Spider-Man's Animated Universe

[Picard Sisko]

Here let's discuss your favorite Spider-Man animated series. Mine is the cartoon from the 90s.

[Gwendolyn Stacy]

Mine are TSSM and the 90s show.

[Picard Sisko]

I haven't seen the Spectacular Spider-Man in a couple of years. I am definitely buying that on DVD to add to my Spider-Man collection. Is the show on netflix?

[Spuzz]

Spectacular by a long shot. Loved the 90s one too but something about it was a bit off.

[Picard Sisko]

Originally Posted by Spuzz

Spectacular by a long shot. Loved the 90s one too but something about it was a bit off.

I think that the 90s show was better at creating longer story arcs while different plots would pile up on one another as the show became more complex.

[Spider-Aziz]

My favorite is something spectacular

[Gwendolyn Stacy]

Originally Posted by Spider-Aziz

My favorite is something spectacular

Is it Ultimate Spider-Man?

[Spider-Aziz]

Originally Posted by Gwendolyn Stacy

Is it Ultimate Spider-Man?

The source of your avatar

[Gwendolyn Stacy]

Originally Posted by Spider-Aziz

The source of your avatar

The Spectacular Google-Man?

[Picard Sisko]

Disney still does annoy me for canceling SSM and making USM instead. Once again, I hope season 2 is the last season.

[Hobgoblin]

Spider-Man the Animated Series is a nostalgic favorite of mine but I think Spectacular was the better show. TAS had to deal with a cut budget, as Marvel was bankrupt at the time, plus it had ridiculous censorship to deal with. (Cops shot ray guns, not bullets. Spidey couldnt throw punches. No one could say "dead.")

Spectacular wasnt forced to recycle animation and dialog sound bites, none of which was TAS fault. Still, Spectacular produced the better show.

[Picard Sisko]

I also think the fact that TAS is such a great show despite having to deal with a cut budget and several restrictions says a lot though. I wonder what they could have done if they were able to do exactly what they wanted.

Wasn't there going to be a fan film that concludes TAS (spider-man finding mary jane)?

[Mistah K88]

The 90's show was bogged down by too much corporate meddling. Hobgoblin came before Green because Hobby was more popular during the 90's. Also, the fact that Kingpin was behind EVERYTHING was crazy (though with that kind of power it makes sense why everyone wanted that position)

Anyway, Spectacular wins....flawless victory. The show was concentrated on Spidey and his corner of the Marvel universe, which in my mind made the show better. We were more likely to see characters like Dilbert Trilby before Johnny Storm and I loved it. Also, it being set so early in its universe sets it apart from the other shows, where superheroes and villains have been around a while before Spider-Man. Here it looks like Spider-Man is the first super that Manhattan has ever seen. If the show had gotten a couple more seasons it would have been the Spidey fan's answer to BTAS.

[zeptron]

Spectacular Spider-man. Amazing and one of the best representations of Spider-man outside of comics. The writing was good. The characters were fleshed out. Not once did I ever feel like the show was talking down to me. Not once did I feel like it was treating the viewer like a child. The creators didn't just put thought and care into the episodes alone, but the future of the series.
I liked how a lot of the villains alter egos were introduced and in a later episode they would become a supervillain.

That's the example of a modern Spider-man cartoon done right. Had it lasted longer I'd say it could have even surpassed Batman TAS.

As a kid of the 90s, I grew up with the 90s show. And rewatching it as an adult, I still enjoy it, but it's pretty flawed. The ridculous censorship prevented good quality fight sequences. The animation wasn't very good. In fact as the show progessed it got outright sloppy. People will say things like "It was the times. They made due with what they had." When you stellar productions such as Batman TAS, Superman TAS, and Gargoyles, airing at the same time, then there's really no excuse for Marvel's flagship character. Especially considering how good the animation in Night Of The Lizard was.

I agree with Mistah K88 said about Kingpin being behind almost everything. It really hurt the other villains. Especially Norman Osborn and Doc Ock. I also didn't like how Morbius got more exposure than Norman's Green Goblin, Venom, Hobgoblin, Mysterio, and Vulture.

Originally Posted by Picard Sisko

I think that the 90s show was better at creating longer story arcs while different plots would pile up on one another as the show became more complex.

Spectacular did the same. It had story arcs right from the start as a matter of fact. Wheras in the 90s show, the story arcs didn't begin until the second season. So you can watch just about any of the first season episodes in any order.

[Picard Sisko]

I still like the 90s series more though.

[pr0xyt0xin]

I think its awesome spectacular is voted so highly by you guys. We have so much in common! :P

[Thor The Mighty]

SPTAS edges out Spectacular due to length and the nostalgia factor. My third choice would be Spiderman and his Amazing friends and then the 1981 series. Both are in the running for nostalgia reasons.

[Spider-Gnome]

Spectacular is, to me, hands down BEST adaptation of Spider-Man comics in any form! Spider-Man Animated Series of the 90's would be next. From a pure nostalgia point of view, I love the 60's show as that is what got me into Spider-Man in the first place! Unlimited & the MTV show are the worse, followed by Ultimate. The 80's shows were kind of blah.

[optimus2861]

Spectacular by a landslide. If it had been allowed to run for, say, 4 or 5 seasons, it had the potential to pass Batman: TAS as the best superhero cartoon ever (and I'll say on a season-vs-season basis, it already had; B:TAS had some duds early on). It was that good.

[Mob1423]

I grew up with and loved the 90's TAS, but I know that TSS-M is the best of the best

[Picard Sisko]

I can't believe they cancelled SSM for USM.

[Mob1423]

Originally Posted by Picard Sisko

I can't believe they cancelled SSM for USM.

The only thing I love more about USM than TSSM is the design

[Rogue Kira]

Originally Posted by Picard Sisko

Here let's discuss your favorite Spider-Man animated series. Mine is the cartoon from the 90s.

what he said.

[Lord]

Spectacular Spider-Man, it took the best elements of each Spider-Man incarnation to make the best story they could. Ultimate Spider-Man is a misery, a true adaptation of the Ultimate Spider-Man comics, while not as original, would have worked much better and could have been a very good show.

[Mob1423]

Originally Posted by Lord

Spectacular Spider-Man, it took the best elements of each Spider-Man incarnation to make the best story they could. Ultimate Spider-Man is a misery, a true adaptation of the Ultimate Spider-Man comics, while not as original, would have worked much better and could have been a very good show.

Oh man, can you imagine if they got the TSSM writers and Mark Bagley to do the design?

Sorry if anyone else doesn't like the Bagley era, I've always been a fan of the original Ultimate Spider-Man, back when it was actually kinda good