The Spectacular Spider-Man

"The Spectacular Spider-Man" is a good cartoon show for a new generation of Spider-Man fans. It's fast-paced and stylish (cartoony) and it aims to be hip with the youth of 2008. But it's still very true to the Spider-Man tradition, if updated to be fresh for modern viewers.

I grew up watching the 1990s "Spider-Man" cartoon, which seemed to be modeled after the comic books of the day. "Spectacular" has its own stylized designs for the classic Spidey characters. What's cool about "Spectacular" is that it focuses on the early days of the superhero, when Peter Parker is a geeky high schooler. It hearkens back to the original Stan Lee/Steve Ditko comics, with Peter growing into his powers while struggling with teenage social drama. (Thanks to bullying jock Flash Thompson, snobby cheerleaders, strict curfews, and various secret identity complications.) Comic book mythology is tampered with, a little, allowing Parker to be high school buddies with brainy Gwen Stacy and rich boy Harry Osborn. (Eddie Brock is a recent graduate from Parker's city high school.)

"The Spectacular Spider-Man" highlights what is most attractive about the character, and that is that Spider-Man is a kid just like any of us. He has amazing abilities that every kid dreams of, but he still faces the kinds of problems we all face. Peter Parker's high school misadventures are what make Spider-Man unique.

This Spider-Man is young and energetic. He delights in swinging through the city and catching bad guys. His famous wisecracking sense of humor is intact, which is a lot of fun. Each episode is action-packed and full of humor, which should make this incarnation a hit amongst kids nowadays. Every kid watching will want to be Spidey.

As Peter Parker is getting used to his superpowers, we see his famous rogues gallery take shape. The world of "The Spectacular Spider-Man" is littered with the well-known characters of the comics, including friends, foes, and eventual villains. In the first episode alone, we meet Norman Osborn, Curt Connors, Eddie Brock, J. Jonah Jameson, The Enforcers (Hammerhead, Montana, Fancy Dan, Ox), Flint Marko, the man who will become the Vulture, and, yes, Otto Octavius. All of these colorful characters make the rounds in this very busy cartoon city. The show is just buzzing with comic book personalities.

The episodes of "Spectacular" make up a continuing story. The continuity established in the cartoon does not come from the original comics. It's self-contained and builds the mythology up episode by episode within its own world. Each episode plants the seeds for future story arcs, setting the series in motion.

This show is great for introducing new fans to the Spidey universe. Fans of the recent blockbuster movies shouldn't have a hard time following along. They'll recognize characters like J. Jonah Jameson of the Daily Bugle and Norman and Harry Osborn, but they'll get to see new aspects of the Spider-Man mythos. The show focuses on teenage Spidey and adds touches like the light-up Spider-Man signal on his belt (a nod to the early comics), the mechanical web-shooters, and the drawn-out introduction of Mary Jane Watson (another nod to the comics).

Personally, "The Spectacular Spider-Man" isn't quite to my tastes. It's clearly updated and styled to be hip with a younger generation. Not for me. As I said, I grew up with the 1990s cartoon and will always be partial to that. But if I had been born later or introduced to this show first, I might have been partial to this version. I still admire it for showing such respect for the characters and material, bringing modern viewers a fresh and exciting Spider-Man world that is true to the spirit of the comics. (I've been disappointed with other updated superhero cartoons.) "Spectacular" is a fine way to introduce today's kids to the wonders of everyone's friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.

Spectacular Spider-Man is just the thing to please two circles: those who want to get into Spider-Man on a further level than just the movies (if they haven't read much of the comics) and those who are die-hard fans looking for their next spidey-injection. It gives a fresh perspective on the Peter Parker saga, even as it's meant, or aimed at possibly, at kids. Its style reminds one of Kim Possible with the characters' profiles, especially with the eye-lids being so wide as to suggest something so comical its almost hard to take seriously. And it's bright and flashy too, with only the sporadic sort of darkness one remembers from the 1990's Batman animated series.

But when Spectacular Spider-Man works, it works so well as to wonder if it might even beat out some of the best Spider-Man comics has to offer in the 21st century. Sure, some characters can be whiny (Harry Osbourne) or nagging (Aunt May) or underdeveloped when compared to their filmic counterparts or just 'different' in a way that's unsettling (Doc Ock and the Sandman are the two biggies for me). For the most part though the writing is so strong as to give every episode a sense of urgency, of the weight on Parker's shoulders moment to moment and beat to beat. Can he bounce between Mary Jane and his 'night-life'? How can he get those next pictures to the Bugle? Will he beat that incredibly menacing dude voiced perfectly by Keith David? I never thought that the show totally floored me like I've seen from Batman or another recent animated piece like Avatar. But the stories involved me, the animation usually delivered as complimentary to the characters and settings, and its voiced extremely well. Hard to go wrong.

Perhaps the inspiration for this show's name was after Marvel Comics' second Spider-Man solo series, "Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man." I don't know, I'm not sure. What I am sure of, is that "The Spectacular Spider-Man" is "spectacular" entertainment. The show is a hi-tech reboot of the Marvel Comics character created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, about orphaned schoolboy Peter Parker, who is bitten by a mutated spider that grants him a vast array of spider-like abilities which he then uses to fight crime as the masked superhero Spider-Man.

Spider-Man is my all-time favorite superhero. In my opinion, the character got his greatest screen treatment with "Spider-Man 2" (2004), which is my second favorite movie of all time and is also my favorite superhero movie of all time. (And yes, I am very, very upset that a reboot franchise is in the works.) This show is pretty fantastic and fits well with the times, 2010. The animation, as one person described, is very much like a Japanese cartoon - Anime', in other words - yet still uniquely American in its presentation. I have to say that it helps this show and makes the animation seem more dynamic and fluid for the viewer.

Peter Parker is probably the most instantly recognizable and empathetic of superheroes for the mere fact that he's a teenager, rather than an adult, and has to learn for himself what it means to be a grown-up, and that with "great power, there must also come great responsibility." We always identified with Parker's personal battles (as well as his battles with well-known super-villains like Dr. Octopus and the Green Goblin), like his romantic relationships, his social awkwardness, his money problems, and grade troubles. I would imagine that is something most college-age kids will always be able to relate to. I know I have on more than one occasion.

I hope this show continues being the "spectacular" piece of animated entertainment that it is.

10/10

I've watched every spider-man animated series there has ever been and this one is by far my favorite of them all. The past series that I've watched have so many flaws I can count them on 10 hands, but this... flawless so far!

Okay, the theme song is pretty weird, but I kind of like that too.

I love that it's more about the high school years with Gwen Stacy (something that was left out of the 1st film Grrrr!) Though I seriously doubt that the producers will kill the animated Gwen :P That's not likely. Plus they're keeping faithful to the comic by making Mary Jane's identity a mystery. Nice!

Compared to the 90s show, the animation is consistent from one episode to the next. In the 90s series artists got lazy and repeated scenes or it was drawn crappy one weekend, then beautiful the next. Spectacular stays clean and well drawn. Even the action sequences are clean, like Spidey's movements are so well done it's hard to believe. And thank you so much for not incorporating 3D buildings....yuck! Spidey's jokes are funnier than they ever been in any previous series as well. The villains give him plenty of ammo.

Speaking of villains, they are so strategically placed throughout the series it's amazing (no pun intended). Their stories are not rushed like the 90's show. He's not babbling on and on about some girl while fighting the baddie and then the scene gets cut back and forth sporadically. I can't say anything bad about this show... yet. But I doubt that they'll give me a reason to.

So until this one goes belly up, make mine Marvel!

This isn't the same old rehashed Peter Parker/Spiderman mythology that fans can recite by heart. It's original, witty, and definitely creative in its execution that still keeps the spirit of everything we know and love about Spiderman. Remember, just as Marvel Comics released Amazing Spiderman, Spectacular Spiderman, & a host of other Spiderman spin offs that each maintained their own plot lines this show does just the same thing.

In this the Spectacular Spiderman, the writers have successfully taken the main characters in Peter Parker's life and updated them with 2008 lifestyles and diverse cultures and issues. Most important, they've mixed GREAT action sequences with outstanding writing and characterization. In addition, the voice actors and storyboarding are all top notch that I can only hope to see continue for several more seasons.

Shows like this one and Avatar just remind me that great animation is still fun to watch no matter what age or what generation you may be.

Respectfully, Carter p.s. look up Bob Carter & know that I speak from some experience in this area.