Spectacular Spider-Man

Calleja · Jun 30, 2009

I was sure there was a thread about this already, but it seems it's been wiped by the garbage dump time limit thing, so I had to make another.

HOW FUCKING GREAT IS THIS SHOW?!

Seriously. Raimi should watch every single episode on this show, and do Spider-Man 3 thinking of THAT!

I just finished episode 212, Opening Night, and... fuck. [spoiler:3or12jo7]What a fracking twist! Black Cat's burglar father killed Uncle Ben!?!?! DAYUMN[/spoiler:3or12jo7].

I know TNG loves this show as much as I do, but why aren't YOU watching?! :devil:

Steve · Jun 30, 2009

They are not showing it on any channel in our area. I've checked and had DVR set to record all new episodes. I get all the Wolverine and the XMen I want *ugh* but no Spidey. And I really enjoyed the first season.

Iaculus · Jun 30, 2009

Another TSSM fanboy over here. Wait 'til you get to the S2 finale for some serious wham...

As per normal for a Greg Weisman show, the villains are great, and the stuff in school is just deliciously awkward as well.

checkeredhat · Jun 30, 2009

I finished it months ago. I'm desperately waiting for season 3. I love all the subtle homages and name drops and things too, that my less nerdy friends don't pick up on. [spoiler:8hokcnj5]The cover of amazing Fantasy #15 appearing as a photo on the Daily Bugle in the opening credits, the phone call to Mac Gargan (Scorpion), and the recreation of those famous Steve Ditko panels, for example.[/spoiler:8hokcnj5]

It was one of my goals in life to someday direct a good Spider-man TV show or movie, that would put Peter Parker BACK IN HIGH SCHOOL WHERE HE BELONGS, and retain the humour of the comics. I liked the 90s cartoon and Sam RAimi's movies, but both failed at these two areas, which are the most important aspects of the character to me.

They've gone ahead and fulfilled my goal without me.
Also Cheeks Galloway's character design has become very influential on my own, although I don't like the connecting lines at the elbows and knees sometimes.

Reboneer · Jun 30, 2009

I love Spectacular Spider-man, but...

Calleja said:
Seriously. Raimi should watch every single episode on this show, and do Spider-Man 3 thinking of THAT!

... Don't blame Spider-man 3 on Raimi, that movie was ruined by studio interference.

Also, here's hoping Spectacular Spider-man eventually gets picked up for a third season (even though it's looking less and less likely).

Calleja · Jun 30, 2009

Argh, I meant Spider-Man 4... FOUR, four. My bad.

checkeredhat · Jun 30, 2009

Calleja said:
Argh, I meant Spider-Man 4... FOUR, four. My bad.

Don't worry Calleja, we ALL blocked the existence of Spider-Man 3 from our memories.

Bowielee · Jun 30, 2009

Calleja said:
Argh, I meant Spider-Man 4... FOUR, four. My bad.

And 4 will be just as bad if the studio makes him shoehorn carnage or wolverine or any other character Sam Rami didn't originally write into the script.

Everything that was bad about Spiderman 3 can be attributed directly to Sam Rami's disdain of Venom.

Calleja · Jun 30, 2009

Reboneer said:
Also, here's hoping Spectacular Spider-man eventually gets picked up for a third season (even though it's looking less and less likely).

Aw, man.. I hate to hear that. Was it not doing good ratings-wise?

Reboneer · Jun 30, 2009

I should point out that I'm going off months-old information there... back in February/March it was looking unlikely, I have no idea whether that's changed or not. Still no official announcement though.

Jun 30, 2009

Welcome, brother.

And there was another thread, entitled "Spectacular Spider-Man is BACK, baby!" but it's been gone awhile.

I still firmly believe that this is the best rendition of Spider-Man in ANY medium in 20 years. That's including the movies (though Spidey 2 was damn good), better than most of the comics (even Ult. Spider-Man, which Spec. takes somes ideas from, such as Eddie as his friend and the character, Kong) and better than the old 90s cartoon. Yes, I said it and here's why:

-The animation is a lot smoother and just FEELS more like Spidey. Plus, they don't (as far as I've noticed so far) re-use animation cells like the old series did. I swear, I saw them use that same shot dodging an attack from The Lizard in the first episode in so many different episodes. One minute, he's fighting someone in broad daylight and suddenly, he's in the sewers. Seriously. It bugged the HELL out of me.
-Rather than just punch out the bad guys, most times, he uses his head. Because that's one of the great things that many writers forget about Spidey: he's witty, smart as all hell and quick on his feet. I think the ONLY time he just pushed through with his fists was the final battle against Tombstone, but that was just epic and it was a score he needed to settle.
-High School. Nuff said.
-The same guy that did Gargoyles (Greg Weisman) heads up this show. Which explains the overarching storylines (which the old one was lacking) and a lot of Shakespeare references (eee!).
-Rather than try and shove a new character in the first episode, they build them up. Venom, for example, was built throughout the entire first season. The first couple of episodes show all kinds of characters who soon become villains. Rhino, Sandman, Doc Ock, Green Goblin. Even Mysterio was in the first season before he became Mysterio.
-Speaking of Green Goblin: he's used MUCH better in this series. Hell, in the old series, he didn't even show up until the third or fourth season. And they brought back the mystery of the Goblin, which was huge back then. And they pulled it off so well that they tricked me.

Yeah, this show is OFF THE HOOK.

Bowielee · Jun 30, 2009

I HATED the animation in the 90s series, It was stiff and ugly.

Jun 30, 2009

Bowielee said:
I HATED the animation in the 90s series, It was stiff and ugly.

THANK YOU!!! I hate trying to convince people that the show really wasn't that great. Good for the time, but Spec. blows it right out of the fucking water.

Also, another reason why Spec. is better than anything else:
-The theme song. I watch a new episode just to hear that theme song. It's the catchiest frigging song since the old 60s series.

Scarlet Varlet · Jun 30, 2009

checkeredhat said:
Calleja said:

Argh, I meant Spider-Man 4... FOUR, four. My bad.

Click to expand...

Don't worry Calleja, we ALL blocked the existence of Spider-Man 3 from our memories.

What is this 'Spider-Man 3' of which you speak?

BTW, anyone see a loose screw? My metal lobotomy plate seems to have lost one.

Shegokigo · Jun 30, 2009

Can't get past the 9yr old looking Peter Parker enough to give this show a fair shot.

Calleja · Jun 30, 2009

You should Shego.. the character design bugged me at first too, especially the doll eyes from hell... but after a few episodes you not only get used to it, but ge tto dig it, I swear.

Plus he's a newbie Spidey, he HAS to look young.

And yes Nick, that theme song friggin' rocks. It's similar to Firefly's theme in that at first I didn't really like it and in fact kinda hated it.. but little by little it began to grow on me to the point that I now sing it in the shower and re-play the intro sometimes.

Living on the edge, fighting crime, spinning webs
He can swing from the highest ledge he can leap above our heads

Ah-ah-ah AH AH
Ah-ah ah ah AHHH-Ahh

Villains on the rise and the city's victimized
Leaping up with no surprise, arriving in the speed of time.

Ah-ah-ah AH AH
Ah-ah ah ah AHHH-Ahh

SPEC TAC U LAR
SPEC TAC U LAR Spider-Man!

SPEC TAC U LAR
SPEC TAC U LAR Spider-Man!

SPECTACULAAAAAaaaar

(awesome guitar)

SPEC TAC U LAR
SPEC TAC U LAR Spider-Man!

SPEC TAC U LAR
SPEC TAC U LAR Spider-Man!

SPECTACULAAAAAaaaar

(even awesomer, soft guitar outro while Logo vibrates along)

Jun 30, 2009

And the FULL version.

figmentPez · Jul 1, 2009

Calleja said:
And yes Nick, that theme song friggin' rocks. It's similar to Firefly's theme in that at first I didn't really like it and in fact kinda hated it.. but little by little it began to grow on me to the point that I now sing it in the shower and re-play the intro sometimes.

It's so catchy, even the villains have it stuck in their heads.

Bowielee · Jul 1, 2009

Could someone please PM me a good place where I could "watch" season 2 as it was never carried on any of the local stations here.

Jul 1, 2009

Oh, Bowie. That reminds me of something. I've just sent you a PM on something...COMPLETELY unrelated to what you are requesting. Nothing illegal going on here, folks, carry on!

Calleja · Jul 1, 2009

figmentPez said:
It's so catchy, even the villains have it stuck in their heads.

LOL, I love elevator scenes like that.

Bowielee · Jul 1, 2009

ThatNickGuy said:
Oh, Bowie. That reminds me of something. I've just sent you a PM on something...COMPLETELY unrelated to what you are requesting. Nothing illegal going on here, folks, carry on!

And if you put the creme on it for 3 or four days, the rash should go....

Oh, Hi everyone...

:whistling:

@Li3n · Jul 1, 2009

checkeredhat said:
put Peter Parker BACK IN HIGH SCHOOL WHERE HE BELONGS,

Except that the original comic only had him in highschool for 2 years... which is like 24 issues... and also real time, as he was bitten at 16...

Calleja · Jul 1, 2009

The original comic also put him back in Highschool around the early hundreds.

@Li3n · Jul 1, 2009

Really?! Didn't Gwen Stacy die around #120?! They where in highschool at the time?!

twitchmoss · Jul 1, 2009

i freaking love this show. the [spoiler:fl775cqa]fight with venom at the end of season 1[/spoiler:fl775cqa] blew the big-screen attempt out of the damn water. and the big opera fight scene in season 2 is fucking incredible. especially with ock wearing what appears to be a vampire costume :tongue:
the show also seems to be rather good at getting crap past the censors.

mj: 'its ...randy, isnt it?'
randy: very

i want a season 3 goddamnit!

Iaculus · Jul 1, 2009

Also? Sandman has the coolest power ever.

checkeredhat · Jul 1, 2009

@Li3n said:
checkeredhat said:

put Peter Parker BACK IN HIGH SCHOOL WHERE HE BELONGS,

Click to expand...

Except that the original comic only had him in highschool for 2 years... which is like 24 issues... and also real time, as he was bitten at 16...

I'm pretty sure it was 15. I could be wrong.

And yes, he aged. But this show is actually starting it off right by having him start in high school. The 90s cartoon I swear he looked like he was 30, and he was taking University. And Sam Raimi only had him in high school long enough to get bitten and fight Flash, and then he graduated.

I've always felt that having him in high school made him a much more interesting character. Its a big part of why I love Ultimate Spider-man so much.

@Li3n · Jul 1, 2009

checkeredhat said:
I'm pretty sure it was 15. I could be wrong.

15, 16, not that big of a difference...

checkeredhat said:
And yes, he aged. But this show is actually starting it off right by having him start in high school. The 90s cartoon I swear he looked like he was 30, and he was taking University. And Sam Raimi only had him in high school long enough to get bitten and fight Flash, and then he graduated.

I've always felt that having him in high school made him a much more interesting character. Its a big part of why I love Ultimate Spider-man so much.

At the time i was young enough that college kids looked 30 anyhow...

But imo teen angst has been overdone... and having him stuck in high school forever would get boring quick...

Also, when Norman Osborn is more of a threat then the Green Goblin (and teh GG is hulk but on fire) there's something wrong. (Bendis is good at dialogue and characterization but i wouldn't want him inventing any superpowers).

checkeredhat · Jul 1, 2009

@Li3n said:
15, 16, not that big of a difference...

No, I'm just nitpicking. I also concede that I may be wrong on that. I've never read Amazing Spider-Man prior to sometime in the mid 90s. I've read the various synopsis that are available, of course, but not the actual comics.

@Li3n said:
At the time i was young enough that college kids looked 30 anyhow...
But imo teen angst has been overdone... and having him stuck in high school forever would get boring quick...

Also, when Norman Osborn is more of a threat then the Green Goblin (and teh GG is hulk but on fire) there's something wrong. (Bendis is good at dialogue and characterization but i wouldn't want him inventing any superpowers).

\

Bendis is aging Parker 1 year for every 100 issues, so it won't be forever. Plus they're technically ending it soon. I think they will be continuing it under something like "Marvel Ultimate presents: Spider-Man" or something like that though. My guess is that they don't want it to actually reach the point where Spidey joins the Avengers (as Nick Fury has stated will happen when Peter turns 18) so they can prolong it this way.

I guess we'll just have to reach the conclusion that I prefer high school Peter Parker and you don't. Oh well.

But I'll definitely agree with you there, Doc Ock controls metal now? Don't you already have a villain that does that, Marvel? C'mon!

@Li3n · Jul 1, 2009

After Loeb the UU is pretty much dead anyhow... and the current status of the Ultimates and Fury kinda makes it doubtful anyone will actually make him join at 18...

anyhow, my original point was that high school Peter wasn't why Spidey became such an icon in the first place.

checkeredhat · Jul 1, 2009

@Li3n said:
After Loeb the UU is pretty much dead anyhow... and the current status of the Ultimates and Fury kinda makes it doubtful anyone will actually make him join at 18...

I haven't read that far yet. I'm up to Ultimate Spider-Man volume 21. I gave up on reading the Ultimates after Ultimates 2 (TERRIBLE), so I didn't see what havoc Loeb wreaked. All I know is that Fury is missing in Ultimate Spider-Man right now.

@Li3n said:
anyhow, my original point was that high school Peter wasn't why Spidey became such an icon in the first place.

Well, I'll agree its not the sole reason (there are so many different reasons to love Spidey!), but I do believe it was extremely important to the character's initial popularity. Teen superheroes were not as common then as they are now. They were mostly sidekicks at the time, right? Now teen superheros is the big fad.

@Li3n · Jul 1, 2009

I don't know... most of the iconic stories came after, and his nerdiness was probably more important then being in high school...

checkeredhat · Jul 1, 2009

@Li3n said:
I don't know... most of the iconic stories came after, and his nerdiness was probably more important then being in high school...

Right, but those stories would never have been written if Amazing Fantasy #15 hadn't been as popular as it was. Spidey wasn't originally meant to be a marketable character, he was a short story experiment originally. Certainly though, his continued success and iconic status is definitely to do with the iconic stories told in the later years. You are absolutely right there.

But as the original high school superhero, I think his spending his formative years fighting villains while juggling high school life is important.

And for me personally, its a more enjoyable setting.

Shegokigo · Jul 1, 2009

Another reason I have no interest in this show, this thread alone just did it for me.

Venom before Peter even works for Jonah? Ugh.

I personally disliked the "early years" stuff by a mile. It's not until he worked for Jonah and started taking on the baddies then was I interested much in Spidey.

Next thing you know, they'll have teenage versions of his villains. :eek:

rly: Which is a lose/lose situation because if they don't, then you have a Freshman in High School Parker/Spidey defeating 30+yr old villains? Yeah, just no.

Spectacular Spider-Man

Iaculus

Reboneer

Reboneer

Scarlet Varlet

Iaculus