World "The Spectacular Spider-Man" Appreciation Thread (possible spoilers) - Part 1

[Spidey_62]

Honestly kinda wish Sony still had the TV rights for Spidey, the shows Marvel has made since are average to bad and generally by the numbers. I've been wanting them to make an animated Spidey movie for ages yet they just do cheap direct to video fare with every other character, somehow Sony is the one coming in for the save and making an awesome looking animated Spidey movie.

I mean, Sony owns this show and TNAS. Apparently TNAS is airing on television again on Viceland. How much muck has to be sifted through to work something out to bring any of them back?

 

[Kuwolski]

Honestly kinda wish Sony still had the TV rights for Spidey, the shows Marvel has made since are average to bad and generally by the numbers. I've been wanting them to make an animated Spidey movie for ages yet they just do cheap direct to video fare with every other character, somehow Sony is the one coming in for the save and making an awesome looking animated Spidey movie.

I mean, Sony owns this show and TNAS. Apparently TNAS is airing on television again on Viceland. How much muck has to be sifted through to work something out to bring any of them back?

The reason why Marvel hasn't made an animated movie seems pretty obvious for a couple of reasons. If Sony can make it, then obviously Marvel can't. Second, even if they could, I don't think Feige would want competing iterations of a character on the big screen. Probably why we haven't seen the seemingly obvious Pixar Marvel movie.

The animation on TV does suck, so there is no excuse for that. I think the streaming service will be a game-changer on that front.

Also, SSM is a great show, but overrated as the best series due to the fact it's only 26 episodes. I prefer the full bodied experience of the 90's series.

 

[2kt09]

Also, SSM is a great show, but overrated as the best series due to the fact it's only 26 episodes.

 

[Kuwolski]

That's exactly the reason I changed the spelling of my name. Don't hold me to those standards.

 

[UltimateWebhead]

Smile and wave, boys. Smile. And. Wave.

 

[GamerSlyRatchet]

The animation on TV does suck, so there is no excuse for that. I think the streaming service will be a game-changer on that front.

Have they even announced any Marvel animated shows? It would be a huge waste if they don't create any for the service.

Also, SSM is a great show, but overrated as the best series due to the fact it's only 26 episodes. I prefer the full bodied experience of the 90's series.

I'm more of a "quality > quantity" person.

 

[Kuwolski]

Have they even announced any Marvel animated shows? It would be a huge wasted if they don't create any for the service

No, but they are clearly going to make Disney Plus the go-to destination for Marvel content, and if the service is going to have Disney and Pixar on there I think it's a given there'll be premium level Marvel animation at some point. It's cheaper then live action (relatively speaking) and a good way to create more original content.

 

[shinlyle]

I'm still bummed about the cancellation of this show, and it's been a decade! I mean, I got to the point where I could tolerate Ultimate Spider-Man, as it genuinely had some entertaining and funny episodes. I like the 90's series, although it has aged badly, and it just doesn't have the heart of Spectacular. The emotional resonance wasn't as great as we had with the Peter/Gwen relationship, the Peter/Eddie divide, the Peter/Liz drama, and the Peter/Harry friendship. The personal aspects and angst were all so well done! Also, the Master Planner arc... 'nuff said!

Although the 90's series does have the definitive and most well-done Venom origin of ANY medium...and I include the comics. The story was much tighter and less convoluted, and why they didn't just retell that and cal it Spider-Man 3, I'll never know. They took some aspects, but had they literally just aped the Animated Series, we'd be singing the praises of SM3 to this day...instead of cringing at the dance sequences.

 

[zeptron]

Also, SSM is a great show, but overrated as the best series due to the fact it's only 26 episodes. I prefer the full bodied experience of the 90's series.

How many episodes a show has really doesn't mean much considering that there have been plenty of great shows where despite good ratings and good reviews ended up being cancelled after just one or two seasons for whatever reason. Whereas inferior shows tend to drag on. If you're gonna use the length of a show's run to determine it's overall quality, then by that logic that would mean that Ultimate is the best Spidey cartoon. Teen Titans Go is better than cartoons like Batman TAS, Earth's Mightiest Heroes and Young Justice. And Firefly is one of the worst shows ever.

 

[Kuwolski]

I do think SSM is of a higher quality, but not so much so that I'm going to value it's 26 episodes over the 65 of the 90's series. The 90's show is much more of a complete experience to me, from characters to overall story. SSM as great as it is feels incomplete as a Spidey fan. But this is all opinion of course, if people would rather take the 26 episodes, however great they may be, that's their choice of course.

 

[Mistah K88]

... on sheer episode count. Ultimate Spider-Man is the most successful animated adaptation of the character.

With the way the show ended, (Harry emotionally blackmailing Gwen into staying with him and Peter newly single) I’m curious to know what their plans with MJ were during this era in Peter’s life (when at the time in comics they were trying their hardest to make her disappear). It’s funny how to a few people, this show was their Spider-Man fix as they couldn’t stand what was going on in comics at the time.

 

[shinlyle]

... on sheer episode count. Ultimate Spider-Man is the most successful animated adaptation of the character.

With the way the show ended, (Harry emotionally blackmailing Gwen into staying with him and Peter newly single) I’m curious to know what their plans with MJ were during this era in Peter’s life (when at the time in comics they were trying their hardest to make her disappear). It’s funny how to a few people, this show was their Spider-Man fix as they couldn’t stand what was going on in comics at the time.

Well, as one of those people, it's one thing to have Peter and MJ not together because they're not there yet, and it's quite another to have them not together because you write the character into a corner so that his only options are having Aunt May die after living for 100 years (with several strokes, heart attacks, and rabies or whatever else befell her over the years), or making a deal with the devil of the Marvel universe to undo his own marriage in order to placate the boss at the time and what he felt the best version of the character was!.

Phew.

Yeah, SSM was great. Also, I'm sure Norman would have made a dramatic reappearance and killed Gwen off probably the next season, and that would have actually been meaningful, as we had gotten to know her throughout the series. Of course, I think they would have covered Captain Stacy's death first...which could have started the divide between Peter and Gwen. I don't know. There was just so much potential there, IMHO.

 

[GamerSlyRatchet]

Weisman never seemed like he was in a rush to kill Gwen, so I doubt it would've happened in the series proper, especially because I doubt Kids WB would've allowed them to kill off a teenage girl.

 

[Herofan]

I think a lot of preferring TAS or TSSM may be preferring Peter as an adult vs. in high school or, alternately, liking most of the comics a lot vs. liking the Lee/Ditko comics particularly.

Personally I like Peter at both ages but I think 5 years, 65 episodes of him always being in high school and ending with that would have been much too much focus on/expansion of that period, having less or none of the high school era a better extreme. 65 episodes with him being in college (and acknowledging that that wasn't when he actually completely started as Spider-Man) felt better, far from excessive.

 

[Mistah K88]

Yeah they were planning to end the series with his graduation from high school, and Gwen was to live throughout the series as well. I’m just wondering if MJ was going to date Peter in one of the remaining 3 seasons before ultimately going back to Gwen. That probably would have caused a rift in between the two, with Gwen feeling betrayed by Mary Jane. We know by the end of the series MJ was starting to feel lonely after Mark was thrown in super jail.

A funny thing is that a year hasn’t even passed when the series ended. I believe the first episode started in September and the last episode ended in March.

I don’t think Captain Stacy would have died in the series proper either. They had plans for Emily, but I do think a part of her staying around is so that Harry would have a parent with Norman’s “demise”, as well as not run into the problem of someone not even old enough to be held legally liable as the inheritor of a multimillion dollar company that WILL be sued with the previous CEO being exposed as a costumed criminal. Having to keep a parent in existence of a minor is probably why in the Amazing films Gwen’s mother was still around.

Speaking of Oscorp being sued into oblivion, small details like Sandman mentioning that his lawyers doing their job is the reason he could absorb sand were nice touches that normally you wouldn’t think about (Flint Marko going to court AFTER his transformation).

I do wonder if they were planning to find a way to adapt the Crisis on Campus storyline... or even just the theme. Having Eddie’s roommate be Josh is such a RANDOM pick. This could definitely put some conflict on Gwen, as she is a Daddy’s girl and probably would take any criticism of the NYPD as a personal attack on her father.

 

[UltimateWebhead]

Weisman never seemed like he was in a rush to kill Gwen, so I doubt it would've happened in the series proper, especially because I doubt Kids WB would've allowed them to kill off a teenage girl.

That is true. Weisman stated in one of the podcast episodes that he had no intention of killing off Gwen until after high school. His words, "Gwen didn't die in HS in the comics and so we were not going to do that either."

 

[GamerSlyRatchet]

I'm surprised there's a massive backlash towards Peter being a high school teenager. Most of Spider-Man media portrays him as being in college or a full adult, with only the last three cartoons, the Marvel Adventures and Ultimate continuities (and game), and the MCU showing off his high school life. It's nowhere as much.

Also, one of Spidey's appeals when he was first created is that he was a teenage superhero who WASN'T someone's sidekick. Finally, I can understand why Feige and the MCU decided to go with high school Peter: He stands out from the other, adult superheroes. I'm not a fan of his "Gee whiz, Mr. Stark" characterization, but that's different from him being a younger hero.

That is true. Weisman stated in one of the podcast episodes that he had no intention of killing off Gwen until after high school. His words, "Gwen didn't die in HS in the comics and so we were not going to do that either."

I don't think they were going to give us a completely faithful adaptation of Gwen's death either if they did the DTVs. Either they'll change the way she died, or give her more agency towards that death. Maybe even kill off someone else in her place, like MJ, Aunt May, or Harry?

 

[UltimateWebhead]

I don't think they were going to give us a completely faithful adaptation of Gwen's death either if they did the DTVs. Either they'll change the way she died, or give her more agency towards that death. Maybe even kill off someone else in her place, like MJ, Aunt May, or Harry?

No, probably not a page for page remake of her death but I have confidence Weisman and Cook would have delivered a faithful adaptation of those events. They both did such a good job with other elements of the mythos, i.e. Spider-Man 33 and the rubble, the Master Planner, etc. that level of care for the source would have continued. And maybe Harry would have died, like he did in the comics or even May but I highly doubt they would have killed off MJ. Weisman talked about how the relationship between her and Peter would have continued and "we all know where they would end up."

 

[Spider-Aziz]

That is true. Weisman stated in one of the podcast episodes that he had no intention of killing off Gwen until after high school. His words, "Gwen didn't die in HS in the comics and so we were not going to do that either."

And as added bonus; he did not make Miles Warren in love with Gwen Stacy.

 

[Mistah K88]

And as added bonus; he did not make Miles Warren in love with Gwen Stacy.

Or worse, have Norman Osborn giving Gwen the eye.

I do wonder if there was more to the mentor thing that we didn’t get the opportunity to see due to time constraints. The relationship between Peter and Norman was pretty one sided, with Norman praising Peter and making sure Harry could hear it, getting Peter his internship back, etc. and with Peter feeling something was off or creepy about his friend’s father. Peter even tried to downplay his own intelligence to defend Harry (We help each other), and Norman shooting it down (modesty doesn’t become men like us).

 

[UltimateWebhead]

Out of curiosity, how often do you find yourself coming back to this show?

 

[zeptron]

Nowadays it's a bit hard for me to watch seeing as how good it was and how much potential it had. Especially with all the foreshadowing that was setting up things for the third season which we'll never get.

 

[GamerSlyRatchet]

Out of curiosity, how often do you find yourself coming back to this show?

I was watching alongside the podcast, but I've fallen behind on several episodes. I'm planning on catching up during the holidays, if there's no new episode anytime soon.

 

[Mistah K88]

Out of curiosity, how often do you find yourself coming back to this show?

I find myself watching the fight scenes on YouTube all of the time... the original Sinister Six battle, hell they could copy that frame for frame in a movie and I’d be all over it. What he did to Sandman was disgusting!

However, I will say I do find myself watching full episodes time to time, and it’s funny as I’ll be paying attention to details that I didn’t notice during the show’s original run and a couple years after that. Small things and details that will seem rather irrelevant to most made me remember the reasons why I loved this show in the first place. For example the look on Harry’s face after seeing Peter and MJ at the Fall Formal and poor Harry quickly trying to save face and finish his story after being upstaged by Peter AGAIN at this school dance.

 

[UltimateWebhead]

Nowadays it's a bit hard for me to watch seeing as how good it was and how much potential it had. Especially with all the foreshadowing that was setting up things for the third season which we'll never get.

I hear ya. Even with the realization this most likely will never continue, I find myself coming back to the show often. Not just because I enjoy it but I also enjoy showing my kids this show and letting this be their introduction to the character.

I was watching alongside the podcast, but I've fallen behind on several episodes. I'm planning on catching up during the holidays, if there's no new episode anytime soon.

I've not heard anything. Last time, Sarcastic Fan was on here he posted that the podcasts would continue until all the episodes had been covered.

I find myself watching the fight scenes on YouTube all of the time... the original Sinister Six battle, hell they could copy that frame for frame in a movie and I’d be all over it. What he did to Sandman was disgusting!

However, I will say I do find myself watching full episodes time to time, and it’s funny as I’ll be paying attention to details that I didn’t notice during the show’s original run and a couple years after that. Small things and details that will seem rather irrelevant to most made me remember the reasons why I loved this show in the first place. For example the look on Harry’s face after seeing Peter and MJ at the Fall Formal and poor Harry quickly trying to save face and finish his story after being upstaged by Peter AGAIN at this school dance.

I do pretty much the exact same thing. I haven't done a full watch of the series as a whole in some time but it's still such a great show and a great adaptation of Spider-Man that I will pull up some clips or an episode and get a good fix.