Antiyonder writes...

Since, I haven't done any particular episode comments or reviews for The Spectacular Spider-Man I'll be commenting on each story arc for the time being. That said:

Episode 1- Survival of the Fittest
- Considering the plan of using comic book only characters, I'm a bit embarassed that I didn't identify Randy earlier when seeing the episode prior to Market Forces.
- As much as I feel sorry for Peter's rejection from Sally, I couldn't help but laugh when Gwen and Harry commented on it. Either the scene was well written and executed or deep down I'm a jerk. I'll go with well executed scene :).
- Same with the comment above, I had a small laugh when Eddie tell Peter that being a high school student with lack of experience keeps him from getting paid.
- Relating to the comment on the podcast, as a fellow sap (I have a box of Shojo Manga for crying outloud), I too enjoyed Peter's dialogue about having Aunt May at the end.

Episode 2- Interactions
- Unlike the identifying of Randy, I was able to pick up on the cellphone dial tone immediately (which would be impossible to miss).
- In Flash's defense, he did get a higher grade than Liz, so maybe Mr. Warren was a little too judgemental of him (interms of how he would function as a tutor). I'm half serious and half joking about this of course.
- Not being able to have coffee for the rest of my life, I certainly hope I wouldn't go mad.

- I do have a question which my brother brought up. Was Curt's serum going to turn him into the Lizard as it was or was it partially due to exposure to Electro's voltage?

Episode 3- Natural Selection
- Have to say that this episode was a nice flipside to the 1994 cartoon episode "Night Of The Lizard". Basically both had Eddie and Peter involved in the story, but this time Peter looks like the bad guy. Also a good example of Pete winning and losing at the same time.
- My favorite scene is definitely Spidey trying to sneak up on the Lizard only for the cellphone to go off.

Algernon writes...

Spectacular Spider-Man

S
P
O
I
L
E
R
S

Reactions

Another strong outing from what might be the greatest superhero toon of all time

After seeing the timid nebbish Dr. Octavius over the course of the series, I was wondering how you were going to handle his transformation into a crazed supervillain. Peter MacNicol deserves some kind of award for so perfectly capturing all the power and arrogance of Doctor Octopus. I especially liked Otto's little "daydream" while being chewed out by Norman.

The whole High School Soap Opera aspect of the show continues to be surprisingly engaging. Harry's continuing downward spiral makes for pretty heavy TV and puts the lie to anyone who still dismisses this show as kiddy fare.

I have to admit though I was expecting to see more of the Green Goblin, since the episode blurb implied he'd play a larger role. Considering all the other stuff going on in this episode that's probably just greedy of me.

Lee H writes...

Hey Greg, I'm loving Spectacular Spider-Man!

The Spectacular team has done a great job at forming a diverse supporting cast in regards to race and sex, but what is the plan where female villains are concerned?

Spider-Man has had very few female villains and most of them were forgettable. The two major female antagonists were Black Cat and Silver Sable, but they quickly became more allies than bad guys.

In May 2008's issues of Amazing Spider-Man two new female villains are introduced - Screwball, a young thrill seeker who commits crimes and uploads videos of them on the Internet, and Paper Doll, a villain who is... well, like paper!

Is there a chance of either of them being featured in later seasons of Spectacular Spider-Man, a few years down the line, or is the plan to stick with older tried and tested villains?

Thanks for your time!

Greg Bishansky writes...

So, quick question.

Did Peter kick Sally's dog or something? I understand the whole clique thing, but this full blown hatred.

Todd Jensen writes...

My comments on the latest "Spectacular Spider-Man" episode.

I'd been looking forward to this one, since I'd noticed how meek and timid Dr. Octavius (now Dr. Octopus) had been up until now. Since I'd recognized him as a future "Spider-Man" villain (I'm not a big Spider-Man expert, but I still know about Dr. Octopus), I was eagerly awaiting the revelation of how he'd change into a super-villain (and the mental change more than the physical change).

What I got didn't disappoint me. Octavius has finally had enough of Norman Osborn pushing him around (I liked the moment where he's fantasizing about getting back at Norman even before the accident), and the worm finally turns. And how!

Norman is as cool as ever at the end, when Hammerhead's bringing up Green Goblin's actions and the problems they're causing for his boss. (I assume that it's Norman rather than his son who's the Goblin - though Harry's doing a good job of leading the audience astray. I'm looking forward to how that plays out in future episodes, especially since Gwen's getting suspicious.)

Wouldn't you know that Peter would win a stuffed octopus at Coney Island?

And I've got a suspicion that John Jameson's space flight will lead to further trouble for our friendly neighborhood web-slinger, especially since I vaguely remember it featuring in other "Spider-Man" adaptations, with big consequences.

Greg Bishansky writes...

"Reactions"
Well, my reaction is that was certainly an awesome episode.

Let's see, where to begin. I've been waiting to see Otto's transformation and it was well done. Gone is the meek, subservient Otto "Yes, Mr. Osborn. Whatever you say, Mr. Osborn" Octavius, and now we have the the ruthless and psychotic Dr. Octopus. I need to extend my compliments to Peter MacNicol for the contrast in both versions of the good doctor.

The Spider-Man/Dr. Octopus battles were great. From their first encounter at OsCorp, where Ock in his paranoia believed that Spidey discovered he created supervillains to the attack on Tri Corp and their battle at Coney Island (Enjoy Coney Island while it's there, it's being torn down). And damn, not too long ago, Otto could probably never bring himself to put a girl like Liz in harm's way. How he's changed. I look forward to him leading the Sinister Six.

"My fans expect a certain amount of quipage in every battle." You tell him, Spidey! That was one of the many reasons the movies were a disappointment.

But, Peter Parker's civilian life is always just as interesting as his superhero life. Poor sap, thought he and Mary Jane had something going. Not yet, Pete. Your time will come, be patient... but be warned, Joe Quesada... er, I mean, Mephisto will conspire to take it away from you. In the mean time, enjoy your time with Liz. And with Liz and Flash now broken up, he might have a shot there.

Let's see. Peter wins an octopus for Liz. Ock is defeated on the octopus ride. And this is the eighth episode. Cute. Very cute.

Harry Osborn is now a junkie. Just like in the original comics, only instead of acid, he's been raiding his dad's medicine cabinet for Globulin Green #994. It's a good way to do Stan Lee's drug story without using a real drug that would make S&P balk. It explains why he's good at football all of a sudden. It's a steroid story without steroids. Cool.

But not to go unmentioned, the Green Goblin plot line is advanced. Norman Osborn is such an asshole, first berating Otto, then feigning concern when he's the one who tried to kill him. While the Harry red herring is being done well, I just can't believe that he's the Goblin. If he were, he'd have attacked the Fall Formal and gone after Kenny in the previous episode. He has no reason to go after the Big Man, and the only place we heard Norman call the Big Man "Lincoln" was in the subterranean lab. Norman knows Otto is a liability. This all fits in with Norman's modus operandi. Not to mention having two close friends of Peter go arch villain on us this season would be redundant. We still have Eddie Brock becoming Venom in a few more episodes.

Still a terrific episode, and I look forward to the mystery being resolved next week.

Aldrius writes...

I'm starting this early because I had a thought while watching the Rhino rerun.

Jameson saves Peter from the Rhino, then Spider-man saves Jameson from the Rhino, would he have if he hadn't saved him? Or has been as determined to do it?

All right, and now for the episode, which ironically, I'm starting late now...

I didn't know Spider-man could fly.

I love Peter McNichol. I can hear the X the Eliminator in his voice, and that's one of my favourite roles of his. I wonder what caused Otto's change in personality? The arms or did he just go crazy?

Who does Spider-man think his fans are? Furthermore does he know he's being watched? Does he think Norman is his fan?

Otto sure took to being a super-villain pretty quickly.

And the mystery continues. Harry's passed out, but Norman was obviously at the Oscorp... so is it the father or the son. Kinda parallels the Big Man mystery that at least the fans seem to have going.

"Where do you hide the muscles". Jeez. If he's not the green goblin he's definitely on the green goblin juice at least. Maybe they're both the green goblin. Weird... extra... dimensional...? personality stuff. That would be quite the twist.

Gwen sure forgave Peter pretty fast. That's actually another good thing about the show, be pretty unrealistic if she held a grudge against him just for lying to her once... that wasn't even really a lie, he just changed his mind.

Ah, Octapus has got the movie coat. That's cool. I like the movie coat. And another Gargoyles line, eh?

"Stop that Ms. Brant I'm a married man" that one made me crack up. I'm not exaggerating.

Flash likes Spider-man. I like that. There's that 3-dimensional Flash-ness.

And a girl gets kidnapped. At least it's not Mary Jane I suppose.

...I missed what happened with Liz and Flash... and how it was Peter's fault, I guess I'll find out. And it looks like we're getting another Green Goblin episode next weekend. Cool. I'm guessing we'll finally find out who he is. Harry or Norman. Or maybe even a third party.

This one seemed short to me, but maybe that means I enjoyed it all the more... felt like there were more questions asked than answered. Definitely superior to last weeks anyway.

Man Mountain writes...

Hey Greg. I was listening to Howard Stern this morning (4/28/08) and he just gave a quick, but rave review of your Spiderman series. He said he is embarrassed to be his age and watching Saturday morning cartoons, but said he loved it and would be watching. Just thought I'd let you know. Keep up the good work and thanks!

Algernon writes...

Spectacular Spider-Man

S
P
O
I
L
E
R
S

Catalyst

You know what I love about this show? It's the consistency, seven episodes in and we've yet to get anything less the great TV. Even the best shows don't usually get this far without at least one mediocre outing, yet the Spectacular Spider-Man continues to go from strength to strength. This episode stands out in particular as we are introduced to two of the most important figures in the Spidey-mythos.

First up I absolutely love this version of the Green Goblin, cunning, creepy and completely insane. Steven Blum has already solidified himself in my mind as the definitive voice of the Goblin. I especially like his banter, it's cool to have a villain who can go toe to toe with Spidey on the quip front. Credit goes to Sean Galloway for the design of Gobby's glider, darn thing looks like it could bite somebody's face off.

This episode also marks our first real look at Mary Jane Watson. I really like MJ, she's a babe and she knows it but doesn't let it go to her head.

Tombstone comes across very well in this episode, calm and calculating even when facing down a super-powered psychopath. He also had a neat xanatosian moment near the end. God do I pithy those poor goons when Tombstone tracks them down. A few questions though…

1) It's interesting that your going with the whole mystery angle with GG identity, aren't you worried about your audience being already spoiled by the Spidey movies or previous cartoons?

2) Not so much a question as minor observation. I noticed a lot of glass breaking in this episode, which I understand is something of a S&P no no. your S&P people must be fairy laid back.

Anyway looking forward to the next episode with Doc Ock.

Aldrius writes...

All right, starting this ramble about halfway through the episode. Don't have much to say about the first half anyway... and what I do...

That thing with Harry taking some sort of goblin formula strikes me as a bit of a red herring. But it might not be. (I think it is). But the fact that it might not be keeps me guessing!

Anyway, I guess that shows why Harry was grinning like the laughing fish in the last episode. But what makes me think it's Normy is the Big Man connection. Why would Harry care about the Big Man?

I'm gonna assume there won't be a relevation as to who it is by the end of the episode.

And poor Harry too. That was rude of that girl to take back her boyfriend on the night of the prom when she was with another guy...

I don't like how I can tell that the Green Goblin and his thug are voiced by the same guy. Oh well, not that big a deal.

Kevin Michael Richardsons PERFECT Keith David (wouldn't be able to tell if I didn't know) impression makes up for it.

'And Maybe call the Police' That was hilarious. Because I could see another show completely forgetting about even mentioning that.

Wow, Peter way to completely sacrifice the element of surprise. For someone who can't be surprised you sure don't value it very much.

Huh, that cut between the fighting with Green Goblin and Spider-man wasn't in the opening scene!

That little screech whenever a bomb goes off.

I think the goblin's 'bomb' is a bluff. Or not...

I think it's sweet that Jonah went back up with his son.

And it looks like the Mary Jane/Peter romance gets it's first step. But I'm still hoping we get to explore other avenues first. And of course, there's nothing saying that we can't.

Still think Harry's green vial is a big red herring, though. We'll see if I'm right soon. And of course Tombstone's 'you just did what I was gonna pay you for, for free' was great, and has me thinking. If Tombstone's just going to pay him for doing what he was already doing for free, why would he be surprised that he continued to do it? And why doesn't Peter just accept it? He'd be getting paid for doing what he's doing already. Obviously he doesn't, because well, you don't accept favours from 'the mob' and not expect to have to do something in return, at least that's what the Simpsons has always taught me.

But it intrigues me, because I could see Peter accepting Lincoln's offer down the road. And that interests me. That interests me greatly, and now I'm interesting in watching more, and seeing if that actually DOES happen, because I think it COULD happen.

In short, I'm hooked.

Todd Jensen writes...

A brief review of "Catalysts".

I enjoyed this one a lot (like the other episodes I've seen so far). A few things that stood out to me most:

We got to see J. Jonah Jameson's better side, for a side. He's clearly proud of his son - and I think it's justified. (I was particularly impressed with the younger Jameson figuring out that the Green Goblin had planted his bomb on the chandelier, and promptly alerting Spidey.)

Did Keith David go back to doing the Big Man/Tombstone's voice? I thought it sounded more like his this time around, but I might be wrong. (And I liked his performance - especially when he's commenting that Spidey wound up helping him after all. I also enjoyed Spidey's disgust at having to help Tombstone, but doing it because he doesn't want all the bystanders to get blown up.)

I'm looking forward to the next episode, introducing Dr. Octopus. I'm especially eager to find out how he goes from the meek, timid little fellow he's been so far to a fearsome super-villain (and I don't just mean the physical changes).

Thanks for another good one, Greg.

Greg Bishansky writes...

"Catalysts" marks the first real appearance of my favorite Spider-Man villain, the Green Goblin. So, needless to say, I've been anticipating this one for a long time, and it did not disappoint.

I loved the Green Goblin. Cheeks' design looked great, like an updated version of Ditko's design that took out all the hokey aspects of it. I love the Goblin, but even I'll admit that Ditko's design was always very hokey looking. Steve Blum just nailed that voice. His cackle was as good as Mark Hamill's Joker cackle.

I think I'll take this moment to compliment the casting and voice direction on this series. Jamie Thomason is a genius. He, along with Andrea Romano, are the two best voice directors in the business. I'm loving what I've been hearing. Vanessa Marshall was terrific as Mary Jane. Very sexy voice. And I've been a fan of Steve Blum since I first saw "Cowboy Bebop" six years ago. As soon as I heard him on that show as Spike, I knew he was going to go places. Unfortunately, most of the time it seems he gets hired just to do the Spike voice, and it's a great voice, don't get me wrong, but it's nice to see what else he can do. The man has range. His Goblin was excellent, and blows every other Goblin voice actor out of the water. It's like the voice I always had in my head when reading the comics without ever quite knowing what that voice was. I felt the same way about Robert Englund's Vulture, come to think of it. Okay, tangent over.

This version of the Green Goblin seems to have just about everything that I love about the character going for him. Smart, cunning, insane, ambitious, and more than a match for the spectacular Spider-Man. This is the first villain (aside from Tombstone) that really, really, really felt like a real threat. Which is as it should be. The Green Goblin is an A-List villain. Him, Doc Ock, Kingpin, Venom and the original Hobgoblin have always been the elite of Spidey's rogues gallery. So, it is great to finally, after all these years, see him being done justice in one of the cartoon series. The 90s series didn't do him justice. Neither did the 80s series or "The Amazing Friends". The movie came very close but didn't quite nail it. But, between Blum's Green Goblin and Alan Rachins' Norman Osborn, I think we have a winner here.

Tombstone was great last episode and I am really enjoying him in this episode. I no longer lament the lack of the Kingpin. Tombstone is just fun. I love how cool he is under pressure, and how he's able to get Spider-Man to protect him like that. I also thought it was great how instead of fleeing, he stayed and helped Spider-Man look for the bomb.

But where would I be if I didn't discuss Mary Jane? I already said that Vanessa Marshall sounds great, and I love Cheeks' character design for her. I've called this the first time Mary Jane has appeared outside the comic book medium. The 90s series had a character named Mary Jane Watson, but that wasn't Mary Jane Watson. The movies turned MJ into Gwen-Lite. But here she was smart, witty, funny, and someone you'd want to hang out with. I also suspect that she already knows Peter is Spider-Man. Poor Gwen. Hell, poor Flash... he's going to have to dress up like a cheerleader.

And poor Harry. Glory used him to get back at Kenny. Now he's drinking "Gobulin Green #994" (Nice "Gargoyles in-joke there, Greg.) Also, nice red herring. But no, I don't think he's the Green Goblin, if that is what they're trying to make us think. For one, how would he know about Tombstone being the Big Man? For another, how would he know about the Tech-Flight glider? Besides, after Hammerhead tried to blackmail Norman in the last episode, taking out Tombstone would probably be at the top of Norman's to-do list. If anything, Harry taking the formula looks like a great way to tell the Harry drug addiction story. Cool. Also, Norman was more than conspicuous in his absence... except that he wasn't really absent.

"Randy?"
"Very!"
How did that get past Standards and Practices??? Nice!

Looking forward to Dr. Octopus next week. Come to think of it, I am beyond amused that Doc Ock makes his villainous debut in the eighth episode of the series.

Avalon writes...

Just watched the Spider-man episode "Catalyst" where Spidey took on the Goblin. However, something seems amiss. I thought I'm caught up with all the episodes, but did I miss a storyline somewhere? How did Spiderman figure out (or at least it was insinuated in the episode) that Tombstone is the "Big-guy" or even know who Tombstone is? (anyway, I thought the "Big-guy" would have been the Kingpin, but guess I was wrong...)

Anonymous writes...

The Spectacular Spiderman is terrific Mr Weisman I hope it continuous to be a success. My question for you involves one of the characters particularly Liz Allen. I just want to know the reason for her ethnicity being changed from comics. Please don't take my question as a negative I'm just curious thank you.

Vasy writes...

As A sPiderman fan through the ages...

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE...
No show or movie has ever got it right with Venom...

He got the costume int he Secret Wars...which involves outer space and alot of Super heors and Villians

PLEASE DO IT THIS WAY

WOULD LOVE TO SEE OTHER MARVEL CHARACTERS IN THE SHOW.

THANKS

Anonymous writes...

I've been waiting with great anticipation for the Spidey cartoon since even before I attended the panel at last year's San Diego Comic Con. I never once feared that I would be disappointed, and I certainly have not been. Hats off to you and your crew for making the best animated incarnation of any Marvel Comics character I've ever seen. The show is fun, stylish, unforced, and very much in the spirit of the old Spidey comics. I actually get up at 9:00 am on Saturday mornings (when I'm not working) to watch a cartoon when I am not one who has much love for the idea of appointment television. So far, I've loved how you have handled every character, and I love how each episode is not simply a villain-of-the-week affair, but also further develops Pete's situation and even features the occasional surprise villain (that Tombstone appearance at the end of "The Invisible Hand" was fantastic). I love that we've seen Jean DeWolff and George Stacy without even having been told who they are yet. I just love a lot of stuff about this show. :)

I guess I do have a question, so forgive me for even MORE preamble: For some reason, I've always had a soft spot for Spidey's less popular, but strange and off-beat villains. I'm sure you've got plenty of stories to tell with the likes of the Goblins, Doc Ock, and other heavy-hitters, but are there any villains off the beaten path that you personally have lobbied to get included, or would like to at some point, even if it might require a big change in origin/design/etc? I'm thinking on the level of Man-Wolf, the Swarm, Stegron the Dinosaur Man, etc., just some villains that are a bit ridiculous but that still have their fans. I have nothing but confidence that you guys could put a cool new spin on guys like these and introduce them into the show in an organic and interesting way. And since I mentioned Man-Wolf: are we going to be seeing John Jameson at all in this show?

Again, apologies for my long-windedness, but this show has visions of sugar plums dancing in my head. :)

Anonymous writes...

Hello, Greg. How will "The Spectacular Spider-Man" show will be affected when Kids WB will be gone? Will the show still air at the same channel? Will the show continue normally?

webhead2006 writes...

Hello again Greg. I have a quick question i wanted to ask you. I was just watching the episode promo for ep 7 "Catalysts" and first off wanted to say goblin looks great in motion and i loved his signature goblin laught, the only thing i was wondering why did you make his regular talking voice sound like he is irish like the lucky charms elf?

Andrew writes...

Hi this question might have been asked before but...
Are there going to be any guest superhero appearances on The Spectacular Spider-man
I understand that it's probably too soon to tell it's only been 6 episodes
But are you planning any appearances for the future?
Thank you in advance...

SpaceWay2007 writes...

Hello, Greg. I enjoy this new series of "The Spectacular Spider-Man." It's very interesting and funny to watch. You wouldn't believe how much I enjoy and look forward to watching this show. It's one of the reason why I wake up early just to watch this show. Great voice acting, great animation, excellent character development, and spectacular storyline. Keep up the good work!
Now, for my question, how come all of a sudden "The Spectacular Spider-Man" shows every other Saturday? Whatever happened to showing new episodes consecutively? And sorry if this question have been asked already, but will there be 13 or 26 episodes for the first season. Thanks for you time.

Philip writes...

Hello Greg.

I'm a long time Spider-Man fan, ever since I was a kid. And when I learned that the man behind Gargoyles would make an animated Spider-Man series, well, I was damn happy. So far, the show really is 'spectacular'.

Now, for my question; when is "The Scorpion" going to appear on Spectacular Spider-Man? And will the character's origin be the same as in the comics? From what I understand, the series is suppose to resemble the Lee/Ditko era, so I'm rather shocked that ol' Scorpie haven't appeared already :P

Confused Fan [Shocker Question] writes...

So, Montana was the Shocker.
Does this mean that Montana is Herman Schultz? :S
I think Montanas real name has never been told even in the comics?

Sylvester writes...

Ever since I heard the man behind Gargoyles would be working on a Spider-Man animated show, I knew it would be the best yet. The icing on the cake was learning you were also an avid Spider-Man fan. You've done a really excellent job.

I've got to ask though, where is the super strength and spider-sense reflexes? I've seen plenty of web shooting, wall-crawling, agility and did I say web shooting? I just feel those two traits were lacking in the fights he had with Ox, Fancy Dan, and just recently, Tombstone. I'm all for the hero being challenged and all, but not as a result of his powers being watered down. Will we get to see just how strong someone who possesses the proportionate strength of a Spider can be in future episodes?

Thanks

WolfCypher writes...

Since it never hurts to ask, and if I cross any lines, all you have to do is ignore that question, I'm going to get presumptuous with some of my questions.

1) I gotta know...what will drive Eddie to hate Peter/Spidey to the point of wanting to kill him?

1.1) Okay, that may be too much, so maybe I'll ask if Eddie's hatred will be towards only Peter, or Spider-Man, too...

1.2) Okay, okay, at least can you reveal by what episode will we see their brotherly bond breakdown and Eddie's dark side come out?

2) Will the opening feature the same animation in later seasons, or will the animation change, such as featuring season 2 characters in the opening?

3) Have there been any Gargoyle referrences in this show? Besides Max getting electrocuted by the eels in "Interactions"?

Well, it was an honor wasting your time with these nerdy questions. Seriously, big fan of Gargoyles, and I love your handling of 'Spec SM'!

Webhead2006 writes...

Hey Greg, first off i wanted to say i love the spidey show. Personally i think its the best out of all the past shows, i loved the early 90s one when i was a kid growing up with it. But now i see all the flaws it had back then and all that. So far SSM is great love the characters, the story, and the action all top notch. I wish you the best of luck with the show and i heard your podcast with spiderman crawlspace and i would love to see the show make it to 65 episodes or more and then also would love to see some direct to dvd films which would be great. I just had one question i was wondering if you can give me the answer to and here it is: Are you planning to have any other villains/supporting characters be mergered between two different characters like you did with shocker/montana? I was really just wondering because its something i wouldnt want to see happen alot/ to certain characters. Thanks again for any answer you may give me. Also P.S Could we expect any twists with foswell and the big man identity or is big man just going to be tombstone's alias.

Alex writes...

Hi Greg!

I just wanted to know when is each arc of The Spectacular Spider-Man supposed to be released on DVD?

Thanks Greg! :)

Kenneth Chisholm writes...

How much of Anton Sevarious was inspired by the Nazi scientist, Josef Mengele?

Todd Jensen writes...

I enjoyed the latest episode of "The Spectacular Spider-Man" this morning.

Rhino, despite being not all that bright, still proved himself a challenging adversary; points to Spidey for figuring out a clever way of finally taking him down.

The meeting with the Big Man/Tombstone was also a great scene. Not only is Tombstone himself tough, but he's even able to convince the police that Spidey's the bad guy, adding to his menace even more than sheer physical prowess can do. I also liked Spidey's comment that he's not looking the other way again (I assume that's another reference to the same incident as, in the first episode, "...the way I lost Uncle Ben").

Another touch I liked: Norman Osborn making a profit out of incarcerating the super-villains as well as making them, and his altercation with Hammerhead (which Harry overhears - I look forward to seeing how that develops). And it seems that Dr. Octavius is going to be in trouble soon.

And Peter's personal life (Aunt May, Betty Brant, and the introduction of Mary Jane) was well-handled too. Fine work on another fine episode.

Greg Bishansky writes...

Okay, first off... I never thought I would ever enjoy a Rhino episode that much. Rhino is a bug, dumb thug and those are usually not my favorite villains. Far from it. But this had to be the best fight scene they've done yet, even topping the Lizard subway battle. I loved how Spidey used his brain to defeat the Rhino. Steam, that clever.

While I'm on the subject of the Rhino, props to Clancy Brown. He's always been one of my favorite voice actors, whether he's playing Hakon, Wolf, Lex Luthor, Gorrath, or whoever. The man is very talented, and brought a real sense of menace to that Big Dumb Thug.

Big Man's identity was a surprise, but honestly, I am not entirely convinced. First off, Tombstone is a badass. But my eyebrow raised as soon as I heard Osborn refer to him as "Mr. Lincoln." This is not me being a comic book purist, far from it. If it is him, I'll be very happy with the decision. While it was fun in the 60s, a journalist leading a double life as a crime lord just doesn't seem like it would fly today. Why would a crime lord need that cover? That's what money and lawyers are for. But Foswell certainly seemed to know a lot about the Big Man... curious. I am expecting another twist here. But the Spidey/Tombstone scene was terrific, and damn, this series is beginning to get epic.

Norman Osborn is being paid to manufacture supervillains as well as imprison them. He's got quite the racket going on there. Good for him. But now that Hammerhead is threatening him, well... Norman obviously won't take that lying down, which makes a great lead in for the next episode, considering who the villain there is supposed to be.

Now, let's swing back to Peter's personal life.

Aunt May is an evil mastermind. So very manipulative. I loved it. Though I will admit, even knowing who was coming, I was kinda rooting for Peter and Betty. But, that all faded as soon as Peter opened the front door and who do we see? Mary Jane Watson, and we get that famous line... "face it tiger, you just hit the jackpot." As a long time fan, this pleased me. I am definitely in the camp that agrees that Mary Jane is Peter's one true love, but even there it annoys me how in most modern re-tellings, Mary Jane has been Peter's "It Girl" since they were toddlers. The movies did it, "Ultimate Spider-Man" did it, and it's refreshing to see the classic version here on screen.

It does make me wonder if Mary Jane fought with her Aunt Anna about meeting Peter Parker. "Their aunts are setting them up, this can't be good." Then again, in the comics, she knew Peter was Spider-Man before they ever met... she saw Spider-Man crawl out of Peter's window the night Uncle Ben died. Should be interesting to see if "Spectacular Spider-Man" follows this story or not.

I eagerly anticipate seeing Flash Thompson dressed as a cheerleader. BTW, Josh LeBarr as Flash cracks me up.

Aldrius writes...

Ramble on episode 6. (I'll be back with 5 soon)

That "Mr. Lincoln" was kind of a blatant drop. I guess it's to prove he's NOT one of the more popular spider-man characters?

Are these three thugs the... uh... there are no spider-man villains left that I can think of... I guess that must mean next week we're getting a biggie or an encore.

That Peter Parker is persistent.

And now his aunt is showing up to have coffee with her. Peter and Betty are moving so fast.

"She's 20 and hot". That line made me laugh.

And the Rhino is looking for Peter Parker. He really should use an alias for taking those photos, it's kind of an invitation for supervillains to go looking for him.

Now here will be the test if Jonah is actually a good man 'Dante's 9th circle' deep. Or if he's just a big mouth who's willing to do anything for money/his own life. I'm kinda hoping and betting he'll cover for Peter.

And I'm right. That's encouraging.

The Rhino sure is durable in this show. Peter can't even dent him. Makes for a good 'how's he gonna beat this guy' moment. But I think that's because the show has established a rather cool trend of having an interesting way for Peter to beat the bad guy.

I wonder what Peter's gonna do with the Rhino out in the open... furthermore, where is he gonna find an open unpopulated place from the middle of Manhattan? Central Park? I don't know New York's geography very well.

Ah, of course. BENEATH New York. That's a good explanation. And sweating him out of that suit was a cool idea.

Ouch, Peter Parker is a jerk... and apparently he gets off on pretending to be Rhino's mother. That's... interesting...

Aha, so the Big Man is Tombstone. That's really cool too. And now he's bribing Peter. I kinda hope he accepts, just because that'd be really interesting in the long run. I have a feeling he'll end up accepting down the road at least. Maybe when the cops start putting the pressure on him every time he shows up.

What's with Harry's smirk? Is he just happy he's popular, or did he hear something while Norman and Hammerhead were talking?

And now we get Mary Jane. I saw that "Face it Tiger" coming from a ways away. But I'm sure I wasn't the only one. Mary Jane strikes me as coming a little too soon, I was hoping to develop the relationship between him and some of the other 'girlfriends' he's had before that, but just because she's here doesn't mean that can't happen. I have no idea if Mary Jane had been introduced after Gwen had died... I'm assuming she had been.

This was a good episode. I figured it was going to be more of a filler episode rather than anything major, but I learned not to listen to that assumption. Another good one, though I hate it because it was over too soon. :p

When you got the order for more episodes, were you able to re-organize your plans so the finale could be moved, or are we going to get a mid-season-esque "Avalon" soon?

Greg Bishansky writes...

Since you're doing Spider-Man and obviously have gone back and studied the mythos intimately while prepping to do the series, I've been meaning to ask. Which writer's run on Spider-Man has been your favorite?

In my case, I'm a big fan of Roger Stern's run on the character, especially his Hobgoblin stories.

Aldrius writes...

And here's my ramble on number 4 and number 5 of le spider-man de spectaculare.

I've never really cared for the Shocker, so I had no real investment in his past identity, and his change affects me naught. I think it's cool that we saw like 5 pre-super villains in the first episode and only now are we starting to see them get their super powers.

Still like the theme song. Though I think I might get sick of it eventually. It's kind of repetitive. I love how in an animated show, it's always the characters that are credited, rather than the actors. It's kind of amusing.

Hmm... does Aunt May have a job? I guess she must be running off of Ben's life insurance or maybe she has her own retirement fund...

And 'ms. wonderful personality'. Teenage boys with super powers are so shallow. I mean he hasn't even gotten a look at her and already he's decided she's not worth his time. For shame, Peter, for shame.

I can never hear what Peter says when he's starts web slinging there... maybe I don't want to know...

Hmm... I'm not sure if I like Eddie. I think that's the first time I've ever heard the word 'emo' used in a cartoon anyway.

Team Weissman is sure keeping up with modern lingo.

I wonder if the slang will make any sense in 50 years...

Ah, Kevin Michael Richardson. I liked him as Gantu in Lilo and Stitch (the movie anyway) but he's never really stood out to me otherwise, always had an interesting, cool voice at least.

That Norman sure is a creep. Even when he's a nice guy he's still a creep. Kinda like Malcolm McDowell. Even when he's playing a good guy he's still creepy beyond reason.

And through that whole speech of Norman's, Harry is standing right there. Nice job, Norman.

Harry doesn't bother me in this episode as much as he did in the first episode. I think it's because he has more dialogue, and it allows for more emotional range. Rather than him just being the nerdy buddy. I still kinda hope he evolves into somebody who's a bit more... smooth... and less uh... nerdy. But from the looks of the next episode, that's a strong possibility.

That Harry sure is emotionally dependent on Peter... I guess it's fitting, Peter always has been pretty self-absorbed... or maybe that's not exactly the right word.

Ah, JK Simmons, where does your influence end? First Spider-man, then The Simpsons, now Spider-man... er... wait.

Ah, and now we meet Peter girlfriend number 2. Nice to see we're seeing some Spider-man girlfriends other than Mary Jane. It's more realistic. Outside of Harry Potter, it's extremely rare that someone marries their first girlfriend...

Shockers tough in this show... I bet all the hardcore fanboys are complaining about how he's not a loser.

Jeff Bennett sure likes his accents. I was surprised to hear him playing a serious villain in an older video game I played recently. Jennifer Hale was in that too, co-incidentially, and she played the Black Cat in the 90's show. Not sure if she ever played anyone in Gargoyles... wouldn't surprise me if she had, but I'm pretty sure she didn't.

Why do these villains always turn into jerks whenever they get super powers?

All joking aside on that matter, though, the theme of spider-man, and the theme of this show is really evident. Integrity, responsibility.

I like Robby, furthermore I like Phil LaMarr. So the two together should result in lots of... liking.

Hmm... even the camera salesmen in New York are irresponsible!

Aunt May is so easy at being a jerk when she's not trying to be.

And Flash is really annoying me. But as with everyone, I'm sure he'll develop down the line.

Peter is barking up the wrong tree I think. Asking an adult woman to your high school prom is just bound for disaster. Did he really expect her to say yes?

The way villains send messages to the heroes in these shows is just ridiculous. I mean I suppose Spider-man could just trail the tremors on his own, but Shocker is really counting on a lot.

Silly expositional dialogue. Rather straight-forward way to assess the villain's motivation, but I suppose it's fairly insightful, and it brings up that old responsibility angle. Even the Shocker is involved in that!

It's interesting the different ways the shocker can use his powers here. And more punny dialogue from Spidey. It's all very exciting and fun.

And more responsibility, with Norman this time. Though he is right. Don't blame other people for your problems.

Super-mercenary field? Is that a real field of business these days?

Kevin Michael Richardson is a good replacement for Keith David, I think. He sounds a lot like him, and while he lacks the resonance, he's got the edge.

I thought Peter got a new camera...

Hmm... that's interesting, Peter said almost the exact same line that Shocker did, when he was talking about responsibility. More of that mirror stuff, huh?

...and come to think of it, I'll write my ramble on episode 5 a little later.

Pretty good show this time around, not a huge amount of development, but more setting of the stage. A lot of necessary exposition and necessary introduction of characters, I must say, with this and a few other shows not out on the market, there's more than enough to keep my cartoon fandom happy this season.

Todd Jensen writes...

Do you think that adapting a familiar comic-book figure from the medium of comic books to the television screen (as you're currently doing with "The Spectacular Spider-Man") is much like adapting a familiar legendary figure (such as King Arthur or Theseus) to a modern work of fiction (except, of course, that Arthur and Theseus have been around a lot longer than Spidey has)?

Matt writes...

Hey Greg, just thought I'd say you are doing are great job with the new Spider-Man show. I'm sure you get that alot, but just felt like thanking you for bringing a version of Spider-Man that feels true to the comics. Sure you've put your own spin on a few things but it still has the feel of classic Stan Lee/ Ditko era. Being a longtime Spider-man and Gargoyles fan I was thrilled when I heard you would be heading this new show. Oh and FYI "616" refers to the main Marvel universe, as opposed to the Ultimate universe. I believe it was Alan Moore who coined the term that the main Marvel universe, instead of being universe 1 or universe 2 as seen in DC, would be some random universe so he had it assigned universe 616. Anyways thanks again for making Spectacular Spider-Man truly Spectacular.

Algernon writes...

Finally got to see the latest episode of Spectacular Spider-Man so here are my semi organised thoughts...

S
P
O
I
L
E
R
S

A
H
O
Y

COMPETITION
Funny thing about me, as much as I like to see superheroes struggling with real life problems, I could never really stand the kind of Dawson Creek High School Drama that so many shows featuring teen superheroes seem hell-bent on ramming down our throats. It's one of the main reasons never really got into X-Men: Evolution and probably why despite seeing a couple of episodes of Smallville and thinking it was kinda okay, I could never maintain any prolonged interest in it. Even Batman Beyond which I did enjoy down to the ground left me kinda cold when they focused to much on that side of Terry's life (beside wasn't grouchy old man Bruce the real star of that show?)

So it has come as pleasant surprise to me to find that I'm greatly enjoying the Midtown centric subplots particularly in how they tend to parallel Pete's adventures as Spidey. It just validates my own belief that weather a character is fifteen or fifty, single or married doesn't mean a damn thing if he doesn't have a quality writer backing him up, but that's a rant for another day.

It seems Harry has taken his dad's advice to heart. Now that he's one of the in-crowd I suspect that he may start drifting away from Peter and Gwen. It's also neat to see said in-crowd being injected with a little much needed depth via Kong and Gloria.

You know for such a science wizz, Pete isn't the most observant guy. Poor Gwen is practically throwing herself at the dumb git and he barley realises she's there, funny, funny stuff.

Moving on to the darker end of the Spidey-spectrum we see a lot going on with the rogues' gallery. Sandman is comes across quite nicely here played with great panache by John "bite my shiny metal ass" DiMaggio. The animation on Sandman's transformations is both fluid and creative; I especially liked him morphing his whole body into one giant fist. Speaking of which; the Spider-Man vs. Sandman battle's were pretty brutal weren't they? (At least by the standards of a Saturday morning cartoon). I don't think I've seen such cringe inducing action in a mainstream superhero cartoon outside of Bruce Timm's DCAU. Not that I'm complaining mind you, after the weak pallid affairs that the 90's Spidey-toon euphemistically termed "fight scenes" its a welcome change of pace.

Norman is of course in top form, exuding an almost reptilian calm and utter callousness; it's going to be interesting watching him make the leap to cackling madman. Walloping websnappers, is that Emily Osborn? It's a pretty radical departure from Spider-lore but I have faith that you wouldn't have made such a drastic change unless you were going somewhere cool with it.

The Big Man has apparently been reading the Super-Villain Handbook as revised by David Xanatos. Using super powered thugs to keep Spidey distracted from his real operations is just the kinda scheme to make old Mr. X proud. Also we get our first real taste of Dr. Otto Octavius. This timid and rather meek portrayal is certainly a far cry from the egomaniacal mad scientist we all know and love.

Last we come to the little people, those seemingly inconsequential bit players whose 'blink and you'll miss it' screen time belies their hidden potential. One of the many joys of this series for me as a Spidey-fan is wondering which obscure figure of spider-lore you're going to sneak in this week. It's fast getting to the point where I'm going to have to start freeze framing crowd scenes just to see if that tiny blob in the bottom left hand corner is supposed to be Cletus Cassidy (though frankly, a two second walk on cameo is probably more then he deserves). This episode marks the low key debut of Hobie Brown and judging from what I've heard about the rest of the season we're going to see a lot more of him in the not to distant future.

There are also a couple of nice moments from Tom Wilson's Stan Carter, did anyone else pick up a hint of barely concealed frustration and contempt as he was forced to let Marko and O'Hirn go. Also Carter's comments later in the episode seem to mark him as a Spidey sympathiser, which will be interesting down the road.

This was yet another solid episode that builds on what came before while laying the groundwork for future stories. I can't wait till this comes out on DVD in the form of a season one box set so I can see the grand tapestry as a whole.

P.S. Was Osborn's female Chauffeur a supposed to be an homage the Mercy Graves from Superman TAS?

Jesse Betteridge writes...

Hey Greg,

I'm a huge fan of Spectacular Spider-Man so far, and I have to admit am a bit concerned about the show's future after the demise of Kids WB. I know there are a lot of options for where the series may move to and a lot of factors determining what decision is made. However, given that there has been some confusion about the HD broadcast status of the show through KidsWB, I thought it might be appropriate to ask if that may be a determining factor of where the show goes? As far as I know, Cartoon Network is the only option that will offer a feed that will guarantee an HD broadcast for the series, so that may be the ideal option.

Also in regards to the series' longevity: I know you want to keep Spidey in high school for 65 episodes (ie: what will likely be the show's full run), but is there any chance that we may see some sort of college-based continuation of the series, should it continue to remain successful?

The One Known As Mochi writes...

Wow... So many people have posted questions and comments for you. By the time you get around to my post I'll probably have Gargoyles #8 and the trade paperback (I hope...). Normally, I would have a question for you, but it seems I found the answer in the archives. The question I would've asked was in regards to the episode 'High Noon'. I wondered how Macbeth wasn't being knocked around when Demona (in human form) and Elisa were fighting. Someone had already asked and you responded, so I don't have to worry about that.

What I really wanted to do is comment on Spidey. I've managed to watch all the episodes so far and I have to say it's very well done! I seem to think that there's an intensity present that doesn't let up when it comes to the story and the action taking place. Spidey's quips reminded me of the cartoon from the 90s, though I only vaguely remember watching it at the time (I was preoccupied with a lot of other cartoons...even Gargoyles ;) ). I really like the character designs and the animation is very fluid. Overall, I can tell this Spidey series is going very far and I can't wait to see what you and Victor Cook have planned for all the characters.

I have to admit it's been a long time since I've had to wake up early to watch a Saturday morning cartoon that's this good.

Thank you for such awesome work on Spidey and keeping Gargoyles alive!

Jeff writes...

Hey Greg!
Huge Spider-Man fan here! The episodes keep getting better and better. Any clues as to when the Big MJ reveal will be? In April? I am dying to get this series on DVD! The Sandman episode remains my favorite(so far) but I think I change my mind every Saturday. It had the right amount of crazy battle scenes and down to earth drama. Im not sure if you know this but will the series run through the summer or will they split up the season? In any event, I will be an avid watcher. One more SM question, Any plans for Pete to reveal his identity to anyone? I doubt you'll answer that, but I think it is what makes Ultimate Spider-man so fresh. (Not that I should compare the two, they are seperate but equal as far as Im concerned.) It would be so much easier for Pete to say "dont hate me Gwen/Liz/Harry/Connors/Brock...Im Spider-Man!" Which is the tragic situation and does make it interesting, I cant wait to see where the show goes and Im counting down til next week(6 days!)
I also read your comics, they are great stuff. I missed the cartoon because I havent had Toon Disney until recently(And they show Gargoyles at crazy times) but I am familiar with the story. However, I have never felt confused reading the comics, the characters have been captivating, regardless of their history. Keep up the great work!

Todd Jensen writes...

A few comments on the new Spectacular Spider-Man episode.

I enjoyed this one as well. Parts that especially stood out to me:

Norman Osborn's response to Marko's initial being turned into sand: "We sweep up and try again."
The remark that Marko doesn't need to defeat Spider-Man; he only needs to keep him distracted (very reminiscent of the antagonist strategies in "Gargoyles").
Marko's "Doh!" moment upon realizing that he forgot to take the bank money he just stole with him.
Marko trying to conceal his ignorance about the Big Man.

Dr. Octopus seems Caspar Milquetoastish at the moment; more so than I'd expected (though I don't know that much about him). I look forward to seeing if that changes.

Thanks for another enjoyable episode, Greg.

Greg Bishansky writes...

Competition

Another sweet episode.

Sandman has never been a favorite of mine, but I enjoyed him here. His transformation sequence was great, and I loved Norman's callous attitude... "we sweep up." Hmm, they were trying to add "silicon armor" to him at first, makes me wonder if they meant for him to be like the Rhino.

Harry seems to be moving into the popular crowd, which is good. To all those who complained about him being too dorky, Greg knows what he's doing.

Speaking of the Osborns, is that Emily Osborn I see? Interesting.

Pete, you're a moron. Gwen digs you. Go for it!

And Hobey Brown... awesome! Wonder if we'll see him doing some prowling in the future.

Good episode, not as good as last week's. But still good.

Antiyonder writes...

My first attempt at reviewing The Spectacular Spider-Man (I ask that you don't have any banana creme pies in the room while reading).

Overall, the designs really don't bother me, given that I got use to ones from Teen Titans and Legion Of Super Heroes. Plus as has been said, the designs complement the movement well.

While I enjoy the classic Lee/Ditko run I have to say you've done well to evoke the feeling without it being like a formula. Not to mention that like Gargoyles it is a nice blending of serious storylines and lighthearted moments. Just a few questions and comment for the moment.

1. You mentioned drawing story elements from various continuums rather than just using the version of the character that was introduced in 1962. Are you also using elements from the other Spidey shows (The ones that you've seen of course, cause you mentioned not seeing the MTV series) and movies in your stories?

2. Just a confirmation. Spider-Man's line to the Lizard in Natural Selection "Can you say halitosis? (Lizard growls) I knew that you could." is a reference to Xanatos' line on Hunter's Moon Part 1 isn't it? I think so but several people think it's a common line.

3. Speaking of Gargoyles/Spider-Man, despite the differences between parenting methods brought up I kind of see this Norman to be a cross between Xanatos (reaction to being in danger) and Willaim Dafoe's (praising Peter, lecture/berating Harry) take on Osborn. Would you agree with this?

Keep up the great work.