[9.0/10] This may be my favorite Ultimate Spider-Man episode ever, not to be too hyperbolic about it. It had great structure, with clear goals and obstacles in each act. It had a cool threat in the form of the Carnage bomb. It went back to the show’s super team-up roots. And it had great character moments for Peter and Harry.
What’s not to like? I enjoyed pretty much every step of this. The initial act with Spidey and Cap teaming up to take down a Carnage-ized Hulk was cool visually, and there was some great banter between the two heroes. Trying to have the gamma radiation burn off the symbiote is a little silly, but works for a superhero show, and having Iron Fist, Agent Venom, and Cloak & Dagger jump in to help save the day made for a nice solution to the problem. (Plus Hulk’s snoring and saying “smash” was a big laugh from me.)
But things pick up nicely from there. I love the reintroduction of Antivenom not just as a wild enemy, but as someone who could help them stop the Carnage epidemic. It creates an interesting moral issue where they think that Antivenom is dangerous, but also useful to them, at the same time they want to protect Harry Osborn inside. Directing him to take out the Carnage-infected (which had the tone of a zombie movie) while not hurting anyone, including Harry, brought out the best in the team.
I will say that my only real beef with this one is the shoehorning in of Mary Jane. This show’s more or less forgotten about her for a long time now, and bringing her back in the guise that the city needs “guidance” via the news feels quaint and like the show straining to find something for her to do.
But I definitely enjoyed all the combat leading up to the final act. Getting Antivenom to the heart of the Carnage hive takes creativity, and having to deal with unexpected threats like Shriek and other heroes being infected by Carnage is cool too. There’s a lot of cool moments of self-sacrifice like for Iron Fist and Cap, and the squishiness and malleability of the symbiote makes for some cool sequences.
I also like the journey that Spidey, Antivenom, and Agent Venom take to try to “cleanse” the heart of the hive. For the twelve people who watched Spider-Man Unlimited, this feels like a spiritual successor to that show’s cliffhanger. Honestly, this episode would still have been very good if victory was just a matter of Spidey getting Antivenom into the hive, but the show goes a step further and ventures into “great” territory.
I love the fact that once the heart of the hive starts to engulf Antivenom rather than be destroyed by it, Spidey can’t abide it and has to get Harry out. It’s great that the thing that gets through to Harry is that Peter is Spider-Man, a personal reveal that works with the stakes of the moment, and doesn't feel superfluous. And I love that knowing all of this, Harry still chooses to re-don the Antivenom symbiote and sacrifice himself to save the city. It’s the sort of true heroism and bravery that makes the proceedings more meaningful than a well-actioned macguffin hunt. Harry’s line about how his best friend is Spider-Man is one of the most enjoyable, heartening, and human touches the show’s included.
Sure, it’s a little convenient that he survives the whole thing anyway, but still. Overall, this one has the writing, the structure, and the character beats to put itself a cut above almost everything else that Ultimate Spider-Man has offered in the past. I can only hope the rest of the saga is as good!
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2019-03-24T00:20:52Z
[9.0/10] This may be my favorite Ultimate Spider-Man episode ever, not to be too hyperbolic about it. It had great structure, with clear goals and obstacles in each act. It had a cool threat in the form of the Carnage bomb. It went back to the show’s super team-up roots. And it had great character moments for Peter and Harry.
What’s not to like? I enjoyed pretty much every step of this. The initial act with Spidey and Cap teaming up to take down a Carnage-ized Hulk was cool visually, and there was some great banter between the two heroes. Trying to have the gamma radiation burn off the symbiote is a little silly, but works for a superhero show, and having Iron Fist, Agent Venom, and Cloak & Dagger jump in to help save the day made for a nice solution to the problem. (Plus Hulk’s snoring and saying “smash” was a big laugh from me.)
But things pick up nicely from there. I love the reintroduction of Antivenom not just as a wild enemy, but as someone who could help them stop the Carnage epidemic. It creates an interesting moral issue where they think that Antivenom is dangerous, but also useful to them, at the same time they want to protect Harry Osborn inside. Directing him to take out the Carnage-infected (which had the tone of a zombie movie) while not hurting anyone, including Harry, brought out the best in the team.
I will say that my only real beef with this one is the shoehorning in of Mary Jane. This show’s more or less forgotten about her for a long time now, and bringing her back in the guise that the city needs “guidance” via the news feels quaint and like the show straining to find something for her to do.
But I definitely enjoyed all the combat leading up to the final act. Getting Antivenom to the heart of the Carnage hive takes creativity, and having to deal with unexpected threats like Shriek and other heroes being infected by Carnage is cool too. There’s a lot of cool moments of self-sacrifice like for Iron Fist and Cap, and the squishiness and malleability of the symbiote makes for some cool sequences.
I also like the journey that Spidey, Antivenom, and Agent Venom take to try to “cleanse” the heart of the hive. For the twelve people who watched Spider-Man Unlimited, this feels like a spiritual successor to that show’s cliffhanger. Honestly, this episode would still have been very good if victory was just a matter of Spidey getting Antivenom into the hive, but the show goes a step further and ventures into “great” territory.
I love the fact that once the heart of the hive starts to engulf Antivenom rather than be destroyed by it, Spidey can’t abide it and has to get Harry out. It’s great that the thing that gets through to Harry is that Peter is Spider-Man, a personal reveal that works with the stakes of the moment, and doesn't feel superfluous. And I love that knowing all of this, Harry still chooses to re-don the Antivenom symbiote and sacrifice himself to save the city. It’s the sort of true heroism and bravery that makes the proceedings more meaningful than a well-actioned macguffin hunt. Harry’s line about how his best friend is Spider-Man is one of the most enjoyable, heartening, and human touches the show’s included.
Sure, it’s a little convenient that he survives the whole thing anyway, but still. Overall, this one has the writing, the structure, and the character beats to put itself a cut above almost everything else that Ultimate Spider-Man has offered in the past. I can only hope the rest of the saga is as good!