The Spectacular Spider-Man

After the very disappointing Spider-Man 3 I'm happy to see things improve and what better way to improve by a whole new animated series.

This show is yet another reboot for the Spider, so far it's a good new take. at first I didn't think I would care for this show, I really had no interest but inside me I am a Spider-Man fan and therefore I had to check it out when it first aired, and I loved every second of it. I haven't been able to fault this show since it aired, everything seems to be working out well in terms of humor, drama, characters, plots, etc. Not only that the show has a pretty good pace of things, all balanced right unlike some action packed shows which don't have a heavy balance of all things considered.

I'm glad this show hasn't been another superhero disappointment like The Batman was for me when that first aired, and progressed. This is no The Batman, it kind of feels like the Batman: The Animated Series for Spider-Man here, little bit, but in terms of being well written and depth. Nothing highly dark or crazy here, yet.

Sometimes change is good, isn't it? Hope the series gets better and better.

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

As a big fan of Spider-Man I love this show and it really gives him justice. I hope there will be an season 3, 4, and 5 for this show because it has big expectations to be one of the greatest superhero animated series at all time. Anyway this show has a wide array of villains, supporting characters, and Spidey while having just as much as focus on his alter ego, Peter Parker. A few of the villains from season one are Vulture, Shocker, Venom, Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, Sandman, Rhino, Lizard, Hammerhead Tombstone, and Electro. Which are all portrayed quite well. Season 2 introduces Mysterio, Kraven, Molten Man, and Silvermane and all the rest of the same villains from season 1 (besides the Lizard which they are planning to do a spin off movie of.) Anyway this show is a must for Spider-Man fans and comic book fans everywhere and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

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.

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.