Alright! Today I'm reviewing The Spectacular Spider-Man, a 2008 series based on the Marvel character of the same name. Peter Parker was bit by a radioactive spider and, well... you know the rest. Spectacular Spider-Man is a fun and fresh new take on the character we've seen a hundred million times with a unique art style and palpable high school drama.
The first thing you'll notice is the unique art style. I absolutely love it when new series are able to create such unique twists on iconic characters, and not a single one exists that hasn't been redefined or wholly reinvented (Shocker with a Southern twang! Whoda thunk?). I absolutely adore and respect that, especially when they're still able to capture the essence of the character so well. Otto Octavius starting out as a timid and meek scientist is actually really fun and adds to the contrast of his villainous persona.
The other immediate thing about the series is the animation itself. You've never seen character models like this and you never will again. While the humans look a bit odd and the entire series feels flat, it does work to its advantage when the mask is on, making sure all the action looks smooth and acrobatic. In high school, the animation is a middle ground, but during the fight scenes, it's so dynamic that it can't help but be impressive.
Another impressive thing about the show is how well it does Peter Parker. Josh Keaton is the definitive Spider-Man, his soft voice perfectly fitting for the sarcastic quips. He's the perfect Spider-Man voice actor, blending charm and shyness into one pretty powerful Peter Parker performance. I also loved how the show wasn't afraid to sugarcoat Peter's backstory or Aunt May's financial decision, making his Spider-Man outings all the more heroic.
The supporting cast of high schoolers are also the definitive versions of those characters. Spectacular Spider-Man not only contains the best TV Spidey, but the best ever Flash Thompson, George Stacy, Liz Allen, Shocker, Rhino, and Mary Jane... Mary Jane by a long shot, it's leaps and bounds above the Raimi movies and the '94 MJ. I always loved Flash Thompson showing up, especially the episodes where he showed the good person he is on the inside - this is a Flash that I could see actually becoming Agent Venom. Every character is also perfectly voiced with the exception of J. Jonah Jameson, and even then it's only because J.K. Simmons is just *the* voice of J.J.
I also loved every moment that focused on the high school aspect of Peter Parker's life - shoot, I'd have loved this show without any Spidey in it. The drama is palpable, the romance is brewing, and it unfortunately never feels like the focus of the show, always leaving the setting so Peter can fight Electro or what have you. When it focuses on Peter as a person it shines brightly - it still shines when he has the mask, but the most interesting and unique parts are the well done high school crushes and first kisses and what have you.
The only character I wasn't very fond of in this show was Green Goblin. He frequently comes across as an off-brand Joker from Batman: The Animated Series, and the voice acting only adds to that, mostly sounding like a very sick Mark Hamill. He also never cements himself as Spidey's archnemesis in the way other Spidey media has, nor as a brilliant crime boss, nor as an interesting character. He's just another clown in a costume Spider-Man takes down in what feels like an obligated fight scene.
 |
| Easily one of the best Spider-Man scenes, ever. |
The Spectacular Spider-Man was taken from us too soon - only twenty-six episodes were made, with a further three seasons and a few DVD movies all canceled in favor of the (Infinitely worse) Ultimate Spider-Man. I mean, shoot, they even replaced the sublime voice acting of Josh Keaton in Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes so Drake Bell could establish himself, which is just... ugh. At least Spectacular Spidey got to show up in Across the Spider-Verse.
Spidey was at his best when he was Peter Parker, but the animation was at its best when it was kinetic and faceless action scenes. It's an odd balance, but one that makes sense. The theme song and Rhino theme are all fantastic, and the subtle yellow shading on the eyes is ever so iconic. All-in-all, he's the definitive Spidey and I would love a Disney+ revival at some point in the future.
 |
| Gwen's relationship with Peter was unbelievably cute; it's a crime against nature we couldn't see more of it in season three. |
Comments
Post a Comment