Review: MARVEL'S SPIDER-MAN

Spider-Man is back with an all-new animated series! In this review, I’m going to be covering the pilot episode of Disney XD’s Spider-Man. I will be talking about the good, the bad, and how well it stacks up against the previous Spider-Man series’. Spoilers down below, you’ve been warned.

The show starts with an action sequence and the classic trope of Peter narrating the situation. He’s in his first costume, similar to what Spider-Man wears in Spider-Man: Homecoming. You can clearly see the influence Homecoming has on this series right off the bat. Peter is fighting the Vulture and everything. It’s literally Peter’s first day as Spider-Man. Peter then heads to school, where we meet Harry Osborne, Liz, and Alister Smythe. Peter is a nerd, like a huge nerd. It’s almost annoying. Harry thinks Peter should apply to Horizon High, a science school.

Conveniently, Max Modell (head of Horizon High), is looking for one student to join their esteemed program. This is where the remainder of the story takes place. Max visits Peter’s school looking for the smartest in his class. Meanwhile, the Vulture is trying to get his claws on some vibranium. It all comes together when we learn Vulture worked for Modell and wants revenge. Both of Peter’s words collide in typical Spider-Man fashion.

The show is a bit of a mixed bag. It manages to find some of the magic Spectacular Spider-Man had, but it’s still too juvenile for an older audience to really get invested. It feels like a cross between Ultimate Spider-Man and Spectacular Spider-Man. Also when Peter does his narration, instead of them being presented as thoughts, he’s actually saying these things out loud. There’s one scene where Peter says “It’s a job for Spider-Man!” while surrounded by other people. It can really take you out of it. The show is mostly good aside from very minor problems. I’m not a fan of the character design or the animation style in general, but the voice acting is really good. I believed that Robbie Daymond was Spider-Man.

Overall Spider-Man is an enjoyable kids show. It’s not going to keep older viewers watching, but it’s not terrible. That’s not a bad thing either. Kids should be able to watch Spider-Man and love it. The show isn’t offensive, and it feels like an extension of Spider-Man: Homecoming. It’s a great family show, and a younger audience should have a blast.