Watched the first two episodes, really liked it. I hadn’t read any spoilers/speculation other than watching the trailer, so I didn’t know it would be in a setting where other Marvel characters exist (cartoons like this tend to be standalone) but we get cameos from a Venom and some kind of magical wizard guy, a mention of Tony Stark, and a photo of Captain America. And really out of left field, Peter’s best friend is Nico Minoru? It left me less suprised when Amadeus Cho showed up. (I might have missed other imported characters in the lab, I haven’t read any reviews yet.)
And now that I’ve read an article, I see that what I thought was a Venom isn’t, and there are indeed a number of names I missed.
I also enjoyed it more than I expected. I liked the MCU fake out at the end of episode one.
Saw the first two eps with the Teen last night and we really enjoyed the show.
Funny thing that Hudson Thames, the voice of Spidey, said that he was proud that the show is “not woke.” In the eps, Spidey looks for leniency for a burglar was stealing money because she was broke, then they show Parker’s friend Lonnie Lincoln walk home into a bad neighborhood and get profiled by a cop driving past. It was a weird and unneeded take by Thames.
I have a feeling he was trying to say ‘preachy.’ Because it’s very, very racially and sexually diverse. But the writing so far has skillfully managed to say things without beating you over the head.
(Unless you’re the type of person who feels beaten over the head just by the existence of a demographically accurate New York.)
I had the same reaction! They race swapped about half the cast, gave Peter a queer bff with colored hair, and made a point about racial profiling that had nothing to do with the plot. This is one of the “wokest” Marvel productions I’ve ever seen. Not that I’m complaining!
Bullshit internet drama aside, two big changes to the show that I thought was pretty interesting:
Uncle Ben is dead before Peter gets his powers. There’s no “With great power” speech, and he’s already willing to risk himself to help others even when he’s just a normal kid. Also, Peter’s a pretty popular kid! He’s not bullied at all, and by the second episode, is friends with the school’s alpha jock, and hanging out with the football team and getting invited to their parties.
I also dig the “early costume” aesthetic for Spider-Man. Feels a lot like Kick-Ass, except with actual super powers, and not a deconstruction. I liked when he was trying to stop the van, and had to adjust the pressure valve on his first gen webshooters to compensate. A really fun “grounded” detail for a show that opens with a wizard fighting a spider demon.
On the speculation front, did anyone get the impression that Strange recognized the school in the first episode? He says something like, “We’re not supposed to be here,” which could just be him realizing that fighting near a school puts a bunch of kids at risk, but it felt like he was hinting at something bigger going on.
That’s probably it.
My Teen speculated that they’re from the future. I find that theory interesting because a time displaced spider would be the reason Spidey gets his powers.
Our other speculation is that he’s going to get his traditional Spider-Man costume at the end of the first season with a Big Hero Moment. I saw somewhere that Osborn gives him a new costume but I would like to stay away from spoilers as much as possible.
The next three were released today.
Have seen the first three. Really enjoying it.
They’re putting them out fast. Only a couple of weeks and we are already up to episode 8.
Now up to 4 episodes; apparently in this universe Sony and Marvel didn’t agree in time for “Civil War”
I think the plan was to do 2-3-3-2 episodes a week but the show has been renewed for two more seasons at least. I am liking it a tso far.
All caught up now. It started out good but man it is building to great. A few eps ago I was thinking this is fun enough, but it’s no Invincible. By this point I like it better.
I wonder how many of the “Easter egg” characters turn out to be something like their comic characters. Nico seems to be a pretty sure bet: two or three times they show her talking apparently to herself—but she probably talking to her necklace, which is probably a version of the Staff of One. I also found it a nice touch that they have her living with a foster parent, since—in 616 at least—she’s a runaway.
Okay. I didn’t know Nico’s character. And now I am bothered by the inconsistency here? It seems like she was honestly hurt and confused as to why a good friend would keep something like that a secret, yet as that character she is keeping her secret as well … unless they are drastically changing the story behind her.
Look at my linked article in post number two: a whole pile of characters on the show have the names of characters from the comics. So many that it would seem that at least some of them would have to be red herrings.
In 2017 Marvel did a mediocre TV series loosely based on Runaways. If curious, it is streamable for free on the CW app.
Yeah maybe your assessment that Nico seems like a sure bet is wrong and her necklace is just a necklace. But I’m not betting against it. There’s also her occult stuff thrown in now? But they can have her story be modified a bit.
One of those moments I mentioned is at 9:15 in episode 7, if you want to review it.
Will do! And read that Easter Eggs article now … fun!
Yeah pretty convincing. Missed it first time through. And the two parter finale dropped today!!!