After No Way Home ended on a promising note for Spider-Man fans, suggesting a return to his street-level roots, a wave of disappointment has come over the crowd as a result of recent rumors that this ending would be altogether ignored going forward.
If the growing suspicion is correct, Tom Holland’s Spider-Man will rejoin the Avengers in no time. The multiverse appears to have worked its way back into the conversation, too, leaving everything on the table but an opportunity for the arachnid hero to spin his own head for a while… at least in live-action.
That’s where Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man comes in. The animated Disney+ original delivers the street-level experience that droves of web-heads have been clamoring for, only packaged in a cartoonish style and shipped in a way that many may not have expected.
While the show feels like traditional Spider-Man in one some ways there exists a slightly different vibe for the character of Peter Parker in a universe that looks the way this one does.
The animation is clearly intentional and well-crafted, no doubt, but the general lack of visible detail in environments and movement has left many watchers unsure of their feelings towards the art style. This “controversy,” if you can even call it that, has stood out as perhaps the defining split in wider discussions of the series up to this point.
That, and certain decisions regarding the visual portrayal of certain villains and side characters; those will be avoided, both to skip spoilers and because the conversation surrounding that aspect of the show specifically have truly reached an insufferable level online.
What matters most is the quality of the content at hand. Spider-Man is a legacy character, whose core characteristics and values have become an infinite well of inspiration and engagement for many. Thankfully, this show understands that.
This is truly just a Spider-Man origin story, only without the played-out death of Uncle Ben. It’s no frills and fast thrills, speeding through these first two episodes with little setup and payoff after payoff. The pace may throw some folks off, but after an electric opening sequence with Doctor Strange (which is both short and fitting) and the slinging shenanigans that soon follow, it’s hard not to get hooked.
The stuff with Peter is brilliant too, highlighting the most recognizable aspects of that side of the character as if to offer a proverbial breath to nervous fans who’ve been trying to catch a break as of late. Peter goes to school, kills it in science class and struggles to talk to his crush. It’s a perfect mix, at least so far.
So while the series will likely satisfy Spidey fans specifically, many may still fail to find a reason to choose this new adaptation over returning to others. Because while this series has thus far exhibited a solid understanding of the character and source material, there isn’t much about it that commands any sort of special attention in comparison to other popular versions of the same story.
Not only are there multiple animated Spider-Man stories with hardcore followings (see The Spectacular Spider-Man,) the persona has just been translated in so many manners to this point that this newest iteration almost feels like a simple check in the box. It’s neat, yeah, but you’ve seen it all before. Why follow along once more instead of going back to a full-length series, video game or movie that has already done this before, and in many arguable cases, done it better?
Unless it takes a serious narrative turn as it progresses – which, to be fair, is a possibility – the show so far like a retread of done-in content. It’s comforting to see a street-level Spider-Man active once again, but in this case specifically, you may just be reminded of your favorite iteration of that archetype from a piece of entertainment gone by.
If you’re looking for new Spider-Man by any means necessary, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man should do the trick fine. But if the first two episodes present any sort of omen for what’s to come, don’t expect anything more than what you’re already used to.
Aside from the polarizing art style, of course, and depending on who you are that may be another rip in the series’ wider representative web.
If you're looking for new Spider-Man by any means necessary, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man should do the trick fine. But if the first two episodes present any sort of omen for what's to come, don't expect anything more than what you're already used to.
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GVN Rating
Movies, long drives, and mint chocolate chip ice cream.
