Do you remember when Venom was cool? Sure it's been a long time, Eddie and his slimy symbiote buddy have been through the mill since then - but there was a time there when Spidey villains didn't get much better.

Amazing Spider-man 346 came smack dab in the middle of that glory period. In those days when it came to Venom writers knew how to work it. In this issue David Michelinie works it good.

This one issue has all of the essential ingredients that once made Venom Spidey's number one foe.

1.) He doesn't effect Peter's spider-sense-Until Spidey crossed swords with Venom you just didn't appreciate how important a power Pete's spider-sense was. He relies on it to keep him alive in those hairy situations he gets himself in. Venom however can take him by surprise. I mean one minute Pete is in a greasy spoon tucking into a stray-cat burger next minute Venom is borrowing the ketchup to put on his steaming plate of Spidey-lungs:
2.)The symbiote can change it's appearance- At least when he's battling Electro or Mysterio they're dressed as stupid as Spidey is. Not so with Venom. Eddie's symbiote can mimic street clothes. So he can show up to read May Parker's electric meter in a vomit-green Electric company uniform but he's still every bit as dangerous as if he was wearing his spiffy black Spider-duds. So while Pete's trying to find a shady spot to change into his red & blues Eddie could garrote him with a chunk of his 'captain-of-the-football-team' jacket:
3.)Venom lives by his own twisted moral code-Despite being a homicidal maniac with a dental hygiene problem Venom's not such a bad guy. Sure he wants to turn Peter into Spider-bolognese but he wants to do it without hurting any innocents. He'll toss them around a bit sure but he won't hurt them unless it's absolutely necessary. In Venom's eyes he's the hero:
Ah those heady, glory days - what I wouldn't give to have them back. Unfortunately over the years overexposure, bad 90s guest appearances and one too many bad limited series have transformed Eddie from the barbell-pumping, lung-eating, smiley psycho that we all know and love into *gulp* Eric Foreman?

We'll eat your brains

PS: Note that sweet Erik Larsen art. Before he became an Image high muck-a-muck he did some great stuff on Spider-man.