I find it hard not to ramble in this article; I have been reading Spider-Man comics and watching all the different versions of Peter Parker since I was a kid. I find it genuinely exciting to be getting yet another show to watch and analyze.
The first two episodes of ‘Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man’ premiered on Disney+ on Wednesday, Jan. 29. The show includes the voices of Hudson Thames as Peter Parker, Colman Domingo as Norman Osborn and even Hugh Dancy, who will be voicing Otto Octavius.
But wait, there’s more! How could I not mention Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock and Vincent D’Onofrio as Kingpin? The show also features a very cool character, Nico Minoru, who I loved in Marvel’s ‘The Runaways.’
This show joins the many renditions of Spider-Man and has quite a unique animation style. They went with 2D animation, following the style of a comic book. I’ll be honest. This is an unexpected take on Spider-Man, but I am always excited when a different animation style is explored, as many of my favorite shows don’t follow a typical one. I say typical loosely, as obviously many different art styles exist and there isn’t a specific one anyone should follow.
Before I start this review, I will say that this also takes place in an alternate universe which is similar to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but not quite the same. Here, Parker’s origin story is different, and his mentor is not the one and only Tony Stark; instead, it’s Norman Osborn. The many changes in animation and plot are just some of the reasons I was excited to check this show out, and now I’m ready to “swing into things,” as they say.
We get some cool comic panels and some context for the Peter Parker of this universe. Here, Uncle Ben has already passed away, which could affect Peter and Aunt May’s relationship. Also, a big green wormhole opened in the sky, and through it fell a villain.
“Oh no, We’re not supposed to be here,” said the wizard guy, Doctor Strange, fighting the villain—and he was right! Another character who is not supposed to be there is the spider that climbs out of the same wormhole. Parker — not yet Spider-Man — protects a classmate from the villain, distracting him and allowing Strange to warp them back.
The spider stays, obviously, and bites Peter right as he introduces himself to the girl he saved — Nico Minoru. The kid has a heart even before he has powers. That’s obvious from how he tried to save her, but things are not going as well for Parker as we’d like, as he passes out rather unceremoniously when he hears Minoru’s name.
The theme song, which is a combination of the older Spider-Man theme and a new song, is attached to a comic-Esque art sequence. It introduces you to Parker’s potential costume, shows some new characters and combines that comic book pop art style for an interesting and unique title sequence.
With a time skip, Parker is just as awkward as he was at the beginning of the episode, but now he has superpowers and a Spidey suit. He swings from building to building and maybe slips once or twice but generally does so smoothly. Now, we see him save someone—Harry—with his powers who I sense will return later.
An exciting aspect of this show is it can feel as though the scenes popped out of the comic book, but the animation can be a little awkward and the characters’ facial expressions don’t always match the scene very well. That’s not to say that the animation is bad, but it can be a tad slower than it is meant to be.
There are lessons to be learned and social commentary on how people are viewed and the kindness, and lack thereof, in society.
As a side note, the music is fantastic.
A new internship, which came with ulterior motives, but is paid, excites Parker. We see him connecting more with more friends and new people from the football team. Rather than being ridiculed and bullied, he is accepted. Minoru is weary of the internship, and if you know anything about Osborn, you would be too.
As Parker says, the internship “starts bad, gets worse, and then becomes great,” but less so once you see that final scene. No spoilers, but things are getting more tense by the second.
Throughout the first two episodes, I can see how this show is different than other versions of Spidey we have seen before, as he has different friends such as Minoru, and people are kinder to him. Lonnie Lincoln, the star quarterback, is cool, smart and kind to Parker, even choosing to partner with him on an assignment because he is interested in a friendship. Parker is still the awkward teenager we know, but this time, he has a supportive environment and a decent lack of bullies.
The art style is cool, and the plot is even more incredible. I am thrilled to have a new ‘Spider-Man’ swinging around and hopeful that the rest of season one is just as exciting as the first two episodes.
4/5