Every attempt to add a new chapter to the history of an iconic hero like Spider-Man comes with its own amount of creative peril. Since he was introduced with immediate popularity in Stan Lee’s Amazing Fantasy #15, Peter Parker has been a beloved character for several generations of fans. No matter whether the comic or video game or TV show/movie is good or bad, there are core principles of the character that must always survive. Anyone who has seen any Spider-Man story can name Peter’s defining qualities; his inherent selflessness, his brilliance, his ability to sacrifice his own happiness for the sake of New York City. Every single Spider-Man story must be true to those roots in some way.
The first thing that stands out about Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, the utterly delightful new Disney+ animated series, is how it respects the history of Peter Parker yet feels like a fresh version of the character that will appeal to the 2020’s kids just getting into superheroes. What creator Jeff Trammell and his creative team have done is paint a new coat on an old classic Cadillac. It starts with the beautiful animation, a look that is reverent to the old comics. It is thrilling to watch how different shots are framed like a panel from a comic book, and how the character designs look like they were ripped from the pages of Stan Lee. But it’s not just the show’s look that strikes that balance, as Trammell and his writers tell a story that feels both familiar and completely new as it unfolds.
The show takes place in what one would assume is one of the infinite multiverses of the MCU. This is not meant to be Tom Holland’s version of the character, though there are a lot of parallels to major MCU events that are referenced in the background of the show as it goes along, not to mention select appearances by other Marvel heroes. Make no mistake, however, this is Spidey’s show. One of the characters even directly tells Peter that he’s needed most by the people of New York, not by the Avengers.
I won’t spoil most of those appearances throughout the 10 episode season, but I will say that in this version of the story, Doctor Strange (voiced by Robin Atkins Downes) plays a crucial role in the creation of Spider-Man. In a prologue that gets the origin out of the way without taking up too much time, Strange and a mysterious symbiote creature destructively duel outside of the specialty school Midtown High (the Queens kid goes to school in Manhattan in this show). As they fight, a powerless Peter (voiced by Hudson Thames) steps up and saves one of his fellow classmates, who will eventually become his new best friend Nico Minoru (Grace Song). That encounter leads to the spider bite that gives him his powers, and we are off and running, or swinging, from there.
That scene immediately establishes Peter’s earnest need to help others, putting him in a situation where he has to be brave even without his abilities. This version of Peter is only 14 years old. His suit at the outset is charmingly low-tech, with a clunky backpack generating his webbing. Beyond that, he’s the Spidey we know and love, particularly with his wisecracks. The show does a great job of giving him actual funny things to say, like in an early fight scene where he takes out a group of wannabe VLog streamers (the worst kind of criminal). That sequence is the perfect blend of old and new that the show is aiming to balance. Even though he’s 30 years old, Hudson Thames has been the animated version of the MCU’s Spidey for several projects now, including What If…? and the upcoming Marvel Zombies. He does a great job expressing Peter’s youthful enthusiasm while also adding some emotional weight as he faces more serious threats throughout the season.
Peter gets a tech upgrade when Norman Osborn starts to take notice of Spider-Man, and is quickly able to deduce that Peter is indeed the webslinging superhero. This version of Norman is different in obvious ways, a black entrepreneur who is as smooth as he is intimidating. The show’s most starry asset is two-time Oscar nominee Colman Domingo as Norman. He is expectedly terrific in conveying the warmth of this version of the character, and also hints just enough at where that character’s journey is destined to go. There are going to be people who are ludicrously upset with the fact that Norman and Harry Osborn (Zeno Robinson) are black. But the show gets the essence of the characters correct, so who cares?
Quite frankly, the people that are going to be upset by that race swapping should simply not watch. Not only will they be willfully getting angry over nothing, but it’s just the beginning of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man’s deviations from the comics. Spidey has a long roster of rogues, and the show features plenty of them, with some of them showing up for quick beats that set up a larger role in potential future seasons. Others show up in more untraditional ways, like a bank-robbing couple that uses technology that evokes the Shocker, or a Russian mercenary whose powerful helmet makes her look like the Rhino. These scenes are just as thrilling and fun as if the show had played it straight, and it helps the showrunners establish their own universe.
Despite the strong characterization surrounding all things Peter, he’s arguably the co-lead of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. The show spends a lot of time with Lonnie Lincoln (Eugene Byrd), who in the comics is the notorious mobster Tombstone. This show’s version of Lonnie is the star quarterback at Midtown High who befriends Peter in one of his science classes, and he’s the exact opposite of every Flash Thompson-esque jock in these stories. He’s kind, charismatic, and caring towards his girlfriend Pearl (Cathy Ang), who Peter also crushes on. His storyline takes him to unexpected places and is arguably more dramatic and compelling than the Spider-Man material at times. Eventually, the show finds smart ways to weave it back into Peter’s own arc.
The creators of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man have made a show that is hip to the times without feeling forced. The remixed version of the 60’s cartoon theme takes the classic anthem and gives it a hip-hop flavor, a catchy tune composed by The Math Club with the help of rappers Relaye and Melo. The soundtrack in general is cool; this version of Peter Parker rocks out to Alt-J as he’s taking the subway home from school. These touches are clearly at least partially inspired by the Spider-Verse movies, but that’s certainly a good template to use.
The first of hopefully many seasons of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is a big success. Any time there’s a new story featuring a beloved character, there is plenty of overprotective lashing-out from doomsdayers who grew up with their own version of the character. I’m already seeing this from people who love some of the more modern cartoons, particularly The Spectacular Spider-Man. I understand this mentality to an extent, as there have been plenty of times where executives have screwed things up and aggravated the fans. But as great as those older shows are, what is wrong with there being a new show that is just as good in a different way? For someone out there, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man may be their introduction to the character, and the show represents him extremely well. So what’s wrong with adding to the complex web of great Spider-Man stories? Nothing.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man premieres with two episodes today, then releases new episodes in batches of two or three every Wednesday.
