With all the speculation and rumor mill churning regarding the eventual Spider-Man 4, Tom Holland’s return, fans of the webslinger haven’t caught a mainstream break in some time now. Sony this, Marvel Studios that, Kevin Fiege said what? Undoubtedly, it’s been an exhausting stretch for audiences who simply want a return to form for the character.
And, thankfully, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man offers just that. With an entire season under our belts, it can be safely said that, at least, the series serves a proper Spider-Man fix. To that positive, among many conversations to be had about the series’ character work, it gets the titular dual-personality completely correct.
Peter Parker has never been truer; spending time with him in the classroom, in addition to the given conversations with Aunt May, the occasional adjusting of his glasses and a backpack that looks a little too big, it’s a hit on all levels.
And Spider-Man, especially as the series progresses, just couldn’t feel more right. The series’ highly-contested animation style lends itself incredibly well to Spidey’s swinging and all the visual trappings that come with that. The suits, too, are all fine additions to the character’s canon arsenal. On that (crucial) front, this is a good adaptation.
Save for the occasional taken liberty, this is a by-the-books Spider-Man story with a plot that feels refreshingly traditional. It’s the first to open with the Norman Osborn/Green Goblin relationship since Raimi’s first movie, and throughout, it remains faithful to what is a classic vision of the character.
Without any spoilers, there’s a particular interaction early in the series that should leave fans of Raimi’s adaptation giddy. It feels like the infamous Thanksgiving scene all over again; Coleman Domingo as Norman is ever-brilliant, but this scene serves as the first true glimpse into the potential of his casting.
You get peeks at other villains as well, some adapted better than others, yet all welcome in the wider web of this new universe. A special shout to this Doctor Octavius, who looks as if he was ripped directly out of a comic book.
Where the show falls short is where it gets away from the inspirations that make it. Many modern inclinations, provided most often with little explanation, stiffen the overall experience.
Whether that be humor (aside from Peter’s one-liners in the suit) that feels much closer to Marvel’s live-action work than it should, or a general overreliance on muddled technological enhancements and the word salad jargon attached to that, it’s things like these that feel both out of place and forced in a street-level story like this one.
That, and distractions over an eight episode series simply don’t serve the overall structure and pace of the story well. With episodes only coming in at around 30 minutes a piece on average, there isn’t a whole lot of time to waste, so what’s wasted on overlong comedic bits, or tired side plot threads, seriously caps the potential here at times.
Though, when it matters, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man cashes in on one of the best subplots in any Spider-Man adaptation as of late, regarding the football superstar at Peter’s highschool, Lonnie Lincoln.
Where exactly his arc lands would be a shame to spoil, but brought to life by an incredible vocal performance from Eugene Byrd, Lincoln expands the emotional core of this show into a territory rarely marked by animated adaptations such as these. His journey is mature, marred by difficult themes and inescapable conclusions, and the way in which it crosses over with Peter’s play in the larger whole is truly a stroke of Spider-Man genius.
Beyond Peter and Norman, Peter and Lonnie come off as the series’ main driver, and in spite of issues that are present and impactful, what comes of these two characters prevails. If you don’t go in expecting too much, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is a solid, mostly faithful adventure that should give fans their fix between now and the next time Spidey graces the silver screen.
It’ll work for families, friends and loved ones, too. This is just Spider-Man in his purest form, and in that, everyone can find a piece of themselves to grab onto.
If you don’t go in expecting too much, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is a solid, mostly faithful adventure that should give fans their fix between now and the next time Spidey graces the silver screen.
Movies, long drives, and mint chocolate chip ice cream.
