While keeping track of the Marvel movies can be a bit daunting for some, each new release is an event and fans will talk both positively and negatively. Unfortunately, that level of cultural attention is simply not paid to the countless animated series that showcase the same characters, often with great results.
Spider-Man is consistently the first or second most popular superhero in the world, and that level of fame buys a character a near-constant stream of projects. It seems like there's always a movie or two in circulation, but the animated series come and go with much less fanfare, even when they gather a fanbase.
The Spectacular Spider-Man premiered in 2008 on The CW's Kids' WB block before moving to its more long-running home on Disney XD. It was created by Greg Weisman and Victor Cook, both of whom have solid work in the long-suffering medium of action cartoons before and after the series. Weisman is best known for his work on the groundbreaking 90s Disney series Gargoyles, but he went on to co-develop the beloved DC Comics series, Young Justice. Cook worked on the underrated space western cartoon BraveStarr during the 80s and went on to direct many episodes of Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated. They were brought together by Sony to create the series as a direct-to-DVD project, but it gained popularity on Kids' TV. The show has been highly praised since its release for its handling of mature themes, action, high-school drama, and comedy.
The Spectacular Spider-Man takes inspiration from many comic book runs, along with a huge dose of Sam Raimi's take on the franchise, and blends them into a stellar distillation of the character. The show sees Peter Parker attending high school in Manhattan, taking on a freelance photography gig at The Daily Bugle, and balancing his career as Spider-Man. It takes a clever approach to the character by opening the series with Spidey a few months into his hero work, not bothering to go over the origin story until several episodes in. Like Parker himself, the show ambitiously takes on a ton of different challenges and pulls all of them off in the end. It follows a bad guy of the week format at first, but, once its rogues gallery is established, the show starts letting them work together to create new villainous dynamics. Even the high school drama is largely well handled, balancing several evolving relationships that feel both organic and earned.
The villains get a unique spotlight in this series. Some are portrayed with gripping sympathy, while others are good old-fashioned cartoon villains. The series introduces Electro early as a science experiment gone wrong who struggles to live with his new superpowers. When Spider-Man sees the power Electro wields, he attacks, driving him to villainy. A later episode introduces Shocker, who is given a distinctive southern drawl for his limited appearance. Shocker's a go-to d-lister, but he's given more personality in this cartoon than in almost any other iteration. A pair of powerless goons appear throughout the first episodes, but each gets their own transformation sequence and standalone episode as one becomes Sandman and the other becomes Rhino. The show outdoes itself with each new extended transformation scene. In its first season, the show even manages what the movies never could, assembling the Sinister Six.
The big bad guy of the first season seems like The Kingpin at first but is revealed to be Tombstone. His right-hand man is Hammerhead, and despite these villains' lower status, both bring an impressive amount of menace to the show. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the series villains is that they don't all work together. Some villains team up, but others oppose each other, and still, others find themselves favoring Spidey over the alternative. There's a fairly complex web of relationships, allies, and enemies that goes beyond the traditional "good guy versus bad guy" dichotomy. The second season brings out Master Planner and the Silvermane family to act as a second final boss, resulting in a gang war between major villains. It's one of the best showcases for Spider-Man's rogues gallery and secondary cast in the long history of comic book adaptations.
Even Spider-Man's most popular villain gets a prominent display in the series. Eddie Brock appears as a friend of Peter's whose relationship gradually sours and Spider-Man gets to go on a couple of adventures with the symbiote. Both halves of Venom are well-established before the beloved villain makes his first appearance. The series handles every one of its villains with a deft hand, whether they're the most beloved of the bunch or a barely known d-lister.
The Spectacular Spider-Man was tragically canceled after Disney acquired the TV rights to the character in 2009. This sparked a social media campaign and years of fan outcry from people who loved the series and didn't want it to end. Weisman and Cook had three more seasons of great content planned. Disney crushed the show the moment they could to create lesser cartoons, so they wouldn't have to share profits. One of many casualties of Disney's monopolistic control over beloved characters. Fans can finally see all 26 episodes of The Spectacular Spider-Man on Netflix, and they absolutely should.