Amazing Spider-Man Vol II 19 (460) Review

Amazing Spider-Man #19
Plot: The story is dubbed “Mirror, Mirror,” just like the Star Trek episode where Spock has the Fu Manchu thing going on.  Apparently the human half of Venom (who is ironically really the costume, as the symbiote has always been the controlling factor of Venom), Eddie Brock, wants to get back together with his ex-wife Ann Weying. He goes to visit her only to find that she has developed an overpowering fear of leaving her apartment. Brock opens the window and, of course, that is exactly the moment Spidey just happens to swing by, wearing his black-and-white costume (his red-and-blue togs having been stolen in a previous issue). The sight of the black-and-white costume disturbs Ann as she mistakenly believes it to be the alien, come back to bond with her again. Venom ambushes Spidey and the two go at it for a few pages. The story tragically ends with Ann committing suicide.
Likes: It’s great to see Spidey battling Venom in his black-and-white suit again, the first time since ASM #300. Ann Weying’s trauma caused by having once been bonded to the symbiote is well-explored, as is the contrasting of the deaths of Peter and Eddie’s respective wives. Spider-Man’s stamina, far too often downplayed, is excellently displayed here, as well.
Dislikes: The nightmare scene takes up far too much space in this issue, a whopping three pages! For that matter, it was a really lame nightmare to begin with. The Spidey/Venom battle is too one-sided, as Venom is the only one actually getting in any shots. Yes, the battle ends in a stalemate, but Spidey still looks like he’s fighting too far below par here. I also have to admit to not being too thrilled over Ann’s death…this may be horribly tacky of me, but I would have liked her to join with another symbiote and truly become Venom’s mate.
Rating: All in all, not a bad issue, but very little  we haven’t seen a hundred times before. I’d give it  web-heads out of a possible 4.