SPIDER-MAN THE ANIMATED SERIES SEASON 1

After riding on "The Amazing Adventures Of Spider-Man 3-D Ride", I knew it wasn't just based off the comic book characters, it was also based on the TV show in the 90's...

This was a show I never watched as a kid, why, because I was never a Superhero fan as a kid. The only Superhero show I watched as a kid watched was "Batman The Animated Series", but then again, I'd watch it very rarely because I was more hooked on "Nickelodeon" than any other kids channel. As I got older, I had a much better appreciation for Superheroes. Without further delay here's my review on "Spider-Man The Animated Series" Season 1.

BASIC PLOT

Peter Parker is your average young adult who lives with his Aunt May and works for his hot headed boss J. Johan Jameson as a photographer at the "Daily Bugle". However, due to being bit by a radioactive spider, Peter Parker now has Spider powers and fights crime as his masked alter ego Spider-Man. As he's fighting crime, he encounters dangerous super villains who will do anything to tear him apart. Peter also has difficulty with his normal and social life because he spends most of his time saving the city.

NIGHT OF THE LIZARD

I our pilot episode, a giant Lizard has been spotted roaming around in the city and Jameson offers 1,000 to anybody who can take a picture of this monster. Aunt May is down on her luck with paying the bills, so Peter decides to not only get a picture of this monster but also find out what it is and where it came from as his alter ego Spider-Man.

Spider-Man is (In my opinion) the coolest hero in the Marvel comic books. In this cartoon he's cool as ever with his great Spider powers such Spider senses, Web shooters, and ability to crawls on the walls like a spider; fast thinking skills; sense of humor; and actually looking cool and respectable in his flashy red Spider costume. When he's Peter Parker, he actually acts like your average every day person you see everyday. With that said, I didn't like how they designed him. Instead of looking like a nerdy loser, he looks all muscular and handsome and mixed with his average regular personality it seems very out of place. Aside from his out of place handsome design, Peter's still likable. What I really love about the hero is we see both sides of him struggling with life. I think they really captured that aspect well, especially when we hear his thoughts, even during the big climatic fight. So far I like this Spider-Man and I can't wait to see how his character is going be more developed as we get further into the series.

The Lizard creature is a creepy villain. When we first see it in the opening it scares the younger viewers off guard. We assume it kills one of the sewer workers and as the surviving one escapes we see its evil red eyes. That's a good introduction to the villain. There's a plot twist when we find out where the Lizard came from but I won't spoil it for you. However, I will say I did not feel for the creature’s struggles and emotions because I feel like it was kind of forced to make kids feel bad for it. I also feel like they didn't analyze the Villain enough to make it a tragic Villain and to be honest I kind of found the plot twist very predictable. He's a creepy villain and has a good plan for revenge but the tragic side could have been played out a lot better.

The supporting characters in the episode are just as interesting as our hero and villain. Peter's Aunt May is a sweet, loving and over protective like most senior citizens are, as well as being a really humble character. Edward Brock is Peter's normal life bully and who’s really a complete jerk and I have a feeling he's going to do worse things in later episodes then what he tried to do in this one. Out of all supporting characters, my favorite has to be Peter's boss. J. Johan Jameson. While being an over the top hot headed jerk there is still something that I find strangely likable about him. I also think he's an interesting character and is probably the funniest character in all Spider-Man adaptations. The only character I didn't like is Peter’s friend Debra Whitman who’s annoying as hell; looks like a rejected character from "Batman The Animated Series"; and only shows up for a few minutes. Not a good introduction to the character but maybe she'll be a lot better in later episodes.

The episode's story is good but once again predictable and felt very forced every once in awhile but I'll give it credit for starting the series on the right foot. I am disappointed that it's not about Peter becoming Spider-Man and is played right after the events of the beginning of his story but at least they showed him getting bit by the radioactive Spider in the intro. The animation is good. It's not great or incredible but it's not bad. Everything just looks as colorful as a comic book; animation for the city can look very cool at times; and the action scenes are drawn out very well. Overall, I say it’s a good start to the series.

RATING 4/5

THE SPIDER SLAYER/RETURN OF THE SPIDER SLAYERS

This is a two part episode, so I'll be reviewing it as one. Spencer Symthe is hired by Norman Osborn to capture Spider-Man. Symthe creates a giant robotic Spider called "The Spider Slayer" to capture our hero but fails to do so. Spencer's son Alistair joins forces with a mobster named The Kingpin and Alistair creates more "Spider Slayers" to not only kill Spider-Man but to also kill a few people for revenge of his father's death.

The first half of this two parted episode was ok. It started out with a great action-packed chase with Spider-Man, but as we got to the middle it began to get boring and silly. The villains in the first half are bland; the fight between Spider-Man and the "Spider Slayer" was a bit of a bore; and the idea that Spider-Man has to save a guy who's posing as him was just flat out silly. Once I got to the second half, it was full of non-stop action and suspense that held me on the edge of my seat. Sure it had some over the top silly moments and bad puns but that wasn't enough to ruin this two parted episode. Besides some of those jokes worked, like the running gag with Brock for example.

When we first meet Spencer Symthe and his son Alistair, they bored me to death. I didn't feel any personality or emotions from any of them; they're just really bland characters. However, once I got towards the end of the first half, they started showing some personality. After the death of Alistair's dad, we see him slowly come from being a crippled boring character to a twisted mad man and let me tell you, I didn't see that coming at all. The second villain the Kingpin shows up very little in the episode, which is a shame because I was attached to this villain since the minute I was introduced to him. He seems like a cool Villain and I can't wait to see what he has in store for our hero in more episodes.  

As for the supporting characters throughout the series, they’re actually being developed a bit more. For example, remember when I feared Brock is going to do worse things in later episodes? Well this is a big step for him in this episode; however I won't tell what he's planning in this episode. My favorite supporting character Jameson, the guy who calls Spider-Man a menace, becomes trapped with him in a life threatening situation that’s not only funny but it's an excellent twist to see Spider-Man's rival for once being trapped with the hero he hates. This episode also introduces other huge supporting characters in the series such as Norman Osborn who will later become "The Green Goblin, Peter's best friend Harry Osborn and the beautiful Mary Jane Watson.

The animation is very neat. The designs for "The Spider Slayers" are creative; the dance scene at the party is beautiful drawn; and the city landscape for when Spider-Man is slinging his web are nice. The best part for the animation, the writing and in the whole entire episode is the whole entire action sequence in the second half of the episode. After a few minutes from the beginning of the second part of the episode, we're being swept away by nothing but a huge climatic battle filled with nice animation; threatening robotic machines that are twice as dangerous as the first one; chaos that happens every where you turn; and to make matters worse, a time bomb is strapped on to Spider-Man throughout the entire climax.

The first part starts things off very slow but trust me the second part makes up for it big time!

RATING 4/5

DOCTOR OCTOPUS:ARMED AND DANGEROUS


Dr. Otto Octavius funding was cut off by the Hardy family for his research and during an accident that involved his mechanical arms, Dr.Octavius becomes Dr. Octopus (Doc Ock for short). Doc Ock kidnaps the Hardy Family's daughter and Jonah Jameson for ransom, so he can use the ransom money to continue his experiment. Can Spider-Man stop Doc Ock and restore him back to normal?

Let’s talk about the villain since he's the focus. Doc Ock is a really cool villain and so far I think this is the best adaption of this villain. His design looks cool; his personality is crazy; and while his voice does have a silly over the top accent, but still fits with this crazy villain. I also love how he's portrayed in this episode because we get to see both sides of the character, which are his evil side and nice side. His evil side is so crazy that I wouldn't want to ask him what EMC equals. He breaks into peoples houses to kidnap people; he tricks people into doing what he bids; has mechanical hands that are flexible and powerful that pose as a dangerous threat towards Spider-Man, as well as his arms making his work and crimes a lot faster; and above all he will stop at nothing to finish his experiment.

His nice side is shown in a flashback when Peter had him as a teacher. Just by looking at that one scene you sense the kind of guy he really is. He's very smart; he helps his students by giving them inspirational advice; and is probably the nicest science teacher you can ever have. That tiny flashback alone really separates you from his evil side. In fact he doesn't turn to a life of crime just to finish an experiment; he does it because the accident turns him into a mad man with a different personality with the same motivations. However, if you watch the villain carefully in the scene with his villainious side and Peter Parker trying to save the day without being Spider-Man, you can feel that his old kind self is still inside him.

As far as the episode goes it's really good. It has great suspense; really nice animation; and an incredible climax. The episode isn't really one of the action packed ones, it just basically focus' more on the story ark of Doc Ock and that's what I think the episode should be about, a story of a great villain, instead of a pointless action episode that introduces the villain, but doesn't really explain why he became a villain. The only sad part of the episode is we don't see too much of Spider-Man, and that we spend more time with the villain and Peter. To be honest though, I'm actually glad we do get to spend more time with Peter than Spider-Man in this episode because we get to see Peter try to be a hero instead of having himself rely on his alter ego.

This episode is a perfect introduction to a great villain, and I can’t wait to see more of this villain throughout the series.

RATING 5/5

THE MENACE OF MYSTERIO


While Peter Parker is living his normal life, a fake Spider-Man has been committing robberies around the city. With everyone thinking Spider-Man is now a criminal, a new Superhero named Mysterio offers to get Spider-Man and be the city's new hero. Peter has a feeling that Mysterio might have something to do with his alter ego being framed and he must find out who Mysterio is; how does he create all these illusions; and why he is after Spider-Man?

This episode has a really great set up. You got a phony Spider-Man (With Spider powers!) who's causing so much chaos that you might feel that this maybe the end of Spider-Man’s Superhero days; a cool villain who's so powerful that you think Spider-Man can't defeat him; and a clever Mystery story to go with it all. This episode really had me at the edge of my seat and kept my adrenaline going.

The villain Mysterio has to be the most threatening villain by far. Sure, Doc Ock, The Lizard, Kingpin and Alistair are good villains too, but you know Spider-Man can beat them. This villain has more power than any of these villains (I just mentioned). He can turn into stuff; make things appear and disappear; create clever traps; pose himself as the fake Spider-Man; and is praised as the city's new hero. This villain is one tough nut to crack.

We are also introduced to a new character named Lt. Terri Lee. At first you think she's going to be one of those people who's against Spider-Man and loves Mysterio, but once you get to the middle of the episode, you find out that she is really on Spider-Mans side and is trying to crack the case of who Mysterio is? This is a really badass character and seeing her team up with Spider-Man and Peter is a really good partnership. I hope I see her again in future episodes. We also get to see MJ a lot in this episode instead of having her make a brief appearance. So far I think she's an alright character, but for some reason I find her a bit shallow. Here's hoping that she'll be more developed in later episodes.

What really pleases me about the episode is we learn about Spider-Man's origins. It is shown in a flashback as we see Spider-Man start out as a wrestler and the one time he didn't stop a criminal and as result his Uncle gets killed by that criminal. I really wish that was the plot for the first episode instead of it being about some Lizard Monster, I mean couldn't they make that the second episode? However, the flashback plays a key part in this episode making Peter realize why he's Spider-Man, so I can’t really complain. Ok, much like the flashback for Doc Ock, it's shown for a few minutes, but it still shows the tragedy of the character very well.

This has to be one of the best episodes made during this season! It has a great story; great build up; a really threatening Villain; a good new character; and shows the famous story ark of Spider-Man really well!

RATING 5/5

THE STING OF THE SCORPION














Jameson is so pissed about Spider-Man not revealing his identity, that he takes one of his employees to the lab and turns him into a Superhero that's half man and half Scorpion to destroy Spider-Man and unmask him. However Mac Gargan finds himself turning into a monster and vows to destroy Jameson and become normal again.

Scorpion is another villain that's hard to defeat. He shoots acid; he's faster and stronger than Spider-Man; he has a tail that not only has a sharp stinger but also can cause some major destruction; and on top of it the scorpion is the spider’s natural predator. When ever you see them fighting, Spider-Man gets hit so bad that you wonder how he can survive all this. I really like that they made Gargan a wimp before he became the Scorpion because you'd never suspect him to be such a threat to Spider-Man. 

One of the many reasons why I love this episode is we get to learn a little more about Jameson of why he's nasty and hates Spider-Man so much. His back story is actually heartbreaking and really shows why he's such a jerk. I even love the idea that he created one of Spider-Mans toughest arch enemies because it shows how low he'll go to defeat Spider-Man and expose his secret identity. He even becomes a hero at one point during the episode. This is really good development to this easily tempered character.

The episode so much action in it that it even opens up with Spider-Man fighting against a gang of thugs. The climax even has Scorpion nearly about to destroy New York City. With that said, a lot of the action is very cliche and some of Spider-Mans puns and Fantastic Four jokes sounded like the dialogue from that horrible film "Batman and Robin".

With a few minor problems, the episode kept me on the edge of seat and as well as keeping my interest from start to finish; and seeing a new threatening villain, and aside to Jameson that we'd never suspect makes for a really great episode!

RATING 5/5


KRAVEN THE HUNTER


Peter Parker goes on a job interview but the person that's interviewing him gets kidnapped by her lover who is now a mutant jungle man called Kraven The Hunter. Spider-man saves Kraven's lover so she can work on an antidote for him, but Kraven is searching the city for her, turning the city into his own jungle.

We've had some very good villains so far but I guess there has to be at least one villain to ruin the ride and that villain is Kraven The Hunter. This is a really boring villain who I don't find a threat to Spider-Man in the least. His design looks goofy; his personality is boring; his back story on how he became a villain isn't interesting; and he resembles a bit of a Mexican stereotype. His hideout is so predictable that you don't need to be a hero to figure it out and the traps he sets for Spider-Man aren't even threatening to Spider-Man; it's more like a level 1 Superhero obstacle course in a video game.

The villains love interest is just as boring as he is. She's not interesting, her love for him is corny, and how she's trying to save him is a cliche that's been so done before that the writers just sadly couldn’t come up with a better twist to this cliched story. Even Spider-Man can't save the episode because there's really nothing for him to do except chase the uninteresting villain around the city and save a hostage reporter that doesn't act like he's in trouble.

The episode is also very silly too. The guy who gives Dr.Crawford the drug that makes her love turn into this villain looks kind of like Lion-O from "Thundercats". The scene when Kraven saves his love from a pack of lions looks extremely similar to how the Beast saved Belle from the pack of wolves in Disney's "Beauty And The Beast". However, the dumbest moment for me in the episode is when Kraven dangles Spider-Man off the building and Spider-Man says "Thanks for showing me the view but I'm afraid of heights" and breaks free. Seriously Spider-Man's afraid of heights? He swings from webs and walks on walls! It's like as if Batman is afraid of the dark when he fights crime!

Every season has to have at least one and this episode has earned this rating.

RATING 1/5

THE ALIEN COSTUME


This is a three parted episode, so I'm going to review all three parts as one entire episode. Jameson’s son has found a strange black liquid on the moon while collecting a space rock called Promethium X. The Kingpin is after that rock and hires various criminals to get it. The black liquid finds Spider-Man and alters his powers and look.

This has to be the best episode in the whole entire season! First off we see old characters (such as MJ, Brock and Dr.Connor) and we meet new characters (such as Jameson Son and new Villains) and every one of them plays a part in the story. We also see more character development in the characters! Brock becomes more threatening than ever; Jameson shows his hidden sweet side; but out of all character development the highlight is Spider-Man! As we see him in that cool new suit that makes him more powerful than ever, we see a huge change in him. Instead of being a friendly neighborhood hero, he acts like a cold blooded anti hero who nearly kills the villains, as well as becoming cockier than ever and using his new powers a bit too far which causes him to struggle with himself. His struggle only gets worse when we discover that the suit has a life of its own. Everything becomes so stressful for him that he also decides to go emo, just kidding, who on earth would have the guts to make Spider-Man emo? Seriously, his struggle becomes so stressful for him that it turns our hero into a monster that we’d never see him become!

Aside from Peter fighting his own demons, we get more new villains in this episode than any other episode so far. We have the Rhino, who is fast and strong as a rhino; the Shocker with gloves that can create electrical shock waves and the leader of the pack is the Kingpin. Every scene when you see them you find Spider-Man fighting them. They're even as threatening as the past few villains are. Still, I do wish I knew what their back stories are, but hey there's only so much you can fill in an episode. Not only are the villains after him but so is everybody else in the city because he's been framed for a crime he didn't commit and Jameson is offering a reward to anyone who can unmask him. With the city against him it not only adds more stress but also is one of the key reasons why he's turning bad.

The villain that beats all the villains is Venom. Why, the black liquid that made Peter into turn into a monster later on takes over Brock's body which turns him into this scary monster Venom. Venom has the same powers as Spider-Man; he knows who Spider-Man is and will harm his loved ones; Spider-Mans spider senses can't sense him at all; and he even unmasks Spider-Man in front of the public. The third part is nothing but them fighting each other and Peter fearing when he may show up which is way better than showing this villain for a few minutes towards the end and then killing him off.

 
This is what the film "Spider-Man 3" should have been like. No emo Peter; no dance sequence; and no short cameo for Venom that shows most of Brock's face. It should just be about Spider-Mans struggle in the suit and his fear of Venom, which makes this episode superior than the actual film!

RATING 5/5

THE HOBGOBLIN


This is another two part episode. Norman Osborn hires in a new psychopath named The Hobgoblin to take out the Kingpin. However, the assassination attempt was interfered by Peter and his alter ego Spider-Man. As revenge, the Kingpin kidnaps Norman’s son Harry for ransom and has the Hobgoblin working for him, however the Hobgoblin has plans of his own. Can Spider-Man stop him?

The Hobgoblin has to be the most twisted and psychopathic villain I ever seen in the series.  His design is scary; he has a glider that keeps getting upgrades; he throws Pumpkin bombs and disks with spikes on them that cause nothing but chaos; and he keeps switching sides throughout the episode. What really amuses me is he's voiced by Mark Hamill (Who played Luke Skywalker in "Star Wars" and voiced the Joker in "Batman: The Animated Series") and even though I kind of feel like his performance is sort of similar to the Joker, I still find him fun to watch with his creepy Goblin like voice and menacing laugh. This villain is also responsible for almost killing Peters Aunt May, which makes Peter want to take some serious revenge. I think the scary part of his character is we don't know his back story or who he is; all we know is Norman is responsible for creating him.

Aside from our main villain and Spider-Man taking the spotlight, we get to spend more time with the main characters. We see Norman Osborne as this powerful business man and workaholic who is so obsessed with his work that he'll take high risks to keep it. We don't find out his true colors until the end and even though it's a tad bit rushed, it at least shows his sympathy to the character. Then we have the Kingpin who is more threatening than ever, who acts like a sweet man in public but alone we see him just as evil as we saw him in previous episode. Just the way he acts reminds me of a Bond villain and just like the Hobgoblin, he keeps on switching sides. We also get to spend more time with MJ and Harry Osborn.

The episode is full of non stop action that keeps you on the edge of your seat and will never ever stop until the scores between our characters are settled.

RATING 5/5

DAY OF THE CHAMELEON
  





This is our season finale. A secret organization called SHIELD (You may know the organization from the recent smash hit movie "The Avengers") is after an assassin called the Chameleon. Jameson is asked to help them out but little do they know Spider-Man is helping them too.

This has to be the first Superhero crossover in the series. I know Spider-Man has mentioned some heroes in previous episodes but we never see them team up with him. The head of the team is an eye patch wearing war hero named Nick Furry, who runs his empire in a sky ship. His character is cool, his design is cool and every scene you see him he stays cool. He's even cool enough to have Spider-Man help but sadly Spider-Man doesn't do much. We even don't spend enough time with his crew members. Well the show is called Spider-Man and obviously Spider-Man's the focus but still couldn't we have a quick identification with the important crew members? Oh well, at least they're in it.    

The Chameleon doesn't really interest me as much as the other villains. Sure he can replicate as other people and has succeeded in tons of assassinations but his design is boring and his character is boring. He also doesn't have a natural power to replicate others, he has a cool looking belt that takes a persons picture and turns him into that exact copy. Now I really don't find that idea bad, but couldn't his belt be invisible because it so gives his disguise away. The scenes I only find him threatening are when he disguises himself as Peter because he can not only get close to his target but he also ruins Peter's life.

The episode sadly doesn't show too much of Spider-Man, it actually shows more of the enemy, Nick and Peter. This episode could actually work better if it was part of a show based on SHIELD because Spider-Man feels more like the crossover character than the main character. It's good episode but not what I call a great season finale, I feel like "The Alien Costume" should have been the season finale.

RATING 4/5

CONCLUSION

To be perfectly honest I think this is the best adaption of Spider-Man. I do like the Sam Raimi Spider-Man films but I feel the series does a better job at adapting the story. They really do a great job showing the struggles of Peter's social life and crime fighting life as well as making you feel bad for him. The characters keep developing as the show moves on and they all become really likable. The villains are very memorable and each of them play as a serious threat to Spider-Man (Well most of them at least) and every time they fight we get some really great action. The show does have its downsides however. The dialogue can be campy at points and a lot can argue that it's a very fast paced show but it still works and at least gives us time to identify with the characters. The animation is neat and really does bring the show its comic-book look and feel, even if it does constantly switch back and forth from hand drawn to computer animation. Even though I think it's the best Spider-Man adaption, I can't speak for the other seasons because maybe it'll ruin the ride but so far it’s an awesome show.

RATING FOR THIS SEASON 5/5



There's going to be a reboot of Spider-Man releasing soon. On the week it opens I'll be reviewing the updated reboot on the simulation 3-D ride of Spider-Man at Islands Of Adventures. Stay tuned!