[7.3/10] It’s funny, this is my 4th animated Spider-Man show, and Electro is the only villain who’s appeared in each of them (though granted, not always as Max Dillon). That’s a little funny to me as someone who’s barely picked up a Spider-Man comic, since between the 90s animated series I grew up with -- where Electro makes a brief appearance late in the run -- and his absence from the Sam Raimi films I grew up with, I don’t really think of him as a foundational Spider-Man villain, and yet here he is, once more, grappling with Spidey in some electricity-based fury.
(As an aside, the only other villain who can -- and presumably will -- show up in all four Spidey animated shows I’ve seen is Kraven the Hunter, one of the few major Spidey villains not to have made an appearance in any of Spider-Man’s movies.)
I liked Electro here. For one thing, while I’m still adjusting to this show’s art style, I thought his design was really cool. The depiction of his electified face and hands made for a unique look, and even the gas-mask looking containment suit they put him in is sufficiently creepy. His characterization is not particularly nuanced, but still effective. Basically, this version of Max Dillon is frustrated at his lack of choice and how this (and presumably so much else) was dictated to him and forced upon him rather than something he got to choose. It’s not much, and the voice acting is pretty over the top, but it gives him a specific mentality that helps add shading to the super-powered conflict.
That conflict is cool though! Spidey chasing Electro, putting on an insulated glove to toss him around, distracting him so that the Connorses can escape, and scaling a big broadcast tower for the final fight all make for some neat action set pieces. I’ll admit, I’m a little fuzzy on why tossing Electro into a swimming pool would incapacitate him (I guess he ran out of juice when steaming the water?) but whatever, it’s superhero stuff.
I was less enamored with the comparatively undercooked story of Peter tutoring Liz. I like the idea here, where Liz has a crush on Flash and is resentful of being stuck with a nerd like “Petey,” while she gradually begins to appreciate and maybe even like Peter. But the problem is that we don’t get much of a reason for her initial change of heart, and while Peter’s heroism is a good way to dramatize her rationale for feeling differently about him, it’s all done a pretty slight and cliché manner.
My favorite little recurring bit was Peter getting his phone alarm and having to call Aunt May to explain why he’s out past curfew. Admittedly, there were times when he probably should have been paying attention to the crazy dude throwing lightning bolts at him, but again, that’s superheroes. Our hero having to balance his responsibilities as Peter Parker and as Spider-Man is a core part of the character, and that was a nice small way to drive that home.
Overall, another solidly good, but not overwhelming episode of the show, that nevertheless seems to have a clear grip on its voice and what kind of Spider-Man show it wants to be.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParent2018-08-29T22:52:54Z
[7.3/10] It’s funny, this is my 4th animated Spider-Man show, and Electro is the only villain who’s appeared in each of them (though granted, not always as Max Dillon). That’s a little funny to me as someone who’s barely picked up a Spider-Man comic, since between the 90s animated series I grew up with -- where Electro makes a brief appearance late in the run -- and his absence from the Sam Raimi films I grew up with, I don’t really think of him as a foundational Spider-Man villain, and yet here he is, once more, grappling with Spidey in some electricity-based fury.
(As an aside, the only other villain who can -- and presumably will -- show up in all four Spidey animated shows I’ve seen is Kraven the Hunter, one of the few major Spidey villains not to have made an appearance in any of Spider-Man’s movies.)
I liked Electro here. For one thing, while I’m still adjusting to this show’s art style, I thought his design was really cool. The depiction of his electified face and hands made for a unique look, and even the gas-mask looking containment suit they put him in is sufficiently creepy. His characterization is not particularly nuanced, but still effective. Basically, this version of Max Dillon is frustrated at his lack of choice and how this (and presumably so much else) was dictated to him and forced upon him rather than something he got to choose. It’s not much, and the voice acting is pretty over the top, but it gives him a specific mentality that helps add shading to the super-powered conflict.
That conflict is cool though! Spidey chasing Electro, putting on an insulated glove to toss him around, distracting him so that the Connorses can escape, and scaling a big broadcast tower for the final fight all make for some neat action set pieces. I’ll admit, I’m a little fuzzy on why tossing Electro into a swimming pool would incapacitate him (I guess he ran out of juice when steaming the water?) but whatever, it’s superhero stuff.
I was less enamored with the comparatively undercooked story of Peter tutoring Liz. I like the idea here, where Liz has a crush on Flash and is resentful of being stuck with a nerd like “Petey,” while she gradually begins to appreciate and maybe even like Peter. But the problem is that we don’t get much of a reason for her initial change of heart, and while Peter’s heroism is a good way to dramatize her rationale for feeling differently about him, it’s all done a pretty slight and cliché manner.
My favorite little recurring bit was Peter getting his phone alarm and having to call Aunt May to explain why he’s out past curfew. Admittedly, there were times when he probably should have been paying attention to the crazy dude throwing lightning bolts at him, but again, that’s superheroes. Our hero having to balance his responsibilities as Peter Parker and as Spider-Man is a core part of the character, and that was a nice small way to drive that home.
Overall, another solidly good, but not overwhelming episode of the show, that nevertheless seems to have a clear grip on its voice and what kind of Spider-Man show it wants to be.