Venom is the title of several American comic book series published by Marvel Comics focusing on the various heroic and villainous incarnations of the character Venom, which have usually consisted of a human host and amorphous alien being called a symbiote. The first incarnation of the character was the one created by the third and current human host to the symbiote (the first two being Spider-Man and Tel-Kar), Eddie Brock, and—since 2011—its fifth host, Flash Thompson. Beginning with Venom: Lethal Protector, eighteen limited series following Brock's adventures were published monthly between February 1993 and January 1998. A monthly Venom series began publication in 2003, following a new character, Patricia Robertson, and a clone of the original symbiote. The series concluded in 2004 after 18 issues. In 2011 another monthly series, following the adventures of Flash Thompson, was launched. The series resumed with vol. 3, vol. 4, and vol. 5 from 2016 to present. Publication history The first run of Venom titles consisted of eighteen limited series published consecutively, cover dated from February 1993 to January 1998. This limited-series run consisted of 60 issues altogether, effectively acting as an ongoing monthly series whose issue numbering reset with each story arc. The first limited series, Venom: Lethal Protector, was written by Venom co-creator David Michelinie and began the character's transition from unambiguous villain to anti-hero; the story also introduced the symbiote offspring (Scream, Phage, Riot, Lasher and Agony), who would recur in Marvel comics until the 2011 Carnage, U.S.A. limited series. Subsequent limited series included 1994's Venom: Separation Anxiety, which continued the story of Venom's offspring and spawned the 1995 "Planet of the Symbiotes" cross-series story arc; 1996's Venom: Along Came a Spider, which introduced symbiote anti-hero Hybrid; and 1997's Venom: On Trial, which saw Eddie Brock tried for his crimes as Venom. Also published during this time was the prequel one-shot comic Venom: Seed of Darkness #-1 (cover dated July 1997), following a pre-Venom Eddie Brock. Larry Hama wrote the most individual series with eight in total, including the 1997 final instalment Venom: The Finale which saw the symbiote apparently killed. According to editor Tom Brevoort, the series was cancelled because "The return on the book had declined to the point where any immediate financial reward was overshadowed by [then editor-in-chief Bob Harrass] discomfort with the character starring in his own title." A new ongoing Venom series began in June 2003,