Venom: the key annuals and specials worth collecting

When people ask about "Venom annuals and specials," one common confusion needs clearing up first: Venom is a recent character. There is no classic 1960s-70s annual featuring him. What does exist is a set of 1990s mini-series, one-shots and Super Specials containing real first appearances, plus a few Amazing Spider-Man annuals that touch the symbiote's story.

This guide sticks to verifiable facts: documented dates and creators, and values from our eBay estimator (limited to Amazing Spider-Man). When a precise value can't be verified for a non-indexed title, we describe it qualitatively rather than inventing it.

Why there is no "Silver Age Venom annual"

The black-suit precursor appears in Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars #8 and Amazing Spider-Man #252 in 1984 (Bronze Age). Venom as a distinct entity — Eddie Brock bonded to the symbiote — makes his first full appearance in Amazing Spider-Man #300 in May 1988, with a Todd McFarlane cover. Any relevant "Venom special" therefore dates to 1988 or later. That's an honest point to know before buying: no listing should sell you a "vintage" Venom predating 1988.

The most collectible special: Venom: Lethal Protector #4 (1993)

Venom: Lethal Protector (1993) is the character's first solo series, written by co-creator David Michelinie. Issue #4 (May 1993) is the most sought-after of the mini-series: it's the first appearance of Scream, with cameos of Phage, Lasher, Riot and Agony — the five Life Foundation symbiotes forcibly spawned from Venom. With these characters returning on screen (notably Riot in the first Venom film), demand for this issue is high. Original cover price: $2.95. (Sources: Wikipedia, Key Collector Comics.)

This title is not indexed by our eBay estimator (limited to Amazing Spider-Man): check its value case by case before buying, watching out for the many cover variants.

The flagship "specials" event: Planet of the Symbiotes (1995)

If you want true Venom "specials," the Planet of the Symbiotes arc (1995) is the most iconic event. It runs across five "Super Special" issues, one per Spider-Man title of the era:

• The Amazing Spider-Man Super Special #1 — April 1995 (arc opener)
• Spider-Man Super Special #1 — July 1995
• Venom Super Special #1 — August 1995
• The Spectacular Spider-Man Super Special #1 — September 1995
• Web of Spider-Man Super Special #1 — October 1995 (conclusion)

These five Super Specials remain affordable and make a coherent sub-set to chase for symbiote fans. (Source: Wikipedia, "Planet of the Symbiotes.")

The Amazing Spider-Man annuals tied to the symbiote

On the annuals proper, Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1 (1964) is famous for the first appearance of the Sinister Six — not for Venom. More recently, Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1 (2018) flashes back to the nights when the symbiote took control of Peter before he rejected it: an interesting narrative companion, but without the collecting value of the foundational issues. (Sources: Key Collector Comics, CBR.)

The real values of Venom's key issues (June 2026)

To place these specials against the indexed foundational issues, here are the medians of active eBay listings (our estimator, eBay.fr + eBay.com):

The non-ASM specials (Lethal Protector, the Super Specials, Separation Anxiety) aren't listed here: their value should be checked on the market case by case.

Collector strategy (grounded in real data)

• #300 as the cornerstone. At a €529 median and ~100 active listings, it's the most liquid issue in the symbiote family.
• Lethal Protector #4 for a genuine first appearance (Scream + Life Foundation symbiotes) outside the ASM annuals — watch the variants.
• Planet of the Symbiotes for a coherent, affordable set of specials.
• Always check condition and value at the time of purchase: the medians above are from June 2026 and prices move.