The Hunter Stalks the Symbiote!
This issue picks up in mid-action as Flash is stalked by Kraven The Hunter. His original mission to destroy a mine is side-tracked as Kraven stalks him relentlessly, thinking that he's the real Spider-Man. Kraven wants to be killed at the hands of his most powerful prey, and as long as Flash AKA Venom sports a spider on his chest, he's a moving target. He'll have to use his combined military training and the symbiote if he hopes to evade Kraven and finish his mission.
I was a little put off that the story just dropped me right in the middle of another mission, just like the first issue did, but it wasn't anything that ruined the book. It was fun to see a new spider character take on one of Spider-Man's old enemies, and to see how the symbiote would react when it's new host was in danger.
The relationship between Flash and the symbiote is one of the focal points of the story, as well as Flash's relationship with Betty Brant, his girlfriend. Since he can't tell her what he's doing for the government, or anyone for that matter, she simply thinks he's running around on her. Flash has taken the responsibilities of Spider-Man to their full extent, including the heartache that goes with leading two lives.
The thing that really surprises me is the ending, which I won't ruin, but does shed some light on the status of Flash and the Venom creature for future books. The symbiote often magnifies the personality of someone who wears it, and Flash's personality might have the effect that the Marvel Universe needs in order to turn the creature around.
It's a good issue, just feels a bit off in terms of where to start and end a story.
