...So, okay. I hadn't been keeping tabs on the new Spidey cartoon, but I read an interview (
part 1,
part 2) with producer Greg Weisman on Nrama (which I have also not been keeping tabs on), and read enough to get excited about it and check out the first episode.
This cartoon is good. Really good. Within the span of the first minute, we see a shot of a gargoyle (oh yeah, Weisman is the creator of Gargoyles), and Spider-Man reminds the audience that his name is hyphenated. Within minutes of that, we've got shots of Flint Marko, the Spider-Signal, and, no shit, the Enforcers.
That was pretty much the moment I knew I was going to love this thing. It's one thing for somebody to SAY their favorite version of Spider-Man is the Lee-Ditko-Romita era -- it's sort of a given; it's not like Superman, Batman, or X-Men where there are a huge number of classic periods to pick from, it's more like Fantastic Four where there's only one right answer -- but to actually bust out with throwbacks like the Spider-Signal and the Enforcers is putting your money where your mouth is.
And everything about the first episode had that nostalgia about it, from the Ditko-style Spidey costume to Gwen and Harry to the Vulture, while simultaneously feeling like a breath of fresh air (I'm digging this version of Eddie Brock so far). That's one of the things Weisman said in that interview that got my attention: "It's 2008, but it's also 1962." Perfect -- first thing I thought of was Batman's expert juggling of 1939 and 1992. Obviously this is tonally way different from Batman -- and thank God it is, because for God's sake Spider-Man's SUPPOSED to be lighthearted. And his banter here is top-notch; that's something that was really lacking in the movies (with a few exceptions, like the "Here's your change!" when he slung the money bags at Doc Ock).
Anyway. Haven't watched the second ep yet, but if it's half as good as the first, then I'm sold.
...I guess this post could have consisted entirely of "It's Spider-Man. By the guy who did Gargoyles." and that would have said the same thing much more succinctly. But it was good enough that I had to gush a little. It's so cool to see Spider-Man done RIGHT for a change; I could write a book on why he's such an appealing character and yet has been so poorly used since the late 1960's.
So in summary: Watch this cartoon. It's Spider-Man. By the guy who did Gargoyles.
