Part One: The Spectacular
It was March, 2008 when something spectacular premiered on the Kids’ WB block of The CW television station. Based on the incredibly popular Marvel Comics superhero, “The Spectacular Spider-Man” was a masterclass of animation, voice-acting, and engrossing plotlines. The series quickly proved to be a critical darling thanks to its natural and witty dialogue, slick and fluid animation, engaging characters, and faithful – yet fresh – adaptations of the classic Spidey stories that fans had come to know and love.
Livin' on the edge, fightin' crime, spinnin' webs...
Helmed by Greg Weisman, one of the talented showrunners of the beloved “Gargoyles” and “Young Justice” series, “Spectacular” spoiled audiences with deep, interwoven plots and character origins, showing many that “children’s cartoons” could feature genuine emotion, drama, and thrilling action while remaining accessible to fans of all ages.
True to the comics, teenager-and-hero Peter Parker – voiced by the immensely skilled voice actor Josh Keaton – frequently dealt with common troubles such as strained friendships, financial difficulties, romance and angst, and schoolyard bullies. The cartoon perfectly portrayed Spider-Man as the “Everyman Superhero” having him juggle these issues with his duty to protect the city of New York, having to battle powerful foes such as Doctor Octopus, the Sandman, Rhino, Venom, and his infamous arch-nemesis, the Green Goblin.
"We have Spider-Man in our clutches! It's the perfect time to strike a pose!"
“Spectacular” also made audiences sympathize with Peter and care for him through his hardships both as a student and a superhero. At the same time, however, the writers made sure to make him human. This meant that both Peter and Spider-Man often made mistakes and, while a hero at heart, possessed some faults such as vanity and pride, even being susceptible to manipulation. Spider-Man was not a perfect, clean-cut hero and that made him all the more interesting.
"My spider-sense isn't the only thing that's tingling..."
However, what made the show truly great – aside from the lovingly animated fight scenes – was the incredibly rich and diverse supporting cast. From Gwen Stacy to Kenny Kong to Mary Jane Watson, from Aunt May to J. Jonah Jameson to Norman Osborn, every character was given depth and every character received at least a little growth.
Gwen Stacy grew from shy nerd alongside Peter, to a confident, blonde bombshell. Otto Octavius went from timid scientist to cold, criminal mastermind. Eddie Brock descended from Peter’s close friend to one of his most deadly enemies in the form of Venom. Even Flash Thompson, the classic bully of Peter Parker, grew from an immature jock into a young man who genuinely cared about his friends’ wellbeing.
"You ever hear about that Spider-Guy? What a card, he is!"
Alas, things are not precious because they last. All things must eventually come to an end and “The Spectacular Spider-Man” was unfortunately cancelled long before its time. Originally planned to be a whopping five seasons with additional animated movies detailing Peter’s life in college, “Spectacular” aired its finale, the last episode of season two, in November of 2009. Legal problems between Disney (who bought the rights to Marvel during the show’s run) and Sony Pictures Television (who created the series) left the show with an infamous cliffhanger that will likely never be resolved.
It would be almost three years before another animated Spider-Man would swing his way onto television screens across the world in the form of “Ultimate Spider-Man”, a show that was very,
very,
very loosely adapted from the Marvel Comics series of the same name.
Uh... yay?
However, we will get more into that particular production in
Part Two: The Ultimate…