American Update: Spider-Mania: Amazing #252 – New Black Costume (later Venom)
*Marvel: Amazing Spider-Man #252, like many Secret Wars ‘epilogue’ issues, featured a major ‘twist’ only explained retroactively. In Spidey’s case, it was a dramatic black & white costume which would eventually be revealed as an alien symbiote, which in turn would evolve into Venom, who eclipsed most longer-established villains to become Spidey’s crucial nemesis for the modern era. Although the first appearance of the symbiote in internal continuity was Secret Wars #8, its joint debut in real time was this very issue. This is a lovely high grade issue, tight, flat and glossy with good staples and nice pages; only minor edge handling wear and tiny stress marks at spine (non-colour breaking) stop us awarding an even higher grade.
PICTURED: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #252 VF+ £100 SOLD