[7.0/10] It feels like this show is borrowing a decent amount from the Spectacular Spider-Man cartoon, and I’m not just saying that because Josh Keaton makes his return to the World of Webhead in this one (as Norman Osborn). There’s the same sense of intriguing teases and character introductions that make me curious what the show’s setting up and where they’re going from here, but also the sense that we spend a lot of the show’s real estate on extended fight sequences that I start to mentally tune out from after a while.
The whole skirmish between Clash and Shocker didn’t do much for me. Throwing Spidey (naturally) and The Jackal into the mix spices things up a little bit, but it’s just another tech battle in New York City without anything particularly different or interesting to recommend it. They try to give it a thematic throughline with these two erstwhile best buddies getting at one another’s throats after Norman sets them against each other, but we barely get to know them before they’re shooting energy beams at one another, so that doesn't carry much weight. I will say that I appreciated Spidey trying to use his webs to insulate himself, and pulling off the fan move since it’s legit tactics rather than just punching, but it’s not much to hang your hat on.
Still, I appreciate the bits that the episode hints at, more than what it actually does here and now. Norman not only starting a rivalry with the otherwise amiable Max Modell is interesting, as is him revealing to Harry that he stole back Harry’s experiments. The playful vibe between Spidey/Peter and Gwen Stacy is solid, and I appreciate the fact that she can match Peter’s scientific acumen, returning his quips and even giving him good tips for how to make use of his Spider abilities. The fact that Jackal is Gwen’s uncle portends some interesting things. And I do at least appreciate how the dissolution of Clash and Shocker’s friendship makes Peter and Harry think hard about theirs, especially with Harry’s affection for Peter but hatred for Spider-Man.
Overall, most of this episode is replacement-level superhero fireworks, but the introductions and seeds planted for more to come boost it up a bit.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParent2019-04-17T05:29:07Z
[7.0/10] It feels like this show is borrowing a decent amount from the Spectacular Spider-Man cartoon, and I’m not just saying that because Josh Keaton makes his return to the World of Webhead in this one (as Norman Osborn). There’s the same sense of intriguing teases and character introductions that make me curious what the show’s setting up and where they’re going from here, but also the sense that we spend a lot of the show’s real estate on extended fight sequences that I start to mentally tune out from after a while.
The whole skirmish between Clash and Shocker didn’t do much for me. Throwing Spidey (naturally) and The Jackal into the mix spices things up a little bit, but it’s just another tech battle in New York City without anything particularly different or interesting to recommend it. They try to give it a thematic throughline with these two erstwhile best buddies getting at one another’s throats after Norman sets them against each other, but we barely get to know them before they’re shooting energy beams at one another, so that doesn't carry much weight. I will say that I appreciated Spidey trying to use his webs to insulate himself, and pulling off the fan move since it’s legit tactics rather than just punching, but it’s not much to hang your hat on.
Still, I appreciate the bits that the episode hints at, more than what it actually does here and now. Norman not only starting a rivalry with the otherwise amiable Max Modell is interesting, as is him revealing to Harry that he stole back Harry’s experiments. The playful vibe between Spidey/Peter and Gwen Stacy is solid, and I appreciate the fact that she can match Peter’s scientific acumen, returning his quips and even giving him good tips for how to make use of his Spider abilities. The fact that Jackal is Gwen’s uncle portends some interesting things. And I do at least appreciate how the dissolution of Clash and Shocker’s friendship makes Peter and Harry think hard about theirs, especially with Harry’s affection for Peter but hatred for Spider-Man.
Overall, most of this episode is replacement-level superhero fireworks, but the introductions and seeds planted for more to come boost it up a bit.