When a work of fiction becomes so big, or when a fictional character becomes so popular, an institution is surely created. However, the bigger a work becomes, the more hands work to its completion, and sometimes this can sully the final product. In most cases, the biggest fans suffer when their favorite story, or their favorite character, becomes what it was not intended to be. Too much of this can breed contempt for any new editions of that particular work.
I had this feeling when I found out that The Kids' WB on the CW would be presenting a new animated Saturday morning cartoon based on my favorite web-slinging superhero: The Spectacular Spider-Man. I feared that the show would be heavy with rushed plots and quicker solutions. I dreaded that the show would be written around cool gadgets that would easily be transferred into expensive toys. I was sickened at the thought that Spider-Man, who is the second best character in comics, would be poorly and shallowly written and developed.
My fears were wiped away after the first 3o minutes of the first episode. It was a masterpiece.
Some of you are thinking: Did he just use the word "masterpiece" in reference to a cartoon? You heard correctly. In fact, there have been many masterpieces in the history of cartoons, and especially comic books. I consider the Simpsons a masterpiece of dark, satirical humor that has stood the test of time (1989, folks - that was when the Simpsons debuted as a prime-time cartoon). Some consider the racy sci-fi/fantasy animated movie Heavy Metal as a masterpiece of sex, violence, and rock and roll. And, like them or not, Walt Disney Animation Studios have produced some of the most loved cartoons of all time (personally, I love Disney cartoons).
What about comic books? Surely, they can't be "masterpieces"? Alan Moore's epic Watchmen comic book limited series won a Hugo Award (the yearly award for the best science-fiction and fantasy works), and it was listed in Time Magazine's 2005 "100 best English-language novels from 1923 to the present".
In the realm of characters, cartoon or comic book, Spider-Man is truly a great character. Whether or not Spider-Man could be considered a "masterpiece", the work that has been done with that character since his 1962 debut in the pages of Amazing Fantasy has been masterful. When Stan Lee and Steve Ditko created Spider-Man, they crafted a unique and interesting hero who brought excitement and action to the pages of whatever comic book he appeared in. But Spider-Man's best attribute was not his ability to spin webs and crawl on walls; his best attribute was his alter-ego: Peter Parker. In my opinion, Peter Parker, the ultimate loser who has fantastic abilities but can't catch an even break, is the greatest character in comics, yesterday, today, and for the foreseeable future.
Because I love the character of Peter Parker so much, I was a little leery about the new animated series. Animated series and other works, such as movies, have been sometimes based on product sales rather than quality. Take Pokemon, for example: that is a cartoon based on a card game. New characters mean new cards to sell to the kids. New seasons mean new card series to sell. Nothing is done for quality, but just to make a sale. But The Spectacular Spider-Man is not like that. Quality comes first, and anything after that is a compliment.
The series begins with Peter Parker returning to high school in his junior year. How did he spend his summer vacation? He became Spider-Man. There is no origin show to bog us down at the beginning; the writers jump into action, hopefully because the Spider-Man origin tale has been told so many times that family pets now recite the tale. The first few episodes have the feel of an inexperienced Spider-Man getting used to his life as a crime fighter / high school student, but not so inexperienced that we have to suffer through "power discovery". The villains have roots in organized crime, and they deal with Spider-Man as an unknown entity. Because of that, the first few stories revolve around the creation of villains due to criminal relations between the crime boss known as the "Big Man" and industrialist Norman Osborne. Of course, thanks to the quality of the writing, the stories really revolve around a teenager named Peter Parker, who happens to be Spider-Man.
That is very important. This isn't a cartoon about Spider-Man fighting villains. That happens, of course. It has to. But the main focus is Peter Parker, the man, not Spider-man, the superhero. There's the secret, true believers. If you ever want to create a superhero, do the following: create the person, first, then create the superhero. The person (the alter-ego) is the most important part of any good superhero.
But The Spectacular Spider-Man does more than honor the greatest character in comics. The writers treat the long history of Spider-Man with respect, and they do it justice. No villains or origins are rushed. Several villains are introduced many episodes before they actually become villains, like the Lizard and Sandman and Dr. Octopus and the Green Goblin. The villainous Venom, which is the reason behind Spider-man's black "costume", is introduced in the first episode and doesn't come into being until the thirteenth! These writers aren't writing a Saturday morning cartoon show! They are sculpting art!
And speaking of art, the animation, though considered a bit childish and goofy for some (this guy not included), is fantastic! The art staff handles all the problems the other Spider-Man cartoons have suffered from in the past. Spider-Man (1967-1970) was known for poor backgrounds, panned paintings, and reused animation. Spider-Man (1981), Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends (1981-1983), and Spider-Man: The Animated Series (1994-1998) all featured poor animation, poor writing, and convoluted continuity. The art in The Spectacular Spider-Man is all animation, and it is fresh and flowing. The fight scenes are the best I have ever seen in a cartoon. Period. Most of the time, the city looks like New York City, though other times, it is less distinct and looks like a major cartoon city. Although a purist would argue that the continuity is not the same as the comic book, I would argue that The Spectacular Spider-Man has the continuity that is closest to the spirit of the Spider-Man comic books.
Should your kids watch this show? Sure. The younger ones might be scared a little bit at times, especially during the Alien Symbiote / Venom story, but it is not too bad. The lessons are good, for the older kiddies. The story of Spider-Man is, in a sense, a morality tale: "With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility..."
To the staff and producers of The Spectacular Spider-Man: Keep up the good work! This is one of the best shows on television, and the best cartoon I have ever watched (with the Venture Brothers a close second). I hope this series has a run that buries the runs of the other Spider-Man series.
And, if you ever need someone to voice Kraven, or Carrion, or Jack O' Lantern, give me a ring. It would be a dream-come-true.
(Heck, I'd even voice Frog-Man.)
(Cover of the December 1976 debut issue of Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man).
