The C.W.'s Spectacular Spider-Man isn't just a great cartoon. It's a great show, period, that is deserving of a better time slot. Seriously, if it were shown during prime-time, it would fare better than most would think.
For one, the action scenes are all fluidly animated. Spiderman moves the way he should. He jumps, flips, swings, and dodges with the greatest of ease. After watching the first season, I don't think I've seen him make the same move in the same way twiceamazing. Not only are the action scenes visually arresting, they're well thought out as well. Yes, Spidey is superhumanly strong, fast, and agile. However, most of his victories come from him using his brain. He defeated Electro by dropping him in a swimming pool. The Shocker gets an abandoned theater brought down around his head. Spidey took out the Sandman by drenching him with wet cement. The Rhino was defeated by being lured into a steam tunnel where he quickly overheated.
Then there is the humor that, so far, has been absent from any version of Spiderman outside of the comics. This show has some vicious one liners that sound like they were written by professional stand up comedian. Case in point, Spidey is fighting the Shocker and just ripping on him. (ShockerDon't you mock me). (SpideyHey, it's what I do. I mock. I'm a mocker). The Green Goblin tells Parker that they should join forces to take over New York City. The hero's response: Are we just talking Manhattan or all five. The snappy writing doesn't end with the tights though.
Peter Parker's more normal life is covered full and well, providing this show with less fantastic and more dramatic character interactions. Pete's relationship with his aunt is more fleshed out and shown to be extremely close, with him having a curfew and suffering restrictions. And it makes sense. After all, they're all that they've got. At school, Pete is the perennial outcast and has to deal with being picked on relentlessly. However, the bullies and valley girls are never cast in a one dimensional light and, as the season progresses, are allowed to grow as characters. Eventually, they even start warming up to him. This is especially evident in the Flash Thompson and Liz Allen characters. The real meat of the slower paced scenes, however, all take place at the Daily Bugle.
J.J.J. is faithfully depicted as the perennial boss from Hell and to hilarious effect. The first time Parker approaches him about taking photos of Spiderman, the guy has him kicked out of the bullpen before he can say anything. Then there is Betty Brant. She is an adult. Parker is sixteen. Yet, there is still an attraction between the two that is resolved in a way that feels right, not forced, and never becomes creepy. I fell out over Aunt May going all the way into Manhattan to tell Brant to back off her teenage nephew, all while dodging a rampaging Rhino. When Parker trounces the bad guy, only to end up losing out with a babe, the show is working on overtime and firing on all cylinders.
The Spectacular Spider-Man has amazing animation, sensational action, side splitting humor, absolutely relatable drama, snappy dialogue, and, lastly, spectacular writing. Any fan of the character, or of good television wouldn't have a problem watching it. This is why this isn't as much of a review as it is me personally begging the C.W. to give this show a shot in prime-time. Back in the early the nineties, Batman the Animated Series was occasionally shown on FOX after 8:00 p.m. and did well. Well, as good as that series was, this one has the potential to be much better. It even has that tight, serial quality that's all the rage nowadays. Please give it a chance in the big league's C.W. You're going to be showing reruns until January anyway, so what could it hurt?
For one, the action scenes are all fluidly animated. Spiderman moves the way he should. He jumps, flips, swings, and dodges with the greatest of ease. After watching the first season, I don't think I've seen him make the same move in the same way twiceamazing. Not only are the action scenes visually arresting, they're well thought out as well. Yes, Spidey is superhumanly strong, fast, and agile. However, most of his victories come from him using his brain. He defeated Electro by dropping him in a swimming pool. The Shocker gets an abandoned theater brought down around his head. Spidey took out the Sandman by drenching him with wet cement. The Rhino was defeated by being lured into a steam tunnel where he quickly overheated.
Then there is the humor that, so far, has been absent from any version of Spiderman outside of the comics. This show has some vicious one liners that sound like they were written by professional stand up comedian. Case in point, Spidey is fighting the Shocker and just ripping on him. (ShockerDon't you mock me). (SpideyHey, it's what I do. I mock. I'm a mocker). The Green Goblin tells Parker that they should join forces to take over New York City. The hero's response: Are we just talking Manhattan or all five. The snappy writing doesn't end with the tights though.
Peter Parker's more normal life is covered full and well, providing this show with less fantastic and more dramatic character interactions. Pete's relationship with his aunt is more fleshed out and shown to be extremely close, with him having a curfew and suffering restrictions. And it makes sense. After all, they're all that they've got. At school, Pete is the perennial outcast and has to deal with being picked on relentlessly. However, the bullies and valley girls are never cast in a one dimensional light and, as the season progresses, are allowed to grow as characters. Eventually, they even start warming up to him. This is especially evident in the Flash Thompson and Liz Allen characters. The real meat of the slower paced scenes, however, all take place at the Daily Bugle.
J.J.J. is faithfully depicted as the perennial boss from Hell and to hilarious effect. The first time Parker approaches him about taking photos of Spiderman, the guy has him kicked out of the bullpen before he can say anything. Then there is Betty Brant. She is an adult. Parker is sixteen. Yet, there is still an attraction between the two that is resolved in a way that feels right, not forced, and never becomes creepy. I fell out over Aunt May going all the way into Manhattan to tell Brant to back off her teenage nephew, all while dodging a rampaging Rhino. When Parker trounces the bad guy, only to end up losing out with a babe, the show is working on overtime and firing on all cylinders.
The Spectacular Spider-Man has amazing animation, sensational action, side splitting humor, absolutely relatable drama, snappy dialogue, and, lastly, spectacular writing. Any fan of the character, or of good television wouldn't have a problem watching it. This is why this isn't as much of a review as it is me personally begging the C.W. to give this show a shot in prime-time. Back in the early the nineties, Batman the Animated Series was occasionally shown on FOX after 8:00 p.m. and did well. Well, as good as that series was, this one has the potential to be much better. It even has that tight, serial quality that's all the rage nowadays. Please give it a chance in the big league's C.W. You're going to be showing reruns until January anyway, so what could it hurt?