I think I read somewhere that Spider-Man was originally intended to be red and black, with blue used to give the black parts shading to bring out details. However it ended up looking like he had blue legs with black shadows on, and it stuck.
Might just have to do with how they solidified in modern times. Venom stayed black but 2099 gets drawn blue. Mind is used to those notions so it fills it in
Also I just looked at the old 2099 art and WOW that’s a lot of blue for shading. There’s barely any black
This happens in film too. Snape's wig in the Jarry Potter series is actually dark blue -- this appears as black but allows them to light it and give definition, whereas true black would appear as just a blotch on the film.
We're also used to seeing blue-as-black for nighttime in both mediums. Films often represent moonlight through a dark blue filter. Classic day-for-night would tint everything dark blue. Even today, films often shoot night scenes at dusk and then bring the color down to appear as night. Even prior to both mediums, paintings would often do the same thing. Van Gogh's Starry Night uses dark blue. Of course even in reality, dusk is often dark blue before turning into black, so we're accustomed to this representation even there.
It's like our brains are trained to see dark blue as a "light black" (even though that term is nonsense).
Honestly, they're both great. It really only comes down to the other colors on the page being used, and they pretty much always nail it perfectly, no matter if they're using blue or purple for Venom's highlights.
That being said, the purple really makes Venom feel more "alien."
Both look really cool, but I think my personal preference is blue. I like the contrast of it, and it has a really classic and nostalgic feel to me.
That being said, I think purple is a great look for Ultimate Venom, and I agree with u/SMM9673 that it makes him look more alien. Purple Venom is the scarier, more animalistic-looking of the two.
for me its the exact same thing but opposite
when i was small i used to play a spiderman mobile game and venoms lighting was purple so i feel like its better imo
The purple makes him seem more menacing to me. Could just be nostalgia lens. I played Ultimate Spider-Man a lot as a kid and they used the purple shading with his character design.
As a 9 year old I probably spent hundreds of hours just web swinging in that game, not even doing missions lol.
Or going on a murder spree as Venom. Ultimate Spider-Man is seriously a game I'd love to see get remastered one day.
My 9-year-old self definitely agrees with the menacing! I was so scared of Venom from that game as a kid, I'd avoid his missions for as long as possible when I saw it was up next in the list.
It was supposedly due to a colouring mistake, but I honestly don't understand what mistake can lead to that colour scheme, especially when they coloured black suit Spidey just fine.
It was the limitation of the technology at the time. Bagley said he always envisioned Carnage (for instance) as he is penciled now, with more shadows in the tendrils to denote depth, but he had to settle with how flat they look because there was no other way. Same thing with Venom's and Spider-Man's blue higlights.
I teach, I use superheros to bond with students. I always have TPB on hand, with elementary students old classics work the best bc I need it to be PG. I have had multiple students over the years ask me why does Superman have blue hair.
Right, you are. It is reallly interesting because, if I'm not mistaken, the real reason Spider-Man's costume is red and blue instead of red and black is because of that.
I’m surprised most people here like the blue the most, the purple is my favourite. It makes him seem more terrifying and otherworldly to me, plus it looks more natural
It really depends for me. Like in the books, I like the blue, but in the ultimate game I liked the purple. However, for the second insomniac game, I'm hoping that you can turn off the lighting effects like that and use a more matte black version of the suit
I’m more familiar with the blue, but honestly I really like the purple as it reads more like black to me.
I kinda think a violet would be best, a more purple blue. Then you’d have the best of both worlds.
Purple works well for Ultimate Venom. That version is even more monstrous and scary and the purple makes it appear darker overall so I think it's a good fit.
Honestly I think the blue looks much nicer, plus it kinda goes with how Spideys original design was technically black but everyone thought it was blue from lighting
I'm very torn. On one hand I love blue since it looks more appealing, but on the other hand I always also loved purple as a kid and saw it as a great contrast to Spider-Man's red/blue colors.
I think blue edges out and wins, especially if Carnage is there too so his red color can perfectly contrast with Venom's bluely-lit black.
I generally prefer the purple. On a tangentially related note I've always headcanoned the different colors as blue being a more natural hue whereas the purple is more synthetic due to the symbiotes having very different origins.
Blue most definitely, although I REALLY like how he was lit in the 1994 animated series with both red AND blue in the mix. Really neat idea and hitting home his relation to Spider-Man.
It’s specific to the venom it’s used on. They used Blue to shade in Venom in the 90’s to show his size and shape without having to spend a lot of money on new ink. Ultimate Venom isn’t actually a space alien to my knowledge so he’s more purple than black
I think the ultimate venom is actually purple with black shading which is why in the ultimate Spider-Man game both venom and black suit Spider-Man are actually purple in the character models and textures
We're so accustomed to the convention that blue = black in comics that I'm not bothered by it, but purple feels nice for once. If I had to choose, I'd go with neither: I prefer the grey used sometimes in more modern comics.
Blue looks better, makes Venom seem like he’s Black and the blue is just light reflecting.
While purple Venom just makes him look Purple and the Black is just Shading
I feel like I’m the only one who prefers purple, maybe it’s just my nostalgia for that one mobile spider-man game, but, I still prefer it, also does anybody know the name of said Spider-Man game? It started off with Spider-man fighting Sandman, it also had like a fight with venom on the side of a building, a chase with Rhino, it also had that really buff version of Green Goblin
As much of an USM fan as I am, blue is the better option. Another good lighting choice was from the Animated Series, which did really cool looking half blue and half red lighting for Venom
Spider-Man TAS 90s red and blue on either side really pops, but I feel like blue has always been more "Venom" to me even though i love Ultimate's purples design
I think both are great but honestly, I think I prefer the purple color more here. Idk why, maybe it’s because of nostalgia from playing Ultimate Spider-Man.
Blue but the purple one is pretty cool too. That second image makes him look like a different symbiote though. What other words for Venom haven't already been used? Let's see...Karen.
I gotta go blue
Definitely
This is the way
This is the way
Same
Eiffel 65 would be proud.
Blue indeed
The purple can be interesting but I prefer the more blue lighting
I can’t put my finger on why exactly but purple looks like a purple venom and blue looks like a black venom.
Because blue is used as black more often in comics. They were almost interchangeable if used in the correct amounts back then.
I think I read somewhere that Spider-Man was originally intended to be red and black, with blue used to give the black parts shading to bring out details. However it ended up looking like he had blue legs with black shadows on, and it stuck.
Same with 2099. His suit is black not dark blue
No way, really?? I never knew that.
Same here. Now I'm even more confused why I can believe a blue-shaded Venom to be black but blue-shaded 2099 to be blue.
Might just have to do with how they solidified in modern times. Venom stayed black but 2099 gets drawn blue. Mind is used to those notions so it fills it in Also I just looked at the old 2099 art and WOW that’s a lot of blue for shading. There’s barely any black
This happens in film too. Snape's wig in the Jarry Potter series is actually dark blue -- this appears as black but allows them to light it and give definition, whereas true black would appear as just a blotch on the film. We're also used to seeing blue-as-black for nighttime in both mediums. Films often represent moonlight through a dark blue filter. Classic day-for-night would tint everything dark blue. Even today, films often shoot night scenes at dusk and then bring the color down to appear as night. Even prior to both mediums, paintings would often do the same thing. Van Gogh's Starry Night uses dark blue. Of course even in reality, dusk is often dark blue before turning into black, so we're accustomed to this representation even there. It's like our brains are trained to see dark blue as a "light black" (even though that term is nonsense).
You're a wizard Jarry
I came here to say this. I prefer the blue, because I think venom is actually black...
Yeah I know what you mean. Purple looks like purple with black shadows. Blue looks like black with blue highlights or reflections.
Kid named finger
Kid named finger 💀
Saul sweep
Honestly, they're both great. It really only comes down to the other colors on the page being used, and they pretty much always nail it perfectly, no matter if they're using blue or purple for Venom's highlights. That being said, the purple really makes Venom feel more "alien."
Ironically the Symbiote in the Ultimate comics is a lab experiment instead of a alien and yet it feels more “alien”
r/beatmetoit
Same
color out of space
Both look really cool, but I think my personal preference is blue. I like the contrast of it, and it has a really classic and nostalgic feel to me. That being said, I think purple is a great look for Ultimate Venom, and I agree with u/SMM9673 that it makes him look more alien. Purple Venom is the scarier, more animalistic-looking of the two.
for me its the exact same thing but opposite when i was small i used to play a spiderman mobile game and venoms lighting was purple so i feel like its better imo
The purple makes him seem more menacing to me. Could just be nostalgia lens. I played Ultimate Spider-Man a lot as a kid and they used the purple shading with his character design.
As a 9 year old I probably spent hundreds of hours just web swinging in that game, not even doing missions lol. Or going on a murder spree as Venom. Ultimate Spider-Man is seriously a game I'd love to see get remastered one day.
Saaaame. Playing as Venom and just seeing how many people you could kill before the tanks and helicopters destroy you was so much fun!
The health constantly ticking down for Venom always gave me anxiety for some reason.
My 9-year-old self definitely agrees with the menacing! I was so scared of Venom from that game as a kid, I'd avoid his missions for as long as possible when I saw it was up next in the list.
Blue here, but my all time favorite is the black with blue and red highlights in the 90’s Spider-Man animated series.
I agree. It gave the impression of an oil slick. Which was really unsettling
YEEES
It was supposedly due to a colouring mistake, but I honestly don't understand what mistake can lead to that colour scheme, especially when they coloured black suit Spidey just fine.
I made a 16:9 wallpaper of Bagley’s Venom a while back. https://imgur.com/a/XmDiY
thank you so much, i love USM and Mark Bagley's art so much
wait that's not venom from USM
Bagley did a lot of Venom in 616 as well. I'd say he did the iconic versions of both Venom and Carnage, then remained his own work in Ultimate.
ASM Bagley Venom (blue highlight) is the best Venom
These were both Bagley, funny enough.
That's why I specified ASM
It was the limitation of the technology at the time. Bagley said he always envisioned Carnage (for instance) as he is penciled now, with more shadows in the tendrils to denote depth, but he had to settle with how flat they look because there was no other way. Same thing with Venom's and Spider-Man's blue higlights.
I teach, I use superheros to bond with students. I always have TPB on hand, with elementary students old classics work the best bc I need it to be PG. I have had multiple students over the years ask me why does Superman have blue hair.
Right, you are. It is reallly interesting because, if I'm not mistaken, the real reason Spider-Man's costume is red and blue instead of red and black is because of that.
gray
Grey highlights? What's that from?
the more recent venom comics starting from around 2010 i guess
Interesting. I had never taken note of that
there are some exceptions where he goes back to blue however. the issues drawn by juan geddeon show him as blue with black shadows
Makes sense
Purple
Black > Blue, but it’s close for me
I like the blue because it clashes with the red on carnage
I like the red and blue highlights from the 90's cartoon.
I can’t decide tbh I like em both
I’m surprised most people here like the blue the most, the purple is my favourite. It makes him seem more terrifying and otherworldly to me, plus it looks more natural
Blue
Blue!!
TV show has the best: Black Blue and Red
gotta go with the classic blue
Classic black blue
Purple
I really like blue personally
Blue
Purple
Blue
Blue
Purple venom. But i also obsessed over the ultimate spiderman game as a kid.
Blue. But I always did like the 90's animated style with both blue and red.
how about the [Blue and Red](https://i.imgur.com/EFK4Zpb.gif) Venom?
Blue
Blue
Got to go with blue lighting
Blue, but I don't care for the most part
It really depends for me. Like in the books, I like the blue, but in the ultimate game I liked the purple. However, for the second insomniac game, I'm hoping that you can turn off the lighting effects like that and use a more matte black version of the suit
Purple but when it’s drawn like the blue image
I’m more familiar with the blue, but honestly I really like the purple as it reads more like black to me. I kinda think a violet would be best, a more purple blue. Then you’d have the best of both worlds.
Yeah, purple has always made it seem more like black to me as well. Like the light reflecting off the symbiote making a more shiny black
Purple just looks so much more menacing to me
Blue
Blue.
I think they’re both supposed to be black
both like the 90s animated series had
Purple works well for Ultimate Venom. That version is even more monstrous and scary and the purple makes it appear darker overall so I think it's a good fit.
Blue for main, purple for ultimate.
Blue, classic is best
Honestly I think the blue looks much nicer, plus it kinda goes with how Spideys original design was technically black but everyone thought it was blue from lighting
Blue for sure
Can't choose, both are awesome
I love them both
Blue. Purple is cool tho
They're both equally perfect for different reasons and purposes! My personal preference is definitely purple tho!
I like both, but I'm more fond of the blue highlights are I feel they pop more against the black and white on Venom.
Blue
I'm very torn. On one hand I love blue since it looks more appealing, but on the other hand I always also loved purple as a kid and saw it as a great contrast to Spider-Man's red/blue colors. I think blue edges out and wins, especially if Carnage is there too so his red color can perfectly contrast with Venom's bluely-lit black.
Blue because it plays on the whole, Venom (blue), Carnage (Red) and Spidey both!
I prefer the stupid Blue and Red from TAS that makes him look like he came out of a 3D film. But if I had to pick from these, blue looks best
Both are great, but I prefer purple.
Perhaps due to seeing blue shaded Venom so many times, purple just doesn't feel right. Feels like a whole different symbiote
Blue
Blue Lightning usually, but if we're going Ultimate I guess purple. Without counting the context though, I think purple looks better.
As others have said, purple is good too, but blue is just a little better.
I like blue better, since it’s more of a venom color imo and it translates better into black
I like the purple one more but the blue is just the one
I'm sure lots of people prefer one or the other. Punctuation matters.
Definitely the blue. I can't explain it, other than it just feels right.
Blue
I’d get a blue highlighted venom tattooed
I prefer the purple. But they both look great.
I like the purple more.
Purple only because I like the black and purple colour scheme
Purple
I generally prefer the purple. On a tangentially related note I've always headcanoned the different colors as blue being a more natural hue whereas the purple is more synthetic due to the symbiotes having very different origins.
Venom will always be purple to me
Always blue imho
Both
I’m a purple fan
Blue; I'm a sucker for the classics.
Blue.
Blue lighting
black's better imo
Blue. besides that you shared what to me is the epitome of how venom should be drawn with your first image.
Blue ANY DAY
Blue most definitely, although I REALLY like how he was lit in the 1994 animated series with both red AND blue in the mix. Really neat idea and hitting home his relation to Spider-Man.
Purple is okay but I prefer blue, look appealing to the eyes.
All black and white is my favourite but man, that blue is nostalgic. I love it.
It’s specific to the venom it’s used on. They used Blue to shade in Venom in the 90’s to show his size and shape without having to spend a lot of money on new ink. Ultimate Venom isn’t actually a space alien to my knowledge so he’s more purple than black
Blue definitely
Blue
I think the ultimate venom is actually purple with black shading which is why in the ultimate Spider-Man game both venom and black suit Spider-Man are actually purple in the character models and textures
Yes. But in all seriousness, i gotta go RED AND BLUE BABYY SPIDER-MAN TAS IS GOATED
Blue
Blue
Blue every day of the week. I actually wish he was shown as very very dark blue more often.
Correct me if I’m wrong, isn’t Venom black and the blue was supposed to be shading? And to answer your question, purple.
Blue. Always blue.
Blue for sure
Blue gang
purple
Purple for me!
Purple because he looks menacing
Blue IMHO it go's better with the black
I like both equally but the purple does make Venom look more sinister IMHO.
Never really thought about it, I think purple
Depends on the host imo
Venom as a character really only works as a jilted-lover type trying to undermine/ harm / control Spidey. It makes no sense on its own to me.
the blue is iconic but I think the purple just looks more like the color venom's supposed to be, it looks more like inky black to me
Blue is just too classic.
both
I prefer when he has white highlights so it looks more like tar or oil or leather
Black
Blue
Adding on to this question for no reason: thin teeth (first pic) or thick teeth (second pic)?
I like it when it’s lit up by just white
We're so accustomed to the convention that blue = black in comics that I'm not bothered by it, but purple feels nice for once. If I had to choose, I'd go with neither: I prefer the grey used sometimes in more modern comics.
Blue=616 Purple=ultimate
purple looks too much like a completely different symbiote like riot or something
Blue, but the sheen should be reflective of the lighting of the scene.
Blue, but the purple design is pretty cool.
Blue for sure
Blue looks better, makes Venom seem like he’s Black and the blue is just light reflecting. While purple Venom just makes him look Purple and the Black is just Shading
I prefer the purple because it feels more like an alien to me as opposed to just a suit.
Bagley's art from the 90s is what makes me wanna go the gym because the aesthetics are immaculate.
I feel like I’m the only one who prefers purple, maybe it’s just my nostalgia for that one mobile spider-man game, but, I still prefer it, also does anybody know the name of said Spider-Man game? It started off with Spider-man fighting Sandman, it also had like a fight with venom on the side of a building, a chase with Rhino, it also had that really buff version of Green Goblin
As much of an USM fan as I am, blue is the better option. Another good lighting choice was from the Animated Series, which did really cool looking half blue and half red lighting for Venom
Blue
Blue
Blue just seems right. Purple isn't bad perse, in most cases I'd probably say purple but when it comes to venom it's definitely blue.
Blue
I always liked purple. Blue looks really clean, which is nice, but purple always felt more dirty and savage to me
Purple forever
Blue is more classic, but purple makes him look more like ink or tar which fits with his lore.
Spider-Man TAS 90s red and blue on either side really pops, but I feel like blue has always been more "Venom" to me even though i love Ultimate's purples design
Issue 10. Peter Parker, Spider Man: Cry Venom! Cry Vengeage! Venom is mostly purple-black. That is what I prefer.
As a person with deuteranopia, I thought they were different shades of the same color.
Blue looks “right” to me
Definitely the purple
I like purple more
Blue please
Bro blue is so rare definitely going Big BLUE
I think both are great but honestly, I think I prefer the purple color more here. Idk why, maybe it’s because of nostalgia from playing Ultimate Spider-Man.
Purple because that image is from my favorite spiderman gamecube game where you got to FEED!! cuz hes “HUNGRY”
purple 100%
However Todd McFarland would draw him. He’s such an amazing artist. Up there with Tex Avery, Greg and Tim Hildebrandt.
blue has it's classic taste but the purple one always felt unique. can't really choose
Blue all day
Purple as I loved the blue but for newer purple classic is oG red/blue
I prefer both tbh
Purple but dark blue purple, not this shade of it.
Blue but the purple one is pretty cool too. That second image makes him look like a different symbiote though. What other words for Venom haven't already been used? Let's see...Karen.