Spider-Man Animated - My Thoughts: Part Three

The Spectacular Spider-Man (2008)

Finally, we come to the most recent Spider-Man animated series, and the only one still producing new episodes today, Greg Weisman's 'The Spectacular Spider-Man'. Weisman is held in high regard by many animation fans due to his sterling work on the critically acclaimed 90's show 'Gargoyles'. The Spectacular Spider-Man promised to be a more faithfull adaptation than Spider-Man: The New Animated Series, and so far at least has lived up to this promise, with its opening one and a half series being among the greatest Spider-Man animation seen so far.

Peter Parker:
The Spectacular Spider-Man's character designs have come in for a lot of flak from many, mainly due to their simplicity in comparison to previous animations. However, once you get past the very detail light style the designs are fine, and Peter's is actually a massive improvement on his very dodgey Spider-Man: TAS appearance. This style also allowed the animation of the character to reach new heights. The voice acting and character of Peter are also both spot on, with Josh Keaton bringing just the right level of nerdy teenagerness to the role without becoming annoying, and the writers giving him the classic 'Parker Luck', without making him too morally questionable, as was occasionally the case in MTV Spider-Man.
A+

The Supporting Cast:
Spectacular Spider-Man made some fairly significant changes to Peter's supporting cast, most notably the changes in ethnicity of certain characters (Liz Allen), and transforming Gwen Stacey from a beauty queen to a shy nerd. Although I would usually be primarily against changes made to the classic Spider-Man mythos (one of the things that ruined MTV Spider-Man for me) The changes here are done for genuine reasons, and mean that Spidey's supporting cast is much more well rounded and varied that in the comics. Kudos should also go to the writers for cramming in so many classic supporting cast members from the comics, many of which have never been animated before such as Frederick Foswell.
A

The Villains:
The Spectacular Spider-Man is similar to Spider-Man: TAS, in that it makes excellent use of Spidey's classic rogues. However, in a similar manner to its use of his supporting cast, many of their costumes and even secret identitys have been changed, something that some fans have taken issue with. Many of the villains costumes and backstories have also been updated for the modern age as well, for example the Vultures new black and red armour (inspired by MK: Spider-Man) and Electro's more sympathetic personality. Like the changes made to the supporting cast these changes have clearly been carefull though through, and add a lot to the characters. The villains are all given realistic motivations, and the designs, while being a mixed bag are a brave attempt to update Ditko's classic costumes, many of which have never been bettered. Arguably the finest, if not bravest attempt at adapting Spider-Man's rogues gallery for the small screen.
A-

Narrative:
Although as yet only one and a half series have been aired, so far TSSM has a very strong narrative drive, with subplots introduced early on in the series still going strong, and new ones constantly being introduced. The narrative also does an excellent job of balancing out Peter's romantic life with his budding superhero career, with neither feeling neglected. There is also an end to the confusing episodic placements of MTV Spider-Man, with a clear sense of linear narrative. So far so good, but only time will tell.
A

Overall:

Pros - Good animation, wide range of characters from the comic books, excellent use of subplots and strong sense of narrative drive.

Cons - Character designs could often do with more detail, some changes made to characters unnecessary.

A

Reviews 4/2

BOOK OF THE WEEK: Age of Sentry #5 (0f 6) by Tobin / Parker / Galvan / Dragotta
Age of Sentry is nearing its conclusion, and it has actually been far more than I was expecting. Despite finding the Sentry a very interesting character, I debated long and hard over whether to pick this series up, worrying that it would be nothing more than a shallow silver age parody. Thankfully I have been proven wrong. This issue, in a similar vein to the others features two goofy silver age paradies, the first of which in particular is a hoot, with some very silly, but cute ideas (interstellar mailman?!) and humerous dialogue. The second story is a slight step down, with a very clever idea, that sadly appears to be too clever for its own good, and is let down by the overcomplex, confusing execution. It does however boast fantastic art from Nick Dragotta, whose style is the perfect blend of silver age simplicity and more sophisticated modern day storytelling techniques. There are also the usual hints that something is not quite right with the Sentry, which do a good job of building tension ahead of the final issue. The simplicity of this series may not be to everyones taste, but for me it is a welcome relief from the darkness taking over modern marvel comics.
B+

The Invincible Iron Man #10 by Fraction / Larocca
Matt Fraction is without doubt one of Marvel's most critically acclaimed up and coming writers. His work on Immortal Iron Fist is widely recognised as a character defining run, and he has now deservedly graduated onto a higher status title; Iron Man! This storyline has been a radical departure from the last few years of Iron Man, where he found himself leading S.H.I.E.L.D. Following his failure to deal with the Skrull invasion Stark is now on the run from Norman Osborn, who is in charge of a restructured S.H.I.E.L.D. The premise of Stark being on the run is an interesting one, and certainly helps give the issue more of a sense of urgency. However, this arc has been a little slow for my tastes, and title characters appearances have been far too sporadic. In the three issues he has bought, Iron Man has only actually appeared in about five pages, the result is that the issues have lacked action. However the pluses do generally outweight the minuses, Fraction's dialogue is very modern and realistic, each character has its own voice, his Tony Stark being particularly inspired. Frank D'Armata's typically fantastic colours also enrich Salvador Larocca's pencils, that as usual have been very hit and miss on this title. Overall, a solid, well written issue, part of an arc that I hope will kick into high gear soon.
B

Spider-Man Animated - My Thoughts: Part Two

Spider-Man: The New Animated Series (2003)

The next animated series starring Spider-Man (I am not counting Spider-Man: Unlimited) was Spider-Man: The New Animated Series, that used a revolutionary form of CGI Cel shaded animation, and was broadcast on MTV. Heavily influenced by Brian Michael Bendis' Ultimate Spider-Man series, it also loosely followed the continuity of the Spider-Man film series, something that helped to attract fans of the movies, but arguably hindered the show in the long run.

Peter Parker:
In many ways the Peter Parker of this series is actually an improvement on his Spider-Man: TAS counterpart. His design, as with most of the characters is a lot sleeker and more modern looking, and Neil Patrick Harris while being different to previous Peter Parker voice actors is definitely a good fit for the character, and is generally excellent . The characterisation is more hit and miss. Peter has always been shown as unlucky in love in the comic books, and an the writers attempted to do this here, giving him the dilemma of having to choose between two girls. However, the results just make Peter look a bit selfish, toying with Mary-Jane's feelings, and leading her on. Although this isn't the case in every episode, with Peter often shown as caring deeply for Mary-Jane, it was something that often bothered me, and in my opinion harmed the character.
A-


The Supporting Cast:
Again, the supporting cast in the show is very mixed. The characterisation of the core supporting characters (Harry and Mary-Jane) is spot on, even moreso than Peter Parker, and they were animated better than ever before. However, many other characters didn't fare so well. Poor old Aunt May didn't actually make an appearance, beyond being shown in a photo frame, a consequence of MTV trying to appeal to the younger generation. J Jonah Jameson was also lacklustre, and brought little to the show, beyond being blessed with a very irritating voice actor. The original characters created for the series were horrendous. Indie in particular looked annoying, sounded annoying, and was annoying, playing little part apart from creating needless romantic tension between Peter and Mary-Jane.

B-


The Villains:
Without a doubt the thing that harmed this show most was the poor quality of its villains. Due to it being based in the continuity of the movies, the vast majority of Spidey's classic foes were off limits, so the creators were forced to insert brand new villains specially created for the show, many of whom were very very shoddy. Although as with the rest of the show they were animated very well, and could boast some excellent fight scenes, they often lacked the depth of Spider-Man's more traditional rogues gallery. His classic villains that were animated ranged from excellent (The Lizard, Kraven) to atrocious (Kingpin). While Lizard and Kraven were given modern updates, and portrayed as genuine threats to Spider-Man, the Kingpin was a joke, and was taken down in one episode, a far cry from his untouchable status in Spider-Man: TAS.
D+

Narrative:
Despite being produced years after Spider-Man: TAS, and being aimed at a more mature audience, the overall narrative of this show is comparitively undeveloped. Although it was sadly only given one series, and this is something that may have been worked on with subsequent episodes, there is very little in the way of episode to episode continuity, and for the most part they can be watched in any order. There is also little in the way of character development, although again this could be something that could have been worked on during subsequent series. It seems harsh to judge the series on just thirteen episodes, but unfortunately this is all we have to go on, and it doesn't compare to the frequent multi part episodes, and series spanning storylines seen in Spider-Man: TAS.

C-

Overall:
Pros - Superb animation, beyond anything ever seen in Spider-Man animation, mature style, good dialogue, solid characterisation.

Cons - Lack of classic villains, little episode to episode continuity, few significant supporting characters.

B-

Spider-Man Animated - My Thoughts: Part One

Spider-Man: The Animated Series (1994)

Like a great many Spider-Man, and indeed comic book fans I was originally introduced to the webhead through television, more specifically the 90's Fox Kids animated series. This, the first in a three part series of articles intends to compare the three notable modern attempts at animating Spider-Man (I am pretending that Spider-Man: Unlimited didn't exist). So without further ado, Spider-Man: The Animated Series...


Peter Parker:
As mentioned before, this series was my first foray into the world of Spider-Man, so it is unsurprising that the series has for me, the definitive version of Peter Parker. However, even with the benefit of hindsight it is clear that the producers did a sterling job. Christopher Daniel Barnes is perfect for the role, and captures both Spider-Man and Peter Parker's sense of humour perfectly, something that Tobey Maguire sadly fails to do. Although he often has trouble with portraying anger, this is a minor complaint. However, the design sadly doesn't match his fantastic voice work. Although Spider-Man looks good, Peter is far too bulky, moreso than he has ever been shown in the comics, and this unfortunately does a lot to ruin his appearance. The writers did have a fantastic grasp of his character, this is the truest portrayal of Peter Parker seen in animation, and is often more credible than the modern comic books. Overall, despite the dissapointing design, Spider-Man: TAS's Peter Parker is about as close to perfect as we have ever got.
A


The Supporting Cast:
Another area that Spider-Man: TAS excels is its use of the supporting cast, something that is often overlooked by modern Spider-Man writers. A primary reason for this is the very long run given to the series, the longest so far out of any Spider-Man animation. This allowed a few episodes that explored the backstory of Spider-Man's rich supporting cast, with a particular standout being the episode 'Guilty', that did a lot to flesh out the characters of J Jonah Jameson and Robbie Robertson. Although these episodes were fairly hit and miss, the writers should be applauded for exploring this area like no other cartoon has. The designs and voice acting are generally spot on, with Jonah Jameson and Robbie Robertson again being standouts, however the show often falls wide of the mark with its use of female characters. Choosing to almost totally ignore Gwen Stacey and Betty Brant, two of the most important women in Peter's life, it's version of Mary Jane is also far from perfect, with a bizarre colour clashing design, and frankly irritating voice acting. However, despite this complaint it's use of supporting cast is generally very good, and again, often actually a lot better than in the comic books.
B-


Villains:
One thing that Spider-Man: TAS is often criticised for is its poor character designs, something that I have mentioned in the previous two sections. This is something that is also true for the villains. There are many excellent designs, Shocker, Carnage and the Green Goblin to name but a few, all of which stick fairly closely to their comic book designs, and are all the better for it. However, it is when the show deviates from the classic comic book look that it often falters. Doc Ock's design for example, is an over complicated mess, and Chameleon is so bizarrely coloured you have to wonder what they were thinking. The villains backstories and motivations are generally excellent, with Mysterio being a particular favourite of mine and all of the goblins being suitable creepy, with Mark Hammills voice acting on Hobgoblin being one of the best in the series. Even minor villains such as Shocker and Rhino, despite being given very little in the way of backstory, are superbly voiced. Spider-Man: TAS must also be applauded for its use of minor villains such as the Spot, Big Wheel and Rocket Racer. Like many aspects of the show, some of these were clunkers, but I greatly admire the writers for delving into the backwaters of Spider-Man history.
B+

Narrative:
By far the strongest aspect of Spider-Man: TAS, and I am sure many will agree with me here, was its fantastic use of narrative, the complexity of which had never been seen before in an animation, and has rarely been matched since. Episode to episode continuity is very tight, and there are several multi part stories, and series long storylines. The pacing within the episodes is generally good, although it is usually very fast paced this is made up for by the fact that many stories are told in multiple parts.
A+

Overall:
Pros - Strong sense of narrative, excellent voice acting, faithful to comics, good use of supporting cast and humour.

Cons - Very shoddy animation, hit and miss character designs, often ridculous censorship, some characters being far more prominent than they should ever be allowed to be (Morbius).

A-

Reviews 28/1

BOOK OF THE WEEK: Ultimate Spider-Man #130 by Bendis/Immonen

Ultimatum, the biggest story yet in the Ultimate universe finally takes effect on the lines premier title, with this issue. Although I have not been reading the aforementioned story I have been keeping up with the events unfolding via the internet, and it sounds like a typical Jeph Loeb shockfest. Despite little actually occurring, this issue is one of the more tense issues of Ultimate Spider-Man in its run so far. The books impending cancellation (and probably relaunch) gives a sense that anything could happen, perhaps even the death of the title character, hinted at by the recent soliticiation for issue 133. However, this does not take away from the fact that this is basically a filler issue. The aunt May getting arrested plot goes nowhere, as the tidal wave allows her to escape, and the rest of the plot in the issue basically retells Ultimatum #1. Although it is nice to see most of the supporting cast, they are given nominal page time and little to do. A solid start to the storyline, but improvement is needed to reach the heights of many previous arcs.
B

Captain America #46 by Brubaker/Epting

Since Ed Brubaker took over Captain America with #1 of this volume, it has been one of the most constently acclaimed titles published by Marvel. For the most part I have agreed with this assesment, however, since Brubaker wrapped up his first major storyline a few issues ago I feel it has lost a lot of steam. Brubakers entire run has so far relied on revisiting past history, and has heavily involved Cap's World War II adventures. Although the book is still consistently well written and enjoyable to read, he needs to start moving on and making his own history, rather than exploring Bucky's past. That is not to say that this isn't a good issue, Brubaker's dialogue is excellent as ever, and the pacing is superb, however it lacks the tension and surprise factor that his earlier run brought to the table. There is no doubt that Brubaker is still an excellent writer, but the title needs a bit of a shake up to maintain by interest.

C+