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

[Ivan Drago]

SSM was the BTAS of Spider-Man in more than just quality. Both were offshoots of the success of the first Batman and Spider-Man franchises, (both Elfman-scored as a bonus), who incorporated bits of pieces from their respective franchise but mixing them up with parts from the comics and other versions.

Honestly, strictly quality speaking, I think this could have surpassed TAS in the long run. While I like Bruce Timm, I find him to be hit-and-miss. TAS has a lot of good-to-bad episodes. Greg Weisman, IMO, has a more consistent track record, and also does the serialized format better. I thought Young Justice became the best superhero show to date by Season 2; it's a tragedy to consider where this should would have stood.

Justice League season 2+unlimited is better than both B:TAS, Spectacular Spider-Man, and Young Justice.

 

[2kt09]

I think Ultimate would be best compared to The Batman (as the latter became better after a couple seasons).

USM and BatB

 

[Shikamaru]

I gotta say, on a second viewing this might be the best version of Venom.

I still think the relationship with Peter and Eddie was too rushed. Also I'm still not fond of the voice, or the tongue (he looks so much creepier without the tongue). However, Greg Weisman provided him with an ongoing motivation that he never had even in 616 (though I never read the anti-hero stuff so I can't comment on that).

I mean, back when he first debuted, Venom was intended to be nothing more than a slasher villain. If I remember correctly, he was partly based off of Alien. All the talk of Venom being "the third great archenemy" and such came more from the fan response than the comics, and later it was implemented in the latter. For what he was at the time though, he was great.

The problem is that slashers villains don't work well with the villain-of-the-week format. They require a sense of mystery to them, and having Venom pop up as often as Doc Ock makes him lose his appeal. By the 90s Venom lost most of his appeal.

So how does Weisman deal with this issue? In this version, Venom is instead more of an opportunist. He still wants to destroy Peter, but he's primarily occupied with doing what Peter was doing pre-burglar. He's also not against the idea of battling supervillains, but instead does it more for the thrill.

If this version became the norm, I guess you could make more a substantive argument to Venom being "the third archenemy". Whereas Norman and Ock are who Peter would be if he were evil, this Venom is who Peter would be if he was apathetic. And Eddie being a childhood friend of Peter's adds further to that parallel.

I'll admit I prefer the slasher take, but Weisman's makes more sense for a recurring character.

Justice League season 2+unlimited is better than both B:TAS, Spectacular Spider-Man, and Young Justice.

I haven't seen it in a while, but generally I liked all three of them more than JL.

 

[Mistah K88]

Hmmm, have we seen anything from Spectacular Spider-Man reflected in other adaptions or even in comics at all?

Often when it comes to superhero cartoons and other media, they pick and pull small to larger things from various adaptions to reflect in their own work (as things tend to be a good ideas) We know some things from the Raimi films have made it into Spectacular, but I was wondering if anything went the other way around at all.

For example, the Burton movies CLEARLY had an influence on Batman the Animated Series (character designs for Penguin and Catwoman, Joker being a mobster before his chemical bath) but BTAS also influenced sources outside it as well. We have original characters like Harley Quinn, to Mr. Freeze's backstory being definitive.

When it comes to Spidey, we've had Firestar from Spider-Man and his Amazing friends grace the pages of comics, as well as the Symbiote making Spidey more aggressive, and negative from Spider-man the Animated Series in the 90's.

While we won't see any original characters from Spec Spidey show up anywhere (because there were none), I'm wondering if anything from Spectacular Spidey has ever shown up anywhere else.

Maybe things that originated in comics, but hasn't been relevant in FOREVER until Spectacular did it. Maybe a minor character who has all but disappeared, starting to resurface either in comics, or other adaptions all of a sudden after being used in the show... Even stuff as minor as the race bending of random minor characters of Spidey's cast to diversify his world a bit. Maybe even Peter starting off in High school starting to become relevant in ALL adaptions afterward may have been influenced by Spec Spidey bringing that fact into the forefront (I seem to recall him starting off in college in all media adaptions prior, heck I think people even argued about Peter being in high school instead of college when the show started). Maybe even some more "original" ideas like Gwen being as intelligent as Peter (I don't recall her being portrayed as brainy before...so maybe I'm reaching).

Have we seen any small or large influences from Spectacular Spidey show up in either movies, comics, or other animated series?

 

[PeterBenParker]

Have we seen any small or large influences from Spectacular Spidey show up in either movies, comics, or other animated series?

Yes, TASM series. While it mostly took from the Ultimate comics and a little of 616, it also had a few influences from SSM.

Spoiler

Also where Gwen worked with Dr. Connors. Not a whole lot, admittedly, but they were there.

 

[UltimateWebhead]

I'm not sure what you mean by Gwen being portrayed as 'brainy' however TSSM was the first and only to show Gwen as being more homely looking in appearance or bookworm-ish maybe. When she was first introduced in the comics, Gwen was a beautiful blonde girl and she was drawn as even more classically beautiful when Romita got a hold of her. The ASM movies definitely went the route of having Gwen be more visually appealing and not like TSSM initially portrayed her--nerdy and possibly even as just 'one of the guys.' As you continue to watch the show of course, you can see how Gwen slowly went through a visual change up until she got her 616 stunning looks revealed after MJ's makeover during the Gangland episode.

But with Gwen, something that was always there from her introduction in the comics was that she was smart. I don't think that Gwen was ever given a superior intellect over Peter kind of like how we saw her in the ASM films but she was definitely smart. Gwen was in all the same classes as Peter in the comics.

And I'm not sure what you mean as far as Peter starting off in HS versus College in media adaptations. That's not something TSSM started. Peter was in HS in the Raimi movies. If anything, I'd credit those for giving weight to that 'versus' argument.

As for influences in other animated shows...I'm not aware of any.

I do know of at least one TSSM reference that showed up in a movie. Marc Webb stated that the eel tank used for Max's transformation into Electro was pulled directly from TSSM. It was just a visual reference though as Webb didn't use an explanation like TSSM did when it came to how the eels influenced Max's change into Electro.

 

[Sarcastic Fan]

Should have a new episode of the podcast up on Friday.

Eric Vesbit (the voice of Kraven) joined us along with Greg Weisman.

 

[Shikamaru]

I'm curious, has Greg ever hinted at what plans they had for Gwen?

She's clearly Pete's main love interest in this, but some of the shots they do with him and MJ look suspicious. I'm rewatching the show in preparation for Homecoming and I keep getting Peter-and-MJ foreshadowing vibes every few episodes.

I'm talking about scenes like the ending to The Invisible Hand, their talk at the beginning of Reaction, Flash hitting on her in Nature vs. Nurture, and the skating scene in Reinforcement. I don't even know what it is about these scenes that give me romance vibes, but they feel like subtle foreshadows to MJ being the "end game".

 

[UltimateWebhead]

I'm curious, has Greg ever hinted at what plans they had for Gwen?

Yes and no. Greg has always been tight lipped about spoilers for this show for several reasons. He may not have revealed his entire plan for Gwen in the show however he did let it slip, on the podcast I believe, that he had NO intention of killing Gwen while she was in high school. His reasoning, because she didn't die in HS in the comics.

She's clearly Pete's main love interest in this, but some of the shots they do with him and MJ look suspicious. I'm rewatching the show in preparation for Homecoming and I keep getting Peter-and-MJ foreshadowing vibes every few episodes.

I'm talking about scenes like the ending to The Invisible Hand, their talk at the beginning of Reaction, Flash hitting on her in Nature vs. Nurture, and the skating scene in Reinforcement. I don't even know what it is about these scenes that give me romance vibes, but they feel like subtle foreshadows to MJ being the "end game".

Greg has talked about MJ and again although he didn't necessarily state exactly what his plans were with the two of them, Peter and MJ, he did say, "well, we all know where they end up."

I'm gonna assume based on that and Greg's commitment to the source material, the comics, that he would have Peter and MJ together. And, I could easily see him recreating that fabulous scene from the end of issue #121...

 

[ItchyWebShooter]

I've read somewhere that the plan was to do 4 seasons of HS then some direct-to-DVD movies about college. Anyone else remember seeing that? I was definitely under the impression that one of those movies would include the death of Gwen.

 

[UltimateWebhead]

I've read somewhere that the plan was to do 4 seasons of HS then some direct-to-DVD movies about college. Anyone else remember seeing that? I was definitely under the impression that one of those movies would include the death of Gwen.

It was supposed to be 5 seasons for a total of 65 episodes and that would have taken Peter through HS. Then of course Greg and Victor wanted to do the direct to DVD stuff.

 

[Shikamaru]

So I just finished rewatching the series. This was my first viewing of the show since '09 - yep, almost a decade ago. I couldn't help but cringe a bit when going over the comments in the stream I was using and saw someone say this show was their childhood...childhood...I'm not old dammit.

Given how much has changed in my life in 8 years, I was a bit worried it wouldn't hold up...and it still does. This is still the best portrayal of Spider-Man in another medium for me.

There's really not much to say that hasn't been said. This show did everything right. The high school drama? Perfect. The villains? Most of them brilliantly done. The pacing? It flows very much like a natural river. Finally, the balance between Peter's life as Spider-Man, his job and the more interpersonal aspects? I'm amazed at how well Greg Weisman managed to balance them all in just 22 minutes.

On top of bringing to life the dynamics we know and love, Greg continues putting to use his talent in exploring new dynamics between characters we didn't consider before. My two favorite ones are Electro and Doc Ock, and the symbiote and Uncle Ben. Electro much like in the comics has a god complex compared to the humans, but an inferiority one to the supervillains. How does an egotistical master planner like Ock respond to that? By exploiting him. Having the symbiote "interact" with Uncle Ben is also one of the most ingenious ideas I ever saw done with the symbiote. Other interesting dynamics include Miles and Curt, Sandman and Rhino, and Mysterio and the Tinkerer.

As a sidenote, the flashbacks with Uncle Ben still bring tears to my eyes to this day. Despite being lighter than BTAS, some of those scenes do feel BTAS-y. The tone and colorless look give it a darker feeling than most of the other episodes.

Josh Keaton is hands down my favorite Spidey VA. When he's Peter Parker, he stutters a bit. When he's Spidey, he's fluent. When he's serious, he deepens. And when he's genuinely angry, you can hear his voice crack as if he's about to cry. Highly underrated performance.

As I said, the villains are mostly exceptional. Easily the best two in the show are Green Goblin and Doc Ock though. Weisman brought the danger and nastiness of Norman Osborn to life on the Saturday morning cartoon to the same degree Bruce Timm did with the Joker. On a first viewing I couldn't believe the Otto they presented could be Ock, and I completely bought it by the end. If I had to show a non-comic reader why people love these two characters so much, I would just direct them to this show.

Final Curtain in particular is simply a crown jewel in the Spider-Man mythos. I heard a reviewer once describe it as Greg sitting down and saying "Everyone knows Norman is the Green Goblin, let's make it a mystery again"...and it works. On a first viewing I wasn't sure if Norman was the Goblin. I had a feeling it was him, but it was impossible given the facts. On a second viewing the mystery is known, but emotionally it never leaves you. Easily the most cinematic episode in the series - eight years and it still gives me chills. And to top it off, it still doesn't forget about Peter Parker. Some of the best relationship stuff done in the series are in this episode. Even if the rest of the show was subpar, this one episode would still be my favorite Spider-Man product in another medium.

That being said, the show has its issues. Venom and Kraven are the two villains I found subpar. To start off with Venom, I think the voice sounds lame. Second, Eddie's progression feels too rushed. Some of his motivations, like the fact he felt lonely prior to the symbiote, aren't even brought up pre-Venom. Third, I felt Peter should've been more paranoid after Venom returned. As far as Kraven goes, I wasn't a fan of the mutation. Greg said he had a plan for it in Season 3, plus he's got a track record of taking lame ideas and making them cool, but as this show stands it's not that good.

There's some more minor issues too. Vulture's motivation is a little vague in Season 2. The little hairs on the fingers are the one thing they shouldn't have taken from the Raimi films, since they don't make much sense. Third, I'm not sure how a professional thief like Walter Hardy could devolve to such a thug. What's a guy with those skills doing robbing wrestling rings and parked cars? I had to see more of him. Lastly, the art style will take some time to get used to everytime I go back to it. It looks fine in combat or whenever the designs look eccentric - namely when you're with Spidey and the villains - but environments with regular humans just standing around look a little more weird - the high school, the Bugle, etc. It's not horrible, but overall not the best choice.

It's amazing the impact this show had with just 26 episodes. Fans still rabidly talk about it, compare it to every new incarnation, plus it influenced at least one of the film franchises. Everyone always talks about Electro but Emma Stone's Gwen Stacy was clearly influenced by this show, since Gwen was never the nerd counterpart to Peter prior to this. It can technically be considered the show that brought Gwen out into the spotlight again, not just in movies but also the comics. It begs the question of how else it would have influenced Spidey culture as a whole had it went on for longer.

I couldn't help but do two things after finishing it. First was to think of what could have been, and second to go back to the Season 3 speculation thread on the SHH and read some of the old posts for the sake of nostalgia. It was that very thread that first introduced me to this lovely site, and the rest is history. It sucks this couldn't go on for legal reasons, but you never know. Gargoyles came back a decade later in comic form plus Young Justice is booked to return soon. With the continued word of mouth this show gets there's always a chance.

There's also a dark side to that word of mouth. Too many other versions are being compared to Spectacular as if it's the end-all-be-all of the character. Is it necessary to point out out differences between Homecoming and Spectacular? It's good that fans love the show, but it should be balanced out with moving on. BTAS had the same problem. Beware the Batman's Bats was actually a better detective, but no one noticed due to the love for TAS.

But yes, overall great show.

 

[UltimateWebhead]

Damn, Shika. Great post. I wish I could write half as well as you.

I really dig the chosen art style for the show however I do sometimes wish it were a bit more detailed especially during the quieter character moments. But it's like with the budget they had for the show and being a 2D animated show, you get either or and not both.

With TSSM Greg and Victor chose simplified designs to enhance the fluidity of the motion. Unfortunately the designs suffer a bit during certain moments. I love it but still. Then you compare it to the 90s Spidey show where the characters had very detailed designs but it caused the animation to suffer.

Anyways, great post man.

 

[Shikamaru]

Thanks. I guess the "trick" (if you could call it that) is to spend a lot of time in your mind and organize your thoughts. That review took me over an hour plus went back and edited it.

I wonder if they would've kept the designs for the DTVs. I think I would've liked to have seen more detailed designs for those, especially if they were gonna do The Death of Gwen Stacy.

 

[Mistah K88]

I'm not sure what you mean by Gwen being portrayed as 'brainy' however TSSM was the first and only to show Gwen as being more homely looking in appearance or bookworm-ish maybe. When she was first introduced in the comics, Gwen was a beautiful blonde girl and she was drawn as even more classically beautiful when Romita got a hold of her. The ASM movies definitely went the route of having Gwen be more visually appealing and not like TSSM initially portrayed her--nerdy and possibly even as just 'one of the guys.' As you continue to watch the show of course, you can see how Gwen slowly went through a visual change up until she got her 616 stunning looks revealed after MJ's makeover during the Gangland episode.

But with Gwen, something that was always there from her introduction in the comics was that she was smart. I don't think that Gwen was ever given a superior intellect over Peter kind of like how we saw her in the ASM films but she was definitely smart. Gwen was in all the same classes as Peter in the comics.

And I'm not sure what you mean as far as Peter starting off in HS versus College in media adaptations. That's not something TSSM started. Peter was in HS in the Raimi movies. If anything, I'd credit those for giving weight to that 'versus' argument.

As far as Gwen goes, I remember her basically amounting to the silver age girlfriend, in college for her "MRS degree". However, it has been a while since I've looked at earlier stories with her, and I'll admit that I'm not as well versed in Spidey as I am with Bats. I always thought that the Spectacular Spidey team just put together after seeing Gwen in all of Pete's classes in the comics that she must be pretty intelligent to make it into college classes that Peter made it into, and worked from there and made her story into a wallflower blossoming, rather than the ice queen melting.

Was he in high school in Raimi's Spider-Man movies? I need to rewatch at least Spider-Man 1... I could have SWORN he was in college. Thanks for the heads up.

I will say that them keeping Gwen around for the entire series and not being so quick to kill her off is a good idea though. It would let us build some love for Gwen before her demise. I'd even want to see them date for a while before Norman resurfaced. However she would have been abducted by each of the big three if they were to go that route...but at least she'd have a few years to relax before Norman got to her (as Venom got her in late November, Ock got her late December).

Can you believe the show took place over a span of about 7 months? A lot of stuff happened in New York...

 

[Shikamaru]

So with that Miles Morales film coming out next year, here's an idea for Sony.

Since they said they want to make more animated films and have the right to do so, why not bring Greg Weisman back for some? They may not have the TV rights anymore but they still have the continuity rights to Greg's Spidey. Plus Greg did say he'd like to do animated films in this continuity.

I imagine it would be good for business. First, on top of the likely critical acclaim, there'd be tons of hype going in (unlike the Webb films). This could help Sony's image when it comes to Spider-Man, which is a disaster at the moment. Second, if you want to compete with DC in the animation department, Greg Weisman is your guy. It's not just because of SSM and Young Justice; Gargoyles was arguably Batman's direct animation competitor in the 90s. Matching DC in that department is something even Marvel has trouble with, let alone Sony. Third, I assume Disney would vouch for him.

Though if I could talk to Sony about this, I imagine they'd tell me two things.

First, the reason they're doing those films have more to do with Avi Arad than anything else. He loves being in production control of Spider-Man films for whatever reason, and with Homecoming he lost that control. Bringing in Greg, or anyone else for that matter, would defeat the purpose as to why those (animated) films are being made in the first place.

Second, there's the chance Greg would wanna do a lot of the same stories Feige and Marvel have in mind. Each side would have the potential to hurt the other one then. Going for Miles Morales allows for a less intrusive approach on the live-action films.

So I guess I answered my own question? Oh well, I tried.

 

[2kt09]

Though if I could talk to Sony about this, I imagine they'd tell me two things.

First, the reason they're doing those films have more to do with Avi Arad than anything else. He loves being in production control of Spider-Man films for whatever reason, and with Homecoming he lost that control. Bringing in Greg, or anyone else for that matter, would defeat the purpose as to why those (animated) films are being made in the first place.

Second, Greg would probably wanna do a lot of the same stories Feige and Marvel have in mind. Even if he doesn't, the potential for similarities and handicaps on both sides would still be there. Going for Miles Morales then allows for a less intrusive approach on the live-action films.

So I guess I answered my own question? Well, at least I tried.

Third, yes we know we're the best when it comes to adapting Spider-Man in animation,
so we also know Weisman isn't the best, to put it lightly, on his own.

Fourth, the caveat being tv animation...have you see our animated flicks?

 

[ItchyWebShooter]

Shika: Great post. I agree with almost everything, except I thought Venom was really good and I like the animation style.

Mistah K: I distinctly remember a Lee/Romita issue where Gwen chided Peter for disregarding her scientific acumen by reminding him "Your blond buddy is a sci major, too--or have you forgotten?" or something like that. But by and large you're correct about her portrayal before Spectacular.

Peter was in both high school and college in Spider-Man 2002. He graduated in the movie before moving out of Aunt May's house into the downtown apartment with Harry.

 

[UltimateWebhead]

As far as Gwen goes, I remember her basically amounting to the silver age girlfriend, in college for her "MRS degree". However, it has been a while since I've looked at earlier stories with her, and I'll admit that I'm not as well versed in Spidey as I am with Bats. I always thought that the Spectacular Spidey team just put together after seeing Gwen in all of Pete's classes in the comics that she must be pretty intelligent to make it into college classes that Peter made it into, and worked from there and made her story into a wallflower blossoming, rather than the ice queen melting.

Was he in high school in Raimi's Spider-Man movies? I need to rewatch at least Spider-Man 1... I could have SWORN he was in college. Thanks for the heads up.

I will say that them keeping Gwen around for the entire series and not being so quick to kill her off is a good idea though. It would let us build some love for Gwen before her demise. I'd even want to see them date for a while before Norman resurfaced. However she would have been abducted by each of the big three if they were to go that route...but at least she'd have a few years to relax before Norman got to her (as Venom got her in late November, Ock got her late December).

Can you believe the show took place over a span of about 7 months? A lot of stuff happened in New York...

Really the only thing Gwen is remembered as in the comics is the girlfriend who died. But because of her death she's been romanticized into being something greater. The TSSM version of Gwen is imo ultimately better than her 616 counterpart. Greg and Victor took what they knew and expanded on the idea of her...she was in all the same classes as Peter and therefore shares a similar level of intelligence. But also remember they were extrapolating backwards since the Gwen we meet in 616 was already in college. Greg and Victor gave us what they believe would have been a possible 616 version of the high school Gwen.

I should revise my statement. Peter was only in high school for about the first half of Raimi's SM1. He still started as a high school student though.

 

[Mistah K88]

So with that Miles Morales film coming out next year, here's an idea for Sony.

Since they said they want to make more animated films and have the right to do so, why not bring Greg Weisman back for some? They may not have the TV rights anymore but they still have the continuity rights to Greg's Spidey. Plus Greg did say he'd like to do animated films in this continuity.

I imagine it would be good for business. First, on top of the likely critical acclaim, there'd be tons of hype going in (unlike the Webb films). This could help Sony's image when it comes to Spider-Man, which is a disaster at the moment. Second, if you want to compete with DC in the animation department, Greg Weisman is your guy. It's not just because of SSM and Young Justice; Gargoyles was arguably Batman's direct animation competitor in the 90s. Matching DC in that department is something even Marvel has trouble with, let alone Sony. Third, I assume Disney would vouch for him.

Though if I could talk to Sony about this, I imagine they'd tell me two things.

First, the reason they're doing those films have more to do with Avi Arad than anything else. He loves being in production control of Spider-Man films for whatever reason, and with Homecoming he lost that control. Bringing in Greg, or anyone else for that matter, would defeat the purpose as to why those (animated) films are being made in the first place.

Second, there's the chance Greg would wanna do a lot of the same stories Feige and Marvel have in mind. Each side would have the potential to hurt the other one then. Going for Miles Morales allows for a less intrusive approach on the live-action films.

So I guess I answered my own question? Oh well, I tried.

I don't know why Sony don't just do the animated film route with Spec Spidey (with the original team behind it at the reigns of course...can't let them "Spider-Man 3" this series like they did with...Spider-Man 3) and just use that to "compete" since they already ended up having to let Disney/Marvel use the character ANYWAY.

As for the stories that each party want to use intertwining... I don't see anything but Scorpion or the Sinister Six being a problem. The MCU has the issue of laying down all the fundamentals all over again. I do not see the Hobgoblin mystery ever showing up anytime soon... we'd start right off with that with Spec hypothetical comeback, while Marvel/Disney is still setting up Norman and Harry. What are they both going to use Bart Hamilton?! And with the Avengers around in the MCU, I don't see them doing a Gang War storyline anytime soon either.

I have to say, I am intrigued to know the reason Sony hasn't considered this at all...

ALSO...

Hey Greg,
Spectacular Spider-Man is the best Spidey adaptation ever in my opinion. I have a few questions about S2 Ep1 "Blueprints".
1) Who was Eddie's roommate?
2) Where did Eddie live? Was it a dorm on campus?

1. Oh, I used to know this. I really did. But its been so long, I can't remember. It was a character from the canon. I want to say... Josh something. But honestly, I can't remember now.
2. Dorm on campus.

Josh Kittling
First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man #68 (January 1969)

Yeah the Spec Spidey pic is a bad one, as we only get a quick glimpse...and this is the only "Josh" I could find in Spider-Man comics (also with older stories being up Greg's alley... I'm sure that this would be a match)...ANYWAY, Josh was a friend of Randy Robertson's when he and Peter were in college. As you can see from the comic pic with him, Randy, and Peter, it was during the racially charged late 60's early 70's. ANYWAY, all we know is that he's Eddie Brock's roommate at the Empire State University dorms. We know that Eddie is a college freshman (which would put him at 18-19), and we could assume the same of Josh here being about the same age. Randy Robertson is a High School senior in the series, which would possibly put him in the same circles with Josh around season 4 has the show continued, as season 2 ended in about March, with Randy, and Kenny Kong getting ready to graduate in a few months (season 3 taking place from April-June)

 

[ItchyWebShooter]

I am constantly amazed at your work, K. Awesome find. I love the dedication that went into the "no new characters" rule. Super fun Easter eggs like this!

 

[Sarcastic Fan]

Merry Christmas (in June!) Today Greg and Zach are joined by Greg Weisman and Eric Vesbit, the voice of Kraven the Hunter and an Associate Producer on the show. They discuss Mr. Vesbit’s career, being cast as Kraven, the new Sinister Six, and are later joined by Blake Munson who will ask Greg Weisman a series of questions of his own.

http://www.spidey-dude.com/?p=5184

 

[UltimateWebhead]

Merry Christmas (in June!) Today Greg and Zach are joined by Greg Weisman and Eric Vesbit, the voice of Kraven the Hunter and an Associate Producer on the show. They discuss Mr. Vesbit’s career, being cast as Kraven, the new Sinister Six, and are later joined by Blake Munson who will ask Greg Weisman a series of questions of his own.

http://www.spidey-dude.com/?p=5184

Excellent t:

 

[GamerSlyRatchet]

Justice League season 2+unlimited is better than both B:TAS, Spectacular Spider-Man, and Young Justice.

I'd give you the first two seasons of Unlimited save the the conclusion of the Cadmus arc, but the third season was really boring.

Hmmm, have we seen anything from Spectacular Spider-Man reflected in other adaptions or even in comics at all?

Besides the ones you mentioned, Spider-Man: Homecoming is going to feature both Herman Schultz AND Jackson Brice/Montana as Shocker, or at least using the Shocker equipment. Nothing big, but a nice little nod.

The comic book "stealth" mini Starbrand and Nightmask also introduced Kenny to the 616 universe, but as Kenny Kong, the same Korean American student we see in Spectacular, rather than Kenny McFarlane from the Ultimate comics he was introduced in. Then again, that's kind of cheating since Weisman wrote it.

Beware the Batman's Bats was actually a better detective, but no one noticed due to the love for TAS.

Heh, glad someone else noticed.

 

[Mistah K88]

Can we talk about SMALL miniscule details that everyone appreciated? Nothing game changing or anything, but the little things that made you go, that's cool.

I'm going to start with the simple Pumpkin Bomb. In comics, the pumpkin bombs look like actual jack o' lanterns,

and in movies where they take a more realistic and practical approach, the pumpkin bombs look more technological, and don't do the whole jack o' lantern bit.

Spectacular combined those two elements with the bombs still looking technological, but still keeping the whimsy of looking like Jack o' lanterns.

It combines the best of both worlds. The bombs don't look like straight up pumpkins, so they look like something technological, and they still have faces on these bombs so that they keep up with the whimsical nature of a man in his mid 40's dressing up as a mythological creature. It seems that the bombs were specifically designed to be theatrical and in line with Norman's costume, rather than the other direction in the movies where it's mere coincidence that they look like pumpkins. ALSO the screams that the bombs make upon explosion was a stroke of PURE genius. A trait that I would like to see other adaptions adapt.