Spider-Man cartoons tend to be a dime a dozen. From the 1967 Spider-Man series and Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends in the 80s, to 1994’s Spider-Man: The Animated Series, Spectacular Spider-Man, and even recent Spidey and His Amazing Friends on Disney Jr, we’ve seen almost every single iteration of the character and his origins come to life in beautiful colors and dynamic action. So going into Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man I was skeptical to see what more the latest animated series would bring to the table that we hadn’t already seen before.
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10-episodes later, and my skepticism was completely replaced with addiction. Because low and behold, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is an absolute delight! The series comes to us from showrunner Jeff Trammell, and gives us something that actually does feel fresh. In fact, it’s a love-letter to all walks of Spider-Man fandom, from the comics (new and old) to the MCU. And what we get is all the better for it.
I think the biggest and best thing I enjoyed about the series is that, much like Spectacular Spider-Man, it plays with our expectations of the Spider-Man mythology, twisting the lore into ways that are unexpected and exciting! The spider that bites Peter, and the origins of how it gets to him are incredibly fascinating and cleverly written, with unexpected events tying back to that moment as the series progresses. The side characters are also quite brilliantly written from the Osborne family, to Peter’s classmates like the incredibly tragic and complex Lonnie Lincoln. The series also adds some really fun recent characters from the comics that we haven’t seen too often in Marvel media, and weaves them into Peter’s story; namely Nico Minoru and Pearl Pangan. The way it also plays with the mentor/ward relationship between Peter Parker and Norman Osborne, in a way that twists the Stark/Parker relationships we get in the films into something much darker is also astonishing. Literally, as a fan of the comics for decades, I had no idea where they were going to take Peter’s story, and yet, I was so engrossed into how everything was perfectly unfolding in smart and captivating ways.
The show also does an amazing job world-building on a version of the Marvel Universe that feels familiar, with nods to the MCU, but also different, given it’s on an alternate part of the multiverse. As such, events we’ve seen in the MCU, such as those surrounding the Sokovia Accords, get their own spin in this version of the Marvel mythos. However, doing so also allows us to visit some fan favorite characters as well, including many versions of A-List Marvel characters I personally didn’t expect to see in the series. All of this adding to the absolute gleeful geekiness of the series, as it satisfies us hardcore fans.
Adding to the affectionate approach to the Spidey mythology is the gorgeous animation style/artwork for the series, that pays glorious homage to the work of Steve Ditko’s Silver-Age style from the comics. Vibrant colors, and dazzling panels pop off the screen, with character designs that feel appropriately pop art. Everything adds up to a version of the character as we truly haven’t seen him before. Is it as good and interesting as the Spider-Verse films? Of course not. But then one has to assume this is done at a fraction of the budget as those blockbusters, and yet, it still creates a sensational impact for fans who appreciate the classic style.
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As far as the voice acting goes, it’s hard to go wrong with some pretty well established talent. Hudson Thames steps back into the role of Spidey, having already played the character in What If. While 2-time Academy Award Nominee Colman Domingo brings a terrific gravitas to the role of Norman Osborne. Domingo in particular perfectly straddles the line between an affectionate teacher to Peter/surrogate father figure (following the death of Uncle Ben), but also a harsh headmaster who exhibits signs of callousness and indifference. It’s a very fascinating take on Norman that we really haven’t seen before, yet no less untrustworthy or slimy.
On the whole, if there’s one thing I’ve learned from Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, it’s that you can’t judge a series or an interpretation of a classic character solely by a trailer or your history with said character. Sometimes different interpretations of a classic hero can surprise you; particularly if the team behind the interpretation presents a well-written, engrossing, and pleasantly surprising version of said hero. Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is such an example, showcasing a fresh, fun, colorful take on a classic hero that I guarantee you haven’t seen before. Furthermore, if nothing else, I can also guarantee that, overall, if you keep an open mind, it will be nothing short of a spectacular and amazing time for Spidey fans everywhere!