Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Review: A Refreshing Take On MCU Peter Parker

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Despite Tom Holland’s successful portrayal of Spider-Man in the MCU, dedicated fans are yearning for stories that delve deeper into the character’s roots, which have been a significant part of Spider-Man’s history for nearly a century. While it was strategic to skip retelling his origin story in “Captain America: Civil War,” three solo films, two Avengers movies, and a meme brought to life in the multiverse haven’t quite quenched fans’ thirst for grounded Spider-Man tales that reflect the humble beginnings of the character.

Discuss a fresh approach for the “Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man” Disney+ animated series: Originally conceived as a prequel to “Civil War,” this version delves into how the current Peter Parker came about. However, the storyline felt confined during its early stages, leading to a reimagining of it as an alternate path within the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s timeline. This intriguing spin-off poses a unique question: What if Peter Parker’s mentor in his crime-fighting pursuit wasn’t the enigmatic Tony Stark, but rather the questionable Norman Osborn, known for his unpredictable behavior and corporate ruthlessness?

Throughout the first season’s 10 episodes, one particular twist in young Peter’s story (now voiced by Hudson Thames) offers numerous intriguing detours from the typical Marvel Cinematic Universe plotline. It serves as a rich basis for a fresh, mainstream interpretation of the Spider-Man legend, with bold creative leaps that sometimes reach base, though they may not quite clear the fence. However, it’s challenging to overlook the feeling that they didn’t fully delve into the character’s origins in a profound and impactful manner.

What makes this take on Spidey special?

Among other things, there’s an authentic sparkle to this television series. In terms of tone, it doesn’t stray too far from the live-action part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe or shows like “What If…?” and “X-Men ’97.” However, visually, “Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man” stands out as a unique entity. From the response to the early trailers and details, the series’ distinctive appearance seems to be somewhat controversial. It features a flatter, less dynamic animation style that some have likened to the 2003 MTV show “Spider-Man: The Animated Series.” But while that show’s use of cell shading was fitting for its time, this series has a more nostalgic touch. The visual aesthetic and feel of the show are reminiscent of a blend between the early artwork of Steve Ditko and John Romita Sr., which dominated the character’s first decade of publication, and more recent work by artists like Marcos Martin and Chris Samnee, who also worked on the show.

In these Spidey stories, events unfold as if they’re happening alongside those seen on the big screen, but with characters and visuals that have a distinct comic book feel. Characters such as Doctor Strange and Iron Man appear, looking exactly as you’d expect from the pages of a comic, in stark contrast to their more realistic film costumes. It seems like everyone involved is having fun by drawing inspiration directly from the original source material, free from the constraints of live-action adaptation. This results in nods to past costume designs, such as the Slingers suits from the ’90s, which are typically relegated to obscure downloadable content in video games, or more recent looks like the Future Foundation suit from Jonathan Hickman’s Fantastic Four run.

The movie characters who used to accompany Peter have been swapped out with various Marvel characters that aren’t as well-known, but each one adds a layer of intrigue since they are associated with tension or mystery. For instance, his close friend is Nico Minoru (played by Grace Song), a character from The Runaways. His jock acquaintance resembles Flash Thompson, and he’s called Lonnie Lincoln (portrayed by Eugene Byrd). This character alone raises anticipation since discovering more about him may hint at future plot twists. Despite the show’s playful approach to mythology, it maintains a sense of impending danger for Peter’s life, ensuring that there is an appropriate balance between personal drama and looming disaster given the ongoing Sokovia Accords.

Should there be any flaws in this method, they lie within the acting performances. Lead actor Hudson Thames impressively personalizes Peter from “What If…?” even more so than before – however, many other cast members deliver performances that are forgettable at best. It seems as if Charlie Cox recorded his lines on an iPhone while on the set of “Daredevil: Born Again.” The exceptions to this are a captivating portrayal by “Hannibal” alum Hugh Dancy as Doc Ock and Academy Award nominee Colman Domingo as Norman Osborn. Dancy relishes his opportunity to overact as Octavius, while Domingo outshines everyone else with his performance. Unfortunately, the intrigue surrounding Norman exposes the series’ most substantial shortcoming.

There is still something missing

Leaving Peter Parker’s backstory vague in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has caused some frustration among fans and purists. When essential elements like Uncle Ben’s death, the famous quote “with great power comes great responsibility,” and the relationship with Tony Stark are emphasized over his personal struggles and origin story, Peter appears more directionless, less impactful, and somewhat routine. The bond between Tom Holland’s Peter and Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony was beneficial for the films, serving as a substitute mentor role due to the absence of Uncle Ben-like figures. However, the movies seem to suggest that Peter never had this mentor figure, which raises questions about how and why he became Spider-Man initially.

The new series, titled “Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man,” starts by acknowledging Ben’s death at the very beginning, and later, Peter frequently shares memories of his lost mentor throughout the show. This makes it clear that Ben was once part of this world but is now gone, leaving Norman to fill the void. Unlike the movies, the series delves into whether or not receiving aid from a billionaire is beneficial for Peter, adding an intriguing layer to Peter and Norman’s relationship. If you’ve been following Zeb Wells’ work on the “Amazing Spider-Man” comic recently, this dynamic between Peter and Norman might resonate particularly well with you.

In a nutshell, the show persists in veiling the roots of its origin story. Yet again, it intentionally shrouds the profound and powerful narrative that has kept this iconic character alive for more than six decades. Without revealing the exciting twist on how Peter acquires his powers in this version (it’s quite enjoyable, albeit somewhat reminiscent of the “Spider-verse” films), they’ve rearranged things so that Peter doesn’t get his powers until he’s already lost Ben. This change seems to remove any connection between him and Ben’s death, stripping away a crucial motivation for Peter’s selfless actions in danger’s path.

The series remains engaging even without this crucial, ethical bond, and frequently does! However, almost every criticism one could level at the narrative, particularly regarding Peter’s conflicts seeming dubious upon examination, can be attributed to this fundamental misunderstanding of the character. This misunderstanding creates a web of subtle cracks in the plot that don’t necessarily ruin the show, but instead leave a lingering feeling of disappointment for what could have been.

“Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man” lands on Disney+ on January 29.

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2025-01-29 11:30