Alex writes...

Hey Greg! I absoloutely love TSSM, and I would just like to know, do you have any HUGE plans for Spidey Villians such as Ock, Venom, etc in a 3rd season? That's if we do get a 3rd + season though, which I hope we will.

Thanks, Greg!

Steven writes...

Hi Greg, just want to say that the job you guys did on Spectacular Spider-Man( I remembered the hyphen ) was awesome. I've seen all the 26 episodes so I have one question.

I thought you were pretty good as Donald Menken. Definitely your best voice over work since "Nice Mask." But how did it come about that you were cast as Donald? Was it a budget thing or were you just messing around in the booth and someone thought you'd be perfect for it?

Martin writes...

Another question (they just pop up in my head). Is the Cletus guy in "Reinforcement" really Cletus Kasady? Because I heard that you dont like Carnage. Does this means that given another season(s), we wont see Carnage?

Ralde writes...

If you were to continue with a season 3 of spider-man, would you incorporate some of the more current Spider-Man storyline such as Dark Reign and the post-Brand New Day stories?

Arthur Jr. writes...

Hey Greg, to follow up on someone's question revolving around Beetle, he first fought the Fantastic Four in "Strange Tales" #123 before fighting Spider-Man in later issues. The Ultimate Marvel version of Beetle is depicted as a mercenary for the Latverians who had recently captured Venom to give to the Latverians. Though in the "Ultimate Spider-Man" video game, he was collecting "samples" to give to Doctor Doom (revealed in the special edition's concept art) for some Super-Soldier plot. The video game had Beetle already obtaining a vial of sand that came from the Ultimate Marvel version of Sandman.

As for Rose, the first one was Richard Fisk (you might know him as the Kingpin's son). The second one was a police officer named Sergeant Blume. The third one was a Daily Bugle reporter named Jacob Conover (who was loyal to Don Fortunado for saving his life earlier). If you plan Rose, how would you pull it off since you weren't able to afford the use of Richard's father for this series?

In a follow-up to my "Marvel Team-Up" comment, Spider-Man starred in most of the issues where he worked with heroes like the Fantastic Four, Namor, the X-Men, Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Doctor Strange, Hulk, Daredevil, Black Widow, Nick Fury, Tigra, Ghost Rider, Paladin, Hank Pym, Wasp, Falcon, Hercules, Howard the Duck, Ka-Zar, and even Doctor Doom to name a few. Though in one issue, Spider-Man worked with the cast of "Saturday Night Live" to fight Silver Samurai. If "The Spectacular Spider-Man" is successful and there are other season, there should be a season based on it where Spider-Man meets other heroes. I had this brought up since an interview you were in stated that Captain America wasn't defrosted yet, Tony Stark never was captured by terrorists yet, the Fantastic Four never got exposed to the cosmic radiation in the Van Allen belt yet, Professor X never founded the X-Men yet, and Donald Blake hasn't stumbled on a disguised Mjolnir yet. If you'd like, you can brush up on Spider-Man's various Team-Ups through this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvel_Team-Up

Dean writes...

I've become quite a fan of Spectacular Spider-Man recently, and would like to thank you for a great show. One thing that worries me though is it's future. If the show isn't picked up for a third season, would you consider continuing the story using the format of comic books, similar to what you have done with Gargoyles?

Roddy writes...

Question about "Accomplies" and Roderick Kingsley. Is this realy him or his brother? Because during the bidding, he acts like Roderick, but then, when he arrives to take the chip he's more like Daniel (I mean scared and stuff). Not to mention that in the closing credits it says only KINGSLEY. So which Kingsley we saw, Mr. Weisman?

Masterdramon writes...

Hi! One of the greatest pleasures of visiting AskGreg when you were rambling about each episode of "Gargoyles" individually was seeing the production memos and other behind-the-scenes documents that gave us all a long peek at exactly what went into producing the episodes that eventually aired.

Given this, I was wondering if you would be willing to post any of the memos that you might have with regards to the production of "W.I.T.C.H." and "The Spectacular Spider-Man." I have greatly enjoyed both shows, and I would absolutely love to see some of the thinking that went into them.

On a related note, since a third season of "W.I.T.C.H." is apparently (and unfortunately) never going to see the light of day, are there any ideas that you would be willing to share as to how Season 3 would have been if you had worked on it? Evidently Raphael Sylla would have been involved, but what other characters/storylines did you have planned?

Thank you for your time, and good luck with your work!

Bill Rodebaugh writes...

Hi Greg,

I haven't seen "The Spectacular Spiderman" on the WB network on Saturdays. Is the show still running on TV? Is teh character design for the show done in the US? And is the show animated in the US or overseas? And if oveseas, where is each episode animated? How long does it take to completely do one episode for "Spiderman?"

Sincerely interested,

Bill

Greg Bishansky writes...

"Reinforcement"
The second season of "The Spectacular Spider-Man" continues as the Master Planner story arc continues to unfold.

I liked the prologue, with Spidey casing out Blackie Glaxton, and yes, I remember him from the comics. I just love how this show mines the comics for even the most obscure characters. Oh, and there's Patch. I remember him too, and he's someone else who it's nice to see. I think I'll keep my lips sealed on him for the benefit of those who don't know the old comics as well.

Right now, allow me a little tangent on Steve Blum. I've been a fan of his since I first watched "Cowboy Bebop" on DVD back in 2002. I knew this guy was going to become a star voice actor. His performance as Spike was nothing short of terrific. He's also a terrific Wolverine. But, he has often been criticized of using just one voice, since that Spike voice is quite popular. So, I am glad that this show has allowed him to show off his range. His Green Goblin is terrific. I liked his Chameleon. He's done other incidental voices here and there, but I didn't recognize him as Blackie until the end credits. He's terrific.

I do like how there wasn't another elaborate escape scene this time. It was fun last time we saw the Six, but we didn't need a repeat. Although I am curious as to how Toomes, Rhino and Sandman managed to escape without anyone being the wiser.

While this was mostly one long fight sequence, what a fight sequence. It was all over the place, and fun. The villains aren't feeling like they're old hat yet, but I do hope the Six find a better strategy than two at a time the next time we see them.

And now we have Peter and his girl troubles. He wouldn't be Peter Parker without them. Here's hoping he makes some more progress with one of them next week.

Okay, the soundtrack this time was terrific. Yeah, it was Christmas music, but it added to the atmosphere.

Ock, you brilliant bastard. I am pretty sure he's the Master Planner, and he was operating from inside Ravencroft. I look forward to seeing what his master plan is. Looking forward to seeing him lead the Sinister Six next week.

As a long time fan, I would have preferred to see Rhino get arrested, and not Mysterio, so we could have the original Sinister Six next week. But no big. It's the end of the Master Planner arc, I know it's going to be good.

Not as much to say this week. But it was a very enjoyable episode.

Oh, I almost forgot. Cletus Kasady? For the love of all that is holy, why? I am hoping that easter egg remains an easter egg.

Brad writes...

Any plans to use Morbius The Living Vampire? I've always found him to be a wonderfully pulpy character, especially in his groovy 70's costume.

Jim writes...

First I just wanted to say that I loved the format or device or whatever you might call it that was common among the episodes in the newer Venom arc-- really worked for me. Loved the videos, the Shakespeare, really great placement there. The second Goblin arc had a similar format as well, I'm hoping future arcs can be so closely linked in that way, rather than just by villains and storylines.

Also, one of the few flaws I've noticed with the show is the lack of continuity with regard to destruction-- certain locations (Bugle, Midtown) seem devastated by a fight in one episode and look fine about a month later.

Anyway, questions:

1. So you said in a previous entry that the first arc this season is "Engineering 101." What names did the writers give to the others? "Criminology" and "Theater" seem obvious, but the second arc is hard to pin down.

2. No original named characters, right? I don't think anyone online has ID'ed the Michael kid from "Gangland." Could you shed some light on this?

3. Goblin raises an interesting point-- duration or frustration? Which did the staff think was the cause of Mark's heating issues? Also, did Goblin turn the armor off after the prison fight?

4. How is Rand taking his "brother's" downfall? I was hoping to see a reaction, I assume it was cut for time or pacing reasons. I know there's already a ton to pack in to the episodes.

5. Is Curt still working on a cure for Max? It seems like that should be priority one (understandably, he seems often characterized by his guilt), but there isn't any sign that he's even trying.

Also, I thought you guys did a fantastic job with Liz. Honestly, I greatly prefer her to Gwen (though I seem to be in the minority). Surprising, since she was mostly a nuisance in her first couple appearances. Flash has become one of my favorites as well.

Fingers crossed for a third season!

Stuart Green writes...

Hello again, Mr. Weisman.
I have a few more questions, if you don't mind me asking...

1.) You mentioned that you intended to use characters like the Kingpin and the Human Torch on your show, and on an interview with IGN you said that you had a Hulk story from the Stan Lee/Steve Ditko era in mind that you wanted to tell at some point. I've read that you could not use any of these characters at the moment due to legal rights and I'm merely guessing you still can't for now. When there is a season three, and hopefully not "if" there's another season, how do you guys go about making sure you can get the rights to use a currently-unavailable character on your show? Who do you guys have to talk to in order to get permission to use those characters in the episode(s) you'd like to have him/her appear in? If not for season three, then maybe we'll get lucky enough to see guest characters on a fourth season, but I know I'm getting too far ahead of you on this topic. I guess it's just hard not to get carried away wondering what comes next on a show you love watching like "The Spectacular Spider-Man". Anyway, I'm just asking because I'd like to see Spider-Man to meet at least one or two other heroes in the future to show that Spidey's not the only one saving the city. As unlikely as it is for now and even if it doesn't happen on "The Spectacular Spider-Man", I'd really, really like to see another Spider-Man/Hulk episode made one day since the two heroes haven't been seen on the same show together since "Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends".

2.) Since Kraven appears in season two, is it possible that there will be any of the Chameleon and Kraven ties explored on this show? They have a lot of history together in the comics, being half-brothers and all.

3.) When there's a season three, do you have any plans in mind for which Spider-Man foes that you'd like to introduce on the next season whether or not they become villains on this show? For example, like introducing Dr. Carolyn Trainer before she becomes Lady Octopus or introducing Michael Morbius before he becomes Morbius the living vampire. Even if you can't comment on the two examples that I mentioned above, do you have any ideas in mind even if you can't say who?

4.) How likely do you think it'll be we can see more of the Black Cat when the show is picked up for a new season?

Thank you for your time and keep up the excellent work, sir. I really hope you and the rest of the crew return for another season.

R. Vega writes...

First off I’d like to thank you and your team for making Spectacular Spider-Man a great experience to watch. Personally I’d like to comment on all the highlights of the show, but in an effort to keep this short here goes.
Season 2 has already aired outside the U.S. and I’d like to ask a question with the assumption that I’ve already viewed both seasons. If you don’t wish to answer this question for any reason I understand.
On to my question, if [I’d like to say WHEN] season 3 is picked up, will we see a continuation of Gwen and Peter’s love story? I apologize if it seems like a dumb question but I was fascinated by the build up between the two in the series. Add the fact that Gwen is a very likeable character in this series and how we as the audience always root for the main character I’m just wondering if we’ll have more moments between them. I would also like to know if it was a challenge figuring out a way to make their relationship interesting and enjoyable to watch. I’m aware many TV shows try this and the end result seems forced, but here, it seems to be put together perfectly. Both the writers and the voice actors did a really good job on this aspect of the show.
Anyway I wish you and your team the best of luck. And I’ll be rooting for you guys for a season 3!

Stephen writes...

Hi Greg,

Big fan of your Spectacular Spider-Man cartoon. You've done us Spidey fans proud. Doctor Octopus is my all time favourite Spidey villain, and like everything else in the show, you've done a brilliant job bringing him to life from the comics. I particularly loved the adaption of the Master Planner storyline. And the wonderful Peter MacNicol does a tremendous job voicing the character.

My question to you is do you have any future Doc Ock stories in mind that you'd like to adapt? There's still so many more great ones to choose from. The Nullifier arc and the Death of Captain Stacy from the Stan Lee days, for example.

Keep up the great work. I hope you guys get a third season to continue your fantastic work on this cartoon.

All the best,

Stephen.

Aldrius writes...

Blueprints Review *Possible Spoilers*

Well, here we go at last. Season 2 is here. We waited almost a year and thanks to being Canadian (and having some very nice Australian friends) I’ve managed to get something of a sneak peak at the season. And by that… I mean I’ve seen the whole thing. Just to put these reviews into perspective, these reviews were written after having seen the final episode of the season, Final Curtain. So if you (the person reading this who isn’t Greg Weisman) don’t want spoilers about anything that happened in this season, then please don’t read this and blame me. I’m going to avoid putting down direct spoilers, but I’m only human.

Just to pre-face these reviews. I’m going to be perfectly honest. I didn’t particularly like season 2 overall. There were a few episodes that just blew me away but overall I was very disappointed with it. So my real hope with these is that I can remain constructive without crossing over into the realm of complaining. So anyway, here are my thoughts on the first episode of the Spectacular Spider-man season 2: Blueprints.

Unfortunately, this is probably my second least favourite episode of the entire series (not that that’s saying a whole lot mind you), so my first review might be a little on the negative side. Mysterio really didn’t do it for me, and the high school drama nor Peter’s home life didn’t seem to go much of anywhere, except for showing how much he’s got on his plate. There were a couple of really funny jokes through out, though and some pretty nice action scenes.

So to start off with what I liked. Stan Lee’s cameo is a lot of fun, he’s got a great voice, I think that’s why he lends himself so well to all these cameos, he’s very iconic sounding and looking. Another fun aspect was Mysterio’s incantations. I’ve heard they’re actually MC Hammer lyrics, very awesome. I really liked how he accompanied all his ‘magic’ with those spells. But a lot of what he does seems to be a little TOO impressive for simple misdirection (where the heck did he get that sword from?). It’s kind of distracting but not such a big deal.

I really like Norman’s role in this episode, the way he’s beginning to sink his teeth into every aspect of the city. Taking control of the Connors’ lab, taking control of Peter’s life, taking control of his breakfast. The whole dinner scene in general is pretty awesome (though for a fancy dinner party, the group sure seems to be drinking a lot of water…). I really like the way Miles Warren carries himself too, unlike the slightly more insecure Connors, he really seems aware of himself and what he’s doing. He’s eager, like a young man, rather than the experienced scientist his reputation suggests. Meanwhile, Emily Osborn is attempting to use her dinner knife to cut her way through her dinner plate.

I really like the pressure that’s present in the dinner scene as well. Norman is looking out for Peter, perhaps looking to nourish his potential, in the effort of finding a more suitable heir since his first one has turned out to be such a disappointment? Warren is just interested in efficiency. He doesn’t care about personal feelings he just wants to get all the work they can possibly do, done as quickly as possible. Martha is pragmatic too, but she also wants control of her little corner of the world, and she can’t have that if she can’t trust the people who are working for her.

Watching it now, my only real problem with the episode is the villain, and it’s not even that I dislike him. I love his design, I kind of love, kind of don’t love the fact that he’s a very over the top actor. I love the voice that Xander Berkeley has given him, and he gets some great lines in.

I think my only real problem with Mysterio is the abundance of robots. My limited exposure to the character has always implied, to me, that the guy was more of a trickster and an illusionist than someone who could pose an actual threat to Spider-man. But I suppose that doesn’t make for a compelling fight scenes. And it kind of goes against the ‘theme’ of this arc being engineering. Last season for example, I thought the way Beck and Mason recreated Spider-man’s powers was really clever. And the only thing I can think of that even comes close to it here is the nerve gas that Mysterio was using.

This isn’t so much a complaint as an observation/inquiry and it could be intentional but Mysterio’s dialogue often seems at odds with itself, sometimes Mysterio seems kind of surly and sarcastic (“But it’s such a clever trick.” Great line, by the way) and other times he’s really over the top and hammy. Is that intentional? Is it supposed to be that he’s such a bad actor that he’s perpetually breaking character? Am I just imagining things and picking nits or was that intentional in the writing? Also, I enjoyed the ham, but sometimes (and this is a complaint) it went on just a little too long for my liking, and crossed the line from amusing to annoying. (The conversation at the end for example. Funny at first, but became uncomfortable towards the end.)

Anyway, overall a fairly strong start with a few issues in this season 2 premier. I enjoyed re-watching it a lot more than I enjoyed reflecting upon it I think. I’m not really sure why that is, but there you go. Sorry, I tended to ramble here a bit, but there was quite a bit to talk about, and I both really enjoyed and was disappointed by the episode, so there’s always that. Keep up the good work anyway, Greg. Thanks for letting me submit these reviews even when they’re not glowing.

anonymous writes...

Hi there,
I wanted to ask some quick questions, two of which are about Dr. Octopus:

1 - I'd like to ask, who came up with the idea that Doctor Octopus needs a power pack for his tentacle harness in order to keep mental control his tentacles and why? I'm surprised that Doc Ock can't mentally control his arms without a power pack on this show, as we've seen before like in season one's "Reaction" episode. I don't know if you answered this before, but I didn't see it in the archives.

2 - In season one, Doctor Octopus's tentacles usually look black more than they look gray and I think the black tentacles look is a bit cooler and give kind of scary look for the character. But in promotional photos for season two, Doc Ock's tentacles look more gray than black. Does Doc Ock get a new set of gray tentacles in season two, or were they always gray but just looked black at times in season one?

3 - Did you get any or all of the McDonald's Happy Meal toys that they made from "The Spectacular Spider-Man"?

Thank you for reading.

Masterdramon writes...

Hi! In the interest of not flooding the queue, I'll restrain myself and leave this as my last question for the day.

One thing that really stands out about "The Spectacular Spider-Man" is how much it contrasts from the current state of the Spidey comics. Many fans have not been entirely happy with the direction that the comics have taken since the "Civil War" story arc. Given your position as a clear fan of the comics yourself, I was wondering what you though about all of this.

1) Have you read "Civil War"? If so, what was your opinion of it? Which side do you think was "in the right" with regards to the Superhuman Registration Act?

2) Have you read any of the "One More Day/Brand New Day" storyline (where Peter makes a deal with Mephisto to save Aunt May's life in exchange for erasing his marriage to Mary Jane from the timeline)? If so, what do you think of this "re-setting" of the timeline, and how Spider-Man has been handled within it?

Thank you for your time, and good luck with your work!

Stuart Green writes...

Hello, Mr. Weisman,
It's been a while since I got to ask you some questions. I'm glad to see Ask Greg is back up again. I don't want to take up too much time and slow down the answers to the other previous questions other people have asked, but I have a lot to say. I'll try to keep this as brief as possible.

Now I must say from the beginning that I don't get Disney XD, so I'll be waiting longer than most to see all thirteen new episodes from season two. I've also noticed in the Unanswered Questions that people have seen it elsewhere and so I'm being very careful not to catch any spoilers, because I want to be surprised.

Anyway, my questions and comments in regards to the inevitable, but sadly still not picked up, season three:

1.) I know that this is simply just waaaaay too early to talk about season three. I know that, you know that. I also know you can't spoil anything in regards to season three. But I would like to say a few things about the villains we've seen in season one and will see in season two. Besides, it never hurts to ask, right? Anyway, I would love to see the Lizard come back in season three if possible, as he's only been in one episode so far on your show. I would also love to see the Chameleon make an appearance or two in season three, since he's only gotten one episode in season one and it was confirmed he will appear again in season two somewhere. Other villains I'd personally love to see more of in season three are Mysterio, Venom, the Vulture, Sandman, the Rhino, and of course, my favorite Spider-Man villain of all Doctor Octopus. I especially hope that Peter MacNicol pops up for multiple episodes in season three as Doc Ock like he did in season one. He's done a brilliant job on your series. I also love the design for Mysterio on your show and look forward to seeing what he does in season two. As I said before, I also love the Sandman/Rhino friendship you introduced on your show. Clancy Brown and John DiMaggio do a wonderful job as Rhino and Sandman. I know that you guys have only discussed ideas for a third season and, as of now, are awaiting a confirmation for a new season. But still, I just wanted to say that I'd love to see more of the current villains since several new characters always get introduced every new season of a popular show, and I just hope that certain already-seen villains don't get lost in the shuffle when there's a third season. I know I'm way ahead of you on this topic and on the next two below, but I just thought I'd mention to you while I can while you're still answering questions and commenting here.

2.) In regards to new villains in season three and beyond:
I know season two has introduced a lot of new villains, and that a few more will be in season three. I know that you confirmed that the Scorpion and the Hobgoblin will be introduced in season three. I've also read online that fans hope guys like Hydro-Man, the Prowler, Man-Wolf and Carnage, among others, are possibilities for season three too. However, I wanted to say that I hope that, eventually, we'll get to see some of the other comic villains on the show that have rarely been on any of the previous Spider-Man cartoon series. Villains like Swarm, the Beetle and the Owl haven't been on a Spider-Man cartoon show in years. In fact, Owl has only appeared once on only one Spider-Man cartoon show to date (in the season premiere episode for season two of Fox Kids' "Spider-Man" cartoon series) and has never even spoken. Other villains, like Jack O'Lantern, the Rose and Man-Mountain Marko, have never appeared on a Spider-Man animated series at all and I hope they get to appear some day (though in Rose's case, that maybe unlikely considering that villains like Kingpin are off-limits from appearing on your show). Again, I know you can't comment on who will be back and who will be introduced for the new villains because, as mentioned, there is no season three pick-up yet... but I really, REALLY hope there is a confirmation soon. I'm not saying that you have to use all of these guys I mentioned, but I'd love to see at least some of the lesser-used villains on your show, is all.

By the way, thank you for finally introducing some of Spider-Man's classic villains on "The Spectacular Spider-Man", since I've read that the show will introduce the Tinkerer and Molten Man in season two. It's nice to see that they will finally appear on a Spider-Man animated series.

3.) Do you think we could see the Sinister Six at least once every season on this show? Also, would you be open to the idea of using one of the Sinister Six rosters from the comic books on your show (like Doc Ock, Mysterio, Vulture, Electro, Sandman, and sixth member Kraven or Hobgoblin)? Now I know that you can't give away any spoilers, but still, I think it'd be neat to see the Sinister Six pop up again.

4.) For a third season, would you be interested in doing more with Peter's supporting cast, like J. Jonah Jameson and his son John, Mary Jane Watson and Joe "Robbie" Robertson? I'd especially love to see Peter's relationship with M.J. get developed more and see Robbie get more of a storyarc, maybe a Robbie/Tombstone story since they know each other in the Spider-Man comics. Then again, maybe this will happen in season two.

I also wanted to answer two previous false casting rumors about "The Spectacular Spider-Man" from the archives for you, because you said you didn't know where the rumors were first reported. The summer 2008 movie preview issue of ToyFare Magazine said that Cam Clarke was picked as the voice of Molten Man (while that was incorrect, the issue did get the other voice actors right, like Josh Keaton as Spider-Man and Peter MacNicol as Doctor Octopus), and the Comics Continuum website said that Charles Napier had been cast as Montana/Shocker, respectively. I hope that helped.

Finally, I just wanted to say that I have a Spectacular Spider-Man Fan Site, in case you or anyone else would like to check it out. There are no images on the fan site yet and it's still a work in progress, but if you're interested, you can find it here:
http://specspideyfansite.synthasite.com/

Thanks for your time and patience reading this, and thanks for any answers. Keep up the excellent work, Mr. Weisman.

Masterdramon writes...

Hi! Nice to see you back from your "AskGreg" break; I hope that things are going well for you.

Like many fans I have seen "The Spectacular Spider-Man" Season 2 via YouTube already (though I'll still be watching the series as much as possible on television in order to support the ratings). One of the coolest extras (without getting into too much spoiler territory) of the season was hearing you voicing Donald Menken, Norman Osborn's right-hand suit. You did a very admirable job at portraying a very flat, all-business character, which is exactly what I would expect from Menken (even though most Spidey fans probably have no idea who he is).

Given that (as far as I know) your only previous foray into voice acting was the commando who says "Nice mask!" in "Awakening Part II," how did you end up being selected for this voice role (which was obviously a lot more significant than the commando; in episodes 21 and 26 in particular the character played a vital role)? Did voice director Jamie Thomason ask you to play Menken, or did you volunteer? Or was there some other circumstance altogether?

Thank you for your time, and good luck with your work!

cyrus troche writes...

1. what are the chances of tssm geting a season three?
2. any tssm dvd news. have you done any extras

Kyle Tonarella writes...

sorry if that question sounded rude and for my poor spelling. Anyway I'm going to watch the show on disney XD to show my support and love for the show. I just don't want an awsome show with nice writers,producers,actors to end with just 26 episodes. I hope you guys get a season 3 so you can continue to expand on such a Spectacular show {pun intended}.

Greg Bishansky writes...

"Destructive Testing"

First off, let me get this out of the way. I always thought that Kraven the Hunter was the lamest of the classic Spider-Man rogues. He just always seemed out of place to me. An attempt to do a comic book version of Richard Connel's "The Most Dangerous Game." I just never bought him as all that imposing a supervillain in the Spidey corner. Not when he had guys like the Green Goblin, Doc Ock, Electro, Mysterio, and so many others. Okay, Kraven was better than the Living Brain, but that's not saying much.

Then, J.M. DeMatteis wrote a classic story in the late 80s where Kraven shoved a shotgun into his own mouth and pulled the trigger. He's been dead ever since and replaced by three cheesy knock-offs. The Grim Hunter; Al Kraven; and I hear there's a new, female Kraven now. But, really, I don't think Kraven would be remembered nearly as well if he didn't commit suicide the way he did. In fact, I've been looking for an excuse to post this...

http://destroyblog.com/2009/01/05/kravens-last-hunt-in-30-seconds/

I didn't much care for Kraven in the 90s series either. And the Steve Irwin take on Kraven in Ultimate was okay... and then they kept bringing him back. So, needless to say, I was skeptical. Greg Weisman, Vic Cook and their team have done a phenomenal job on the series so far, even with Venom, a character whom I hated. So, would lightning strike twice? Could they make Kraven work? Let's find out.

Kraven's voice actor, Eric Vesbit, whom my close friend, production assistant, Jennifer L. Anderson has been raving about really sold Kraven with his performance. The guy was tough, the guy was imposing. The guy was primal. I enjoyed him. The opening scene in Africa was a great introduction to him.

I thought the battles between him and Spidey were very done. I especially liked how the first one ended, which summed up why Kraven needed an upgrade to really take Spider-Man on.

Miles Warren, boy is he a piece of work. He's an opportunist of the highest order. He carries a gun on school property. He lies with the best of them. He seemed pretty normal last week, but now we're getting to see him at work, and well. His brother Aaron seems like a nice, warm and friendly guy. But Miles, take all of the above, and throw in that he's going behind Connors' back conducting experiments on mutation and Miles is just a jackal.

Oh, cool. Debra Whitman. Is she Miles' assistant? I was expecting Anthony Serba. But hey, cool.

As with last week, Liz is all over Peter. I don't think she's using him either, I think she genuinely likes him. But, Pete really should talk to Gwen. We'll see where this goes.

"Come on, Flash! You can do it!!! Can't believe I just said that." - Peter. Loved that line.

I also loved the return of the Itsy Bitsy Spider ringtone.

And the Master Planner plot line continues. And we get a new Sinister Six next week. I still say the Master Planner is either the Chameleon or Dr. Octopus.

Now, the one con. I think Kraven's decision to mutate himself seemed very sudden. As if we were missing a step in between. This is not like buying a new car. While I do think mutating himself is completely in character, I just think the set up should have been done a little better. The Pack didn't get an upgrade in their first appearance in "Gargoyles." It was after two or three humiliating defeats that they chose to alter themselves like that. Aw well.

Great episode. I liked last week's better, but this was still good.

Kyle Tonarella writes...

hey greg I gto doen watching season two and you know what I LOVED IT. This shows that you have repsect for the characters and source materials you incorperate in the show. Anyway here is is my question are there any special features on the season set that will make the fans very happy ?

Chris England writes...

Is there going to be a Season 3 of Spectacular Spider-Man??? And if so, what Villains are U planning to introduce?