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After 50 years of fighting the force of evil, Spider-Man’s
place in American pop culture is undeniable. Half a century
after his debut, the web slinger is still going strong.
Over the years, there have been over half a dozen attempts
to bring Spider-Man to the small screen – the classic 60s
series, the early 80s solo cartoon, the Amazing Friends
series, the 90s Fox Kids series (this reviewer’s personal
favorite), the Fox Kids Unlimited series, and the CGI MTV
series from 2003. Spectacular Spider-Man is the latest in
a long line of Spider-Man cartoons. ***
Is there anyone out there who DOESN’T know the story
of Spider-Man? This animated series follows the same basic
formula. Peter Parker was a typical nerdy teenager, until
a bite from a radioactive spider gave him all the powers
of one of the eight-legged arachnids. Following the death
of his uncle from his own negligence, he sets out to right
his past wrongs, and fight crime in New York City. This
particular series cover’s Spidey’s high school years, and
features plenty of the classic characters, heroes and villains
alike. ***
The overall approach in this particular series is a
little lighter and more humorous than some earlier attempts
to animate the character, but as a whole it fares pretty
well. It lacks the substance and darkness of the FOX Kids
series and the MTV series, but it’s certainly less campy
than the pre-90s cartoons. No, this isn’t my favorite Spider-Man
cartoon. But it’s a nice addition to the lineup of a superhero
who shows no signs of letting down, five decades after he
debuted. ***
Each one of these Spectacular Spider-Man DVDs features
three episodes, and runs for about 70 minutes. For this
reason alone I can’t recommend the release – just hold out
for the inevitable season releases that are sure to come.
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Image and Sound:
The series is presented in its broadcast anamorphic
widescreen format. Throughout, the image is clear, and the
colors bright and well-defined. Quite honestly, I didn’t
detect any major issues with the source material here. The
audio is what you’d expect from a television series, nothing
less and nothing more, but it gets the job done. For anyone
who cares, a French audio track has been included as well.
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