Spider-view: "Rockin' the Town" (Venom, Part 14)
—by Nathan on October 23, 2026—
Peter David graced us with his presence in a single issue narrative last time we visited "Spider-view," and he does so again in today's post.
Unlike that last review, we are traveling from the far-flung year of 2099 to the then-present 90s. Eddie Brock, former reporter and host to an alien symbiote, has become a staple of San Francisco, doing his darndest to protect West Coasters against the likes of the Demogoblin, the Juggernaut, and some dude with fire powers named Pyre (not to be confused with that other dude with fire powers named Pyro).
Narratively, I've felt Eddie's been on some pretty shaky ground. Ann Nocenti delivered an interesting take on the character, but everyone else has slipped into pretty similar territory. Venom, notorious vigilante and wannabe-devourer of brains. Hates Spider-Man. But kind of a good guy at heart, if you can look past the maiming and murder?
Try squinting, maybe.
I won't promise much in the way of startling character moments in this one-shot, but I will promise you Peter David. And the Hulk. The two are pretty synonymous with each other.
"Rockin' the Town"
Writer: Peter David
Penciler: Jim Craig
Inkers: Bill Anderson, David Day, and Dan Day
Colorist: Tom Smith
Letterer: Jim Novak
Issue: Incredible Hulk vs. Venom #1
Publication Dates: April 1994
Peter David, Jim Craig, both Days, and Todd Smith all collaborated on the last Venom one-shot I reviewed, "The Trial of Venom," found in Spider-Man Special Edition #1. That issue, back in the 90s, was procured via a $5.00 donation to the U.S. Committee for the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and came with a special message from UNICEF and a poster. I bought my copy used a few years back and, yes, it still had the poster…which I've not used.
I'm not aware if this one-shot originally came with goodies. The omnibus edition certainly doesn't. And, though this is a Peter David production, I don't feel comfortable admitting there are many goodies within these pages.
David was a gifted writer, and I've amply praised the blend of creativity, character dynamics, and humor he brought to not only his and Rick Leonardi's Spider-Man 2099 issues but his other contributions to the Spider-Man mythos, both intentionally amusing narratives and more serious stories. His ability to weave words was always clever, finding unique ways to turn phrases and blend art and dialogue.
Coming into this one-shot, I assumed I'd encounter the same creative spirit, and though David does attempt some character work and amusing humor, I found, in this instance, his efforts often fell flatter than a Volkswagen beetle pancaked by the Hulk.
Though this one-shot shares most of the same creative team from Spider-Man Special Edition #1, this is not a continuation. Which makes sense. Venom is in full "vigilante protector of San Fran" mode, a far different spot than the last time David wrote him. David has to pivot, embracing a character endeavoring to reshape the public's overall perception of him. He's a monster looking to be seen, more completely, as a hero.
If anything, that becomes the central core to the one-shot, as Venom finds himself initially combating and then teaming with a certain Jade Giant. Their tussle is generated by that long-held staple of graphic literature: coincidence, with Venom misreading some of the Hulk's actions and Banner's bulky alter ego responding in kind to the former villain. It's a misunderstanding based on each character's preconceived notion of the other, overlooking the fact that both men are trying to change from their pasts. The intelligent Hulk isn't as much a monster as he once was, nor is Venom the out-and-out arch-fiend he used to be (though, remember, you gotta squint).
This isn't much of an arc, necessarily, really becoming a way for the two to look past the preliminary punching. You can read an issue like Spider-Man Special Edition #1 and walk away recognizing David sees how the distinction between Spidey and Daredevil's viewpoints on justice and law could cause tension. You can't do the same here. "Hulk and Venom are both men who become monsters and are seeking redemption" could make for a unique underlying development for both characters during a team-up, but David doesn't act on the comparison outside of a single panel where the two set aside their differences.
If you think I'm spitballing to find something to write about, you're kinda right, but the Marvel database entry on this issue backs me up, noting how "The Hulk and Venom have both recently been on a path of redemption" at the time this issue was published. So there's really no grasping at straws, because it's the pretty blunt notion which David is going for. Yeah, the idea has merit and could be used to strengthen the pair's team-up in this issue, but other than that panel I referenced, we don't see how Eddie and Bruce potentially bond over their personal redemption arcs.
The whole issue has this cheesy, over-the-top quality to it, from the ridiculous "villain" and his mad scheme, to a man worried over losing his car to an earthquake when he should be satisfied with being alive. It's all intentional and gimmicky, and it would work much better if David wasn't quite so blunt. When a dude named "Dr. Bad Vibes" threatens to rock San Francisco with a series of earthquakes, an intrepid newscaster immediately mocks his name on-air. The Hulk, seemingly referencing 90s comics' proclivity toward excessive violence, calls his and Venom's fight "gratuitous." So the villain has a dumb name, and we're told it's dumb! The fighting is excessive, and we're told it's excessive! I generally prefer when such assessments are left to the reader, the implications left to linger.
More appreciated are moments where the comedy allows the reader to put the pieces together. Newscaster Ariel O'Hare is a direct ripoff of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles supporting character "April O'Neil," and I'm genuinely glad nobody references turtles around her or jokes about another comic. She's just part of the issue, her name making me do a double take. That's the kind of joking I enjoy. Elsewhere, Jim Craig makes his Venom as long-jawed as he can, packing in the teeth, stretching out his tongue, and spraying every ounce of green spittle he can have Eddie spew. The design is obnoxious, presumably a nod to how other creators had taken the character's look from its Spidey-inspired roots and made it more outlandish.
I struggle to even call the fight between the two entertaining, a skirmish lasting all of five pages, clumped between David's ongoing plot and ended by the eternal need to have central characters bond over some conveniently written reason so they can go on and stomp a villain. Maybe this was David's plan? To be so blunt as to be bothersome? Maybe that was his trap the whole time, and maybe he's a genius for tricking me into feeling frustrated, exactly the way he wanted to! Could be, could be.
You can see–also if you squint–an attempt at calling tropes to the carpet. Commenting on excessive violence, having our heroes team after a quick tussle, giving the bad guy a dumb name. Perhaps that's the intention, David expressing some pent up frustration with this issue. If so, it's fitting, because–what a coincidence–I'm doing the same with this review. You want a better Hulk fight? Watch him go a few rounds with Batman. Yeah, even Batman puts up a better beat-em-up than our symbiote-surrounded vigilante. Maybe there just wasn't enough space here to tell an interesting story with interesting characters. Maybe David was suckered into writing this and intentionally provided a subpar reading experience. I'd like to give him the benefit of the doubt, but for a guy who could write well, write funny, and write the heck out of the Hulk, he offers a rare misfire about as sour as that time he created a Michael Jackson lookalike.