order to lift... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 140123383X
• ISBN13: 9781401233839
• Release Date: April 2012
• Publisher: DC Comics
• Length: 140 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.7" x 10.2"

Customer Reviews

Brutal, fascinating, perfect

These are all words that describe Batman: Venom. After Batman fails to save a little girl from drowning before his very eyes, he begins to question his abilities. The little girl's father has the perfect solution, a new designer steroid called Venom that will build Batman's muscles as he sits doing detective work. He begins taking it with strictly good intentions, but soon finds himself turning his back on everything and everyone he holds dear, turning into the type of monster he fights. Soon he's lost in a world of designer super soldiers and designer drugs that tests his faith in himself. Though not mentioned in this story it is interesting that venom is later the drug that would help create Bane. O'Neil and Von Eeden are at the top of their game with his brutal, cold story, that ranks among the great works by Miller such as Batman: Year One, and Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. It also is every bit as gritty as The Killing Joke. I can not recommend this strongly enough. Batman Venom reprints Batman Legends of the Dark Knight #16-20.

NICE PRELUDE TO KNIGHTFALL

This series is the best story arc that I have read from thethe Legends of the Dark Knight series. It also introduces the venom drug, which Bane would later use in his successful attempt to break the Batman.But this is a good story in itself. In it Batman becomes adicted to the same drug and struggles to overcome the addiction.Dennis O'Neil proves he is still one of the greatest writers ever to work on Batman and the artwork is also great.

The Dark Knight - Broken

The reason why Batman is one of the most fascinating characters in comics is because his has always been the most human of environments. No super powers of any kind. Only a man guided by his values, intellect, strength and will power. And it is this last trait that becomes the critical element in "Venom," a work that shows us why Michael Keaton never would have donned the cape and cowl if Denny O'Neil had never existed."Venom" shows us that the Batman is only as strong as the Bruce Wayne beneath the cowl. When the latter weakens, the former disappears. Bruce becomes addicted to venom, a sort of super-steroid, and must go through hell and back to once again become the man he was. This is made even more difficult due to the fact that Bruce's self-righteousness and stubbornness only give rise to an enormous feeling of self-loathing.This is one of the Batman books that best illustrates what it takes to be a hero. All human beings are flawed, and everyone falls at one time. But it takes a true hero to summon up the best in his/her humanity to rise again. Beyond leaping tall buildings in a single bound or clinging to walls, "Venom" shows that the true nature of a super-hero lies closer to home than we'd expect, and that no character in comics exemplifies it like Batman.

Thoroughly enjoyable.

A very believable story, drawing compatible to the storyline and BATMAN (as a human being). One could have it in one's collection.

Even a Batman has faults...

Truly the best of the Legends of the Dark Knight series, Venom is the frightening story of Batman's lapse into performance-enhancing drugs, and how he must literally climb his way back into rehabilitation. Batman's human side is displayed with such realism that you actually hate what he becomes and then feel the pain he goes through. An interesting sidenote is that the drug, Venom, used in this story is also the substance that Bane, the villain who breaks the Batman in Knightfall, uses as a steroid and strength-builder.