Spider-view: Venom: The Enemy Within (Venom, Part 13)
This limited series strikes a decent horror vibe, but it fumbles scope, tone, and characterization
—by Nathan on July 19, 2026—
When Venom last graced our digital screens, he was still playing the hero bit for the lost souls of San Francisco, endeavoring to defeat the Juggernaut while battling an internal aspect of himself. It ain't always easy being Venom, not when Eddie Brock finds himself a little at odds with what his symbiotic "other" would like.
Ann Nocenti and Kelley Jones' limited series provided, for me, the most sympathetic look at our former supervillain. Even Venom's first appearance, as a guy who wanted to kill Spider-Man, hinged on David Michelinie not so much generating empathy for the character but making you aware that Eddie and the symbiote's perceived slights were unfounded. Over time, as Venom has moved more into the vigilante sphere, writers have needed to create an attachment to the character, a certain respect and interest in him to slither over readers like a symbiote. So far, the efforts have been fairly clumsy, aside from Nocenti and Kelley.
If you come into this latest series hoping that the "enemy within" in the title refers to another bout of internal wrestling over Venom's personality and morals, I'm afraid to tell you you'd be sorely mistaken. Horror writer Bruce Jones, living up to his reputation, is more interested in a tangible enemy, and the only "within" we're exploring is inside the boundary lines of San Francisco.
Venom: The Enemy Within
Writer: Bruce Jones
Penciler: Bob McLeod
Inker: Bob McLeod and Harry Candelario
Colorist: Tom Smith
Letterer: Diana Albers
Issues: Venom: The Enemy Within #1-3
Publication Dates: February 1994-April 1994
The only other horror comic I've read of Bruce Jones' is his contributions to DC's early 1980s House of Mystery issues, featuring vampire Andrew Bennett. Andrew, as he endeavored to end a sinister plot woven by his former girlfriend Mary, Queen of Blood, underwent decent characterization as he struggled against his particular hunger pangs. Together, the issues provide a solid, fairly entertaining story, told across twenty-plus installments, wrapped up definitively.
Jones may employ a vampire for this narrative, but it fails to generate the same cohesive, satisfying effect. Too many narrative blood-thinners.
Venom, our lethal protector, sinks his considerable teeth into a mystical mystery involving little green goblins attacking people that also draws in Marvel horror characters Morbius the Living Vampire and Demogoblin, neither of whom, I believe, Venom has interacted with since "Maximum Carnage." Not that much has changed for anyone here: Venom and Morbius work together to try and stop the wave of violent goblins; Demogoblin sets himself in the role of de facto leader of the little grinning goons as chaos spreads throughout the city.
I first read this series a few years ago when I initially purchased the first Venomnibus, and heading back in, I recalled a few gripes I had with the story. Two, in particular, stood out: first, that the three-issue format prevented Jones from developing the threat decently. Second, that a third act twist was predicated on such obvious information I questioned its inclusion as a shocking development. For our characters, the twist quite possibly stood, but for this reader, the moment lacked any resonance. Having read The Enemy Within a second time, I can confidently conclude that, for myself, these frustrations remain.
There's a scene near the end of the first issue where Jones reveals that the wave of crusading goblins has caused the entire Bay Area to be placed under martial law; later, rioters are seen conflicting over how best to handle these invading menaces. We're supposed to believe the entire city has descended into chaos, the military is taking control, and that on top of the goblins, we've got regular citizens tearing society apart at the seams. I expected the bleakness of "Maximum Carnage" or the harrowing visuals of DC's "No Man's Land" as Gotham is quarantined from the rest of civilization. No such sequence happens for "The Enemy Within."
Perhaps that's too grand an expectation for a three-issue limited series, but that's precisely the point I am making. Verbally, Jones sets up this widespread, imposing threat, and though we do receive scenes of violence and (lowercase "c") carnage breaking out, nowhere does the goblin horde appear vicious enough to affect an area as wide and populated as the Bay Area. Brief scenes depict the menace the goblins unleash through their claws, teeth, and shrill shrieks (yeah, and guess who's particularly susceptible to that bit of convenient plotting!), but the scope of their activities isn't felt deeply enough. To take advantage of the full impact, I'd argue Jones would have needed to provide an additional issue or two. At its current length, this series gives scads of goblins periodically, while other scenes are completely devoid of the creepy critters or their effect on this particular section of California.
The second complaint, as I noted, involves a late game plot twist that hinges completely on Venom's obliviousness to certain happenings in San Francisco. Through some happenstance, Venom and Morbius unravel a plot involving the goblins and the "mastermind" behind their sudden appearance; Venom is later caught flatfooted when he realizes just who that character is in a scene where he's not the only person smacking his forehead in disbelief. Jones had sewn scenes previously to alert the reader as to this twist, but Eddie's complete ignorance is difficult to comprehend. The former reporter literally with his ear to the (under)ground, Eddie is only oblivious because Jones wants him to be.
The moment damages his credibility, as do other scenes where he and Morbius stumble upon clues regarding the larger plot. Though the two midnight monsters pair together and bash goblin heads, their agency feels hampered by a series of conveniences. Instead of discovering clues and logically following a trail, they're led by pure coincidences. It leaves them with little to do but bash those goblin heads when they aren't bickering amongst themselves thanks to some patented "superhero misunderstandings."
Jones is working hard to bring his horror credentials to the fore, and for a comic which takes place on Halloween, there's a logic to his narrative decisions. Creepy, slobbering Venom teams up with the living vampire and fights goblins, Demo and otherwise. Teeth, fangs, and claws they all have in abundance, and scenes taking place on a dark subway, a dank cave system, and a grungy prison all provide the horror atmosphere and environment Jones and Bob McLeod are striving to concoct.
I wish the same attention to tone could be found in other aspects of this series. Jones does very little to comment on our heroes' personalities or find commonality between Venom and Morbius. They each have weaknesses–Venom to sound, Morbius to light–that Jones capitalizes on to raise the stakes, but nothing is ever done to generate any kind of connection between them. No reference to their difficult pasts, no discussions about their conditions, shared penchant for violent vigilantism, or histories with Spider-Man. There isn't even a "Hey, last time I saw you, we were cleaning Carnage's clock in New York!" nod. Any opportunity at bonding or providing interesting commentary is left to be shredded by the goblins nipping at their heels.
Given how I'm scheduling these blogs, I wouldn't have wanted to wait until October to post a Halloween-based "Spider-view" post. That would not have been a treat for either you or me. And despite this series' festive setting, the most visceral horrors it tells of are left largely in the background. Goblins and Demogobilins pop up to cause havoc, but Bruce Jones fails to convince me of their overarching threat, nor am I all too convinced of how well our principal protagonists pal around in this mire of violence. We get action, a half-baked plot twist, and some eerie settings, but it's all a draining jumble. I like me some Halloween stories, and I think Venom can be used well, but here, the potential in combining both far outstrips the finished product we receive.