1.The Art Style
Instead of going for a way too busy or complex set of designs, like pretty much every animated iteration of Spidey has done, the animators on Spectacular decided to go with a simpler, yet more fluid set of designs, that while odd at a first glance, look great once you sit down and watch.
2.The Voice Cast
This show has perhaps the most awesome and diverse voice cast I’ve ever seen in a show. From veteran voice actors like John DiMaggio, Clancy Brown, and Steve Blum (perhaps better known as Bender Bending Rodriguez, Lex Luthor and Spike Spiegel, respectively) to Hollywood actors like Robert Englund and Keith David. I mean, what other show has Freddy Kruger, Admiral Anderson, and the Kurgan all teaming against a superhero? None, that’s the answer. On a related note, Josh Keaton is fantastic as both Peter Parker and Spider-man. If you didn’t already know.
3.The Writing
Honestly, I don’t think I’ve seen writing on a kids show like this since Avatar the Last Airbender. Stories are often subtly split into 3-episode sagas, but the show is still solid enough on its own to just sit down and rewatch random episodes. While being a show originally aimed at kids, the characters all have depth and personality, something missing from a lot of similar productions.
4.Stylized Reinterpretation of Classic Spidey Mythos
If you’re a fan of Spidey comics, or even some of the Raimi films, you’ll recognize a lot of the iconic scenes, especially early on, like the evolution of Venom from being a suit and Peter’s best friend to being Spiderman’s gravest enemy…
My own personal love bias for Venom aside, other characters receive introductions, origins and developments that are simultaneously reverential to the original material while being a fresh take on the source material, something other interpretations could learn from….
5.The Theme Song
There’s an old saying: a picture’s worth a thousand words…. so what if I just showed you a video, instead?
6.The Villains
While this topic may be cheating a bit since I already mentioned them in both the voice acting and writing columns, I still feel it’s worth mentioning. Every villain has time and care taken to be developed and receive a proper origin, even one-note characters like Rhino. Plus, many of their designs are a clever and purposeful combination of both Amazing and Ultimate comic designs…
7.Now Completely available on Blu-Ray and Cheap!
This one isn’t exactly a reflection of the shows viewing experience, but I figure it’s worth mentioning. Before last Tuesday, you could only purchase Spectacular Spider-Man Season 1 on DVD, while if you wanted the complete second season, you’d have to hunt and buy a handful of single discs containing 3 to 4 episodes each. Now, you can buy the whole thing in HD for under $30 and you’ll get a free ticket to the upcoming Amazing Spider-Man 2!
8.Doesn’t Talk Down to Kids
This is one of the most important things for me, especially in children-aimed programming. If you want a show to have an actual impact on people, don’t just write it as if your audience is stupid. Kids may not have a lifetime of knowledge, but they’re not innately dumb. If you present them with the idea of a moral dilemma, they can figure it out on their own. This isn’t to say you can’t skimp on comedy or do something silly from time to time, however. You absolutely can, just make sure to balance it out, and not treat your audience like they need everything explained to them through fourth wall breaking recaps every two minutes, and and a little angel and devil on Spidey’s shoulder… Like another show…
9.Has something for Everyone
Like that seminal classic, Batman the Animated Series, Spectacular Spider-Man toes a very fine web between serious and fun, thrilling and frightening. Topics on the show range from dating, drug abuse, crime, and mutation. These may have been visited in a lot of the Amazing issues, but we certainly haven’t seen them touched before or since in a Spidey show. There’s even brief bits for horror and anime fans besides the inclusion of Robert Englund in the voice cast! For example, Sandman’s “birth” scene seems freakily reminiscent of Tetsuo’s final transformation in the film AKIRA. That’s simultaneously really heavy and cool for a kid’s show.
10. THAT THEME SONG!
I couldn’t just mention it once. It’s fun, it’s swingy, and extremely catchy. In fact, I’d say it’s Spectacular!
Now, sing it with me:
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