Canus Shamus writes...

It's great watching how the episodes in "Spider-Man" build off one another and create one coherent storyline. I especially liked Peter's line in the Sinister Six ep about Lizard and Goblin being absent, as it lets us know that what we've seen so far has been the complete story; and I was positively geeking out when I heard the voice of "Gargoyles" alum Ed Asner as Uncle Ben. I can hardly wait for the Venom-based season finale. Now, a moment of your time for a few questions:

1. You said in an earlier post that the reason Kingpin wasn't used as the Big Man was because you "didn't have the rights to the character." What?! Marvel owns both characters, how could you not have the rights? (Don't get me wrong: I've always hated the Kingpin character, and I think Tombstone is a much better choice. I'm just curious about what prompted the change.)

2. As Electro left the asylum, he referred to his therapist as 'Dr. Kafka'. Now, even though I've been a Spider-Fan my whole life, I came to the comics themselves relatively late. As a result, I remember that Venom's therapist/love-interest from the 90s series was also Dr. Kafka, but I've never seen her show up in the comics. So: comic book reference that I missed, or sly nod to one of Spidey's earlier incarnations?

Thanks again for your time and for the great show!

Greg Bishansky writes...

Intervention
Okay, first off, if Pete is going to get that ruthless under the influence of the symbiote, I'm glad they built up to it slowly and subtly. Far better than the 90s series, which turned him into a monster within a single day, and the less said about symbiote Peter's depiction in "Spider-Man 3" the better. I especially like how my expectations were completely played. I expected Peter to punch out Flash, to do something nasty to Sally. To beat the snot out of Tombstone. But, nope, the people he's cruel to are his friends. Speaking of Tombstone, I am looking forward to the consequences of Spidey's deal with him. Spidey realizing he's saying "we" instead of "I" was well done, and it's nice to see the now, iconic cathedral scene. Hmm, Saint Damien's Cathedral, Greg? ;)

Flash Thompson was the voice of reason. Wow. I really liked that, it makes Flash a strong character and not just a stereotypical jock/bully. He dislikes Peter because he thinks Peter is an elitist jerk. Under the symbiote's influence, Peter proved him right. Now,

Flashback time. Okay, I'm sure some people won't like it, but I'm enjoying the black and white. But the most pleasant surprise is Ed Asner as Uncle Ben. That's perfect casting, and I'm glad that was kept under wraps. Really enjoyed it. This was also a great way to present the origin, a nice combination of the original comic book origin, and the movie's origin.

Uncle Ben as Peter's conscience, and the symbiote as the devil on his shoulder. I like it. Lots of flashbacks, almost like a clip show, and yet it wasn't. I know some people aren't into that sort of thing, but I loved this episode. It wasn't just an origin, it was a character study. A very solid character study.

Fanboy moment, I loved the homage to the cover of "Amazing Spider-Man #100"

Finally, Eddie Brock becomes Venom. Allow me, if you will, my own tangent here. I never liked Venom and mostly because of Eddie Brock. This is a character who has never been done well in any prior incarnation, even the original comic books. He was poorly conceived, poorly written, poorly characterized... and became a super star character. He's the Michael Bay of comic book villains. After he first appeared, everyone it seems, tried to create over the top muscle bound villains with no depth who could kick the hero's asses worse than any of their pre-established nemesis. For Batman it was Bane; for Superman it was Doomsday... when those stories would better be told with pre-established villains like the Joker, Ra's al Ghul, Lex Luthor or Darkseid. I could go further, but there are entire essays on this. Personally, I think Venom is the poster child for everything that was wrong with comic books in the 90s, from the lack of creativity to the internal politics.

Now, all that being said, I liked this. It was definitely the best origin for Venom I have ever seen, and while that may not be saying much, I really did enjoy it. The symbiote itself was very well depicted. While I had misgivings about Eddie's behavior last week, he made a lot more sense today. He lost his job, his education, his future. Not to say he's absolved of responsibility. If he didn't let his hatred for Peter get in the way, he could have made the best of it, found another job and really worked for it. There are people out there who scrub toilets to pay for their educations. But then, when everything seemed okay, and the symbiote wasn't dead, Eddie released it and bonded with it. So, in the end, Eddie really screwed himself over. But it was done well, certainly better than the Sin Eater retcon in the original comic books. I have never been a fan of Venom, but I have accepted a while back that he's here to stay. The Green Goblin; Dr. Octopus and Venom... the unholy trinity.

Brilliant script, Greg. Brilliant episode. I am looking forward to next week's. Make me a fan of Venom.

avalon1178 writes...

Greg Weisman you are a GENIUS!!!! The Intervention episode, the one where SpiderMan had a flashback moment while he was under the influence of the alien is probably the best rendition of this storyline I have ever seen!!!! Great work! The storyline, animation....all I can say is superb! That episode is not going away from my DVR list that's for sure!

Aldrius writes...

Review of Spectacular Spider-man Episode 12 :"Intervention"

I loved this episode. Hated Eddie. Loved this episode. And what made me love this episode instead of just liking it? Ed Asner, Jim Cummings, and Robert Constanza. Three of my favourite voice talents of all time. Even if Jim just had a bit part.

I love the fact that Spidey took up Tombstone's offer. It took the influence of an evil black suit, but he still went through with it, and I'm eagerly awaiting the consequences. I love the fact that Eddie so obviously went to see Aunt May in the hospital JUST to piss Peter off, rather than out of any genuine care for Aunt May. I loved Mary Jane in this episode, despite not being a big fan of Mary Jane in general, she's assertive, she's the queen bee of sorts. Same goes for Gwen, the two characters are really coming into their own rather than just being the 'girlfriend' and the 'wet blanket who worries a lot'.

I loved Flash in this episode, he's certainly come a long way from the stereotypical jock he was in episode 1. He's actually *gasp* put some thought into why he harasses Peter. It's not JUST because he's 'smart' or a 'nerd' or because he doesn't value the same things but because he thinks he's got a weak character. Maybe Flash believes in Nietzsche's teaching of 'whatever doesn't kill him makes him stronger'? And if Sally feels sorry for you, you know you've got problems.

Again, loved Ed Asner, loved Costanza and Cummings. Loved the whole flashback really, blatant ripping off of the movie aside. The symbiote seems to be a villain in itself here.

Nothing much more to say, but the flashback of Spider-man saving all those people was really touching. Such a simple thing, pointing out how many times Peter's pulled someone out of the fire, was really effective, and showing all the people in Peter's life that he's touched and enjoyed the company of. (Of course, Black Cat and Norman aren't quite the buddies he thinks they are, but everyone knows that.) And it really shows how strong Peter's supporting cast is. (Even shows him saving Eddie)

Which brings me to my points on Eddie. He's being a numbskull. I can't get behind his motivation to want to destroy Spider-man and Peter at all. Now obviously he's allowed to be a jerk, he's a character, but that doesn't mean I have to enjoy or understand it. If he took 3 seconds to THINK instead of feel, then he'd realize that all of his reasons for hating Peter are completely ridiculous. Now HE'S the one who's stolen the symbiote. Now he's costing himself his OWN job.

To interject something for a second, I love Mrs. Connors in this show too. That's just dawning on me. She's the businessmind behind the scientific brilliance. She owes Peter nothing, she owes Gwen nothing (speaking of which, is Gwen still working there? I guess not.), she owes Eddie nothing, she's just their employer.

Spider-man's saved Eddie and others a bunch of times (of course the symbiote didn't show him that), and because he destroyed an obviously dangerous symbiote, Eddie hates him for it. Of course, it's kinda Spider-man's fault for not EXPLAINING why he was going to ruin Eddie's chances at an education and a job (did he even LOOK for another job, though?) But still, none of the flashbacks of Peter being a 'bad guy' did it for me either. Oh well, everything else was fantastic, so I can hardly fault it for that, despite being a critical moment.

There's still time for all of this to make sense to me, though. Maybe Eddie will have an epiphany in the next episode and actually come to his senses. I'll just have to wait and see.

Donald writes...

can you give me the lyrics to the new spiderman cartoon? i was skeptical if i was gonna like it but i love the theme song, it's perfect!!

Antiyonder writes...

My third review round:

Episode 7- Catalysts
- Everyone's reaction to Peter's date, priceless. Especially since we get a mention of his bet with Flash.
- Though I feel bad for Gwen, good to see that she got a smile after seeing MJ with Flash in Peter's absence.
- Like everyone else, I'm certainly not a fan of Sally.
- Leaving Mary Jane to help Tombstone. I'd say this is my favorite example of The Parker Luck. Good thing that MJ takes Peter's departure well, and that he gets the last dance.
- Too bad that Harry was dumped, but at least Flash and the gang got a bit of karma. Don't dump the guy with the limo indeed.

Episode 8- Reaction
- I'm always a sucker for romantic moments, and that scene with Spidey saving the guy and gal satisfied that feeling.
- Given that the early comics are the basis for the series, I wasn't really surprised that Pete and MJ weren't in a serious relationship. Though a good number of viewers thought otherwise. Makes sense considering that we all relate to Spidey in our own way.
- Though Ock's personality change did seem fast, it still feels natural.
- Was waiting for Liz to warm up to Peter since her expression around the end of episode 2. Their date didn't disappoint.
- Can't really see the Goblin being anyone else, especially with Norman's smirk at the end.

Episode 9- The Uncertainty Principle
- I thought that the 90s Series did well in humanizing Jameson, but this as well as episode 7 and 11 do a better job. Plus, it helps to have a definitive reason for him to be labeling Spider-Man as a menace.
- I can't see how anyone believes Gwen to be a copy of Debra Whitman, considering that her stare can be intimidating to Peter.
- Peter's Halloween costume choice, gave me yet another Amazing Friends flashback.
- Favorite Line #1 (Liz): You can web me up anytime, Petey.
- Flash Thompson as a cheerleader. Much more frightening than any Halloween creature could ever be.
- Favorite Line #2 (Spider-Man): Trap. (Tombstone): Trap.
- So, Harry is the Goblin. Or is he?

Arthur Jr. writes...

Hey Greg, to follow up on someone's Montana/Shocker comment, Montana's real name is Jackson W. Brice. What is your reason for Montana becoming Shocker rather than using Herman Schultz.

Aldrius writes...

I was gonna post my ramble on the last three episodes of Spectacular Spider-man, but I get the feeling that the irreverent style in which I do them is mis-interpreted and not appreciated (not to sound like I'm 'bitching', mind you). So I might as well just write up ye olde fashioned review.

The Uncertainty Principle was a fantastic episode. Right from the opening scene with Green Goblin smashing into Hammerhead's car. I liked that completely incidental driver and her silenced gun. She was awesome. Which Spider-man character from the comics is she and (due to this being a non-wasteful Weissman series) when will be seeing more of her? Just kidding.

Though given the way the series is going, I wouldn't be surprised if the answer to both questions is 'yes'. But to move on, I really liked the dynamic between Tombstone and Spider-man in this episode. It's like Spider-man's got his own 6 foot tall walking slab of concrete of an amoral businessman for a side-kick. Tombstone has his own agenda, and Spider-man is part of that, but then Spider-man has his own agenda as well, and Tombstone can be part of that too, even though Spider-man is too naive to realize it. But maybe manipulating the Big Man's criminal empire is too much power and too much responsibility for the webhead.

But not too much for the goblin, of course. And what a goblin we have here. He didn't strike me as anything too special in Catalysts or Reaction (not to say he was bad). But here he was a beast. I loved the fight scenes in this episode, just to compliment you for one second, I think these are a vast improvement over any of the fight scenes in Gargoyles, and what little I've seen of Witch. There was some real energy to them, and the words meshed perfectly with the action.

Anyway, as I said, I loved the Goblin in this episode. He was both hilarious and dangerous, reminiscent of Batman: The Animated Series' Joker or Reboot's Hexadecimal. Even some very simple straightforward dialogue is brought to life by Steve Blum. (I love the part where he just expositioned who

And I of course, like everyone else, have my own theories and thoughts about the Green Goblin's identity. I think it's Norman who set Harry up to take the fall back at the mansion, but I would not be entirely surprised if it actually is Harry. Gotta keep an open mind when it comes to these things.

Then there was Persona. Another GREAT episode. If the Goblin is my favourite villain (regardless of who's behind the mask), then Black Cat is my favourite 'love interest' for Spider-man. I thought the actress did a fantastic job being sultry and dangerous. But still tough and resourceful.

I liked the Chameleon too, and the dynamic between the Black Cat and the Chameleon even though they don't have a single scene together. They're both 'using' spider-man to get what they want. Chameleon is using his identity as a cover and for some reason he's trying to incriminate him. I'm not going to pretend I understood why they were smearing Spider-man's reputation. I guess maybe, like the big man, he wanted him distracted while he pulled off his master crimes.

The quinten beck and the other guy cameos were fun too, and fitted well with the Chameleon's 'stage-esque' personality. It's all just smoke and mirrors, and the old school use of that was really fun.

I'm not a big fan of the movie-type black suit. I think the older one is a lot sleeker and looks much better on spider-man, but I liked his design regardless. You can barely see the lines, and I didn't notice any change, but apparently there was some in the latest episode.

Which brings me to just that. Group Therapy. This one was like two episode in one for me. One I loved, and one I almost couldn't stand. I loved the dynamic of the sinister six. They all had their goals, and they were all clear. But Doctor Octapus (who I found rather unmotivated in his original episode) made for a commanding and powerful presence to unite them against the spider-man. Though I'm still not sure I know WHY he's after spider-man. Though I do think the dynamic of the man who desperately wants to be noticed and lavished with attention (octapus) vs. the man who just wanted to disappear (octavius)is very clear, and maybe he just snapped. Still a great character and I love Peter McNichol.

Having said that, all the other villains' motivations were very clear. Shocker feels a sense of responsibility to the Big Man, and wants to deal wih Spider-man for him, electro wants to be normal, and sees Doctor Octapus as a way to do that, plus he just doesn't like Spider-man. Rhino is an animal, and he wants revenge, wants to prove how tough he is. Sandman just wants money, doesn't really care about Spider-man. And Vulture wants to go after Osbourn. Like Octapus, he kinda just wants to be noticed and recognized I think.

Actually, in that regard Octapus and Vulture are very similar. They care a great deal about etiquette, about manners and recognition. They're like two scientists who wanted to get the noble peace prize (and deserved it) but were denied it.

Also want to comment on how fun it was seeing all six villains get equal screentime. The villains you chose allowed for a lot of 'doubling up' (with the shocker and electro both blasting Spider-man at the same time, stuff like that) and I'm glad Octapus got the final confrontation with him, being the lead bad guy and all that.

There were two lines I found rather strange in this episode. One was 'Lizard and Goblin have knick's tickets'. Considering the Lizard was his ex-boss (maybe Peter does capatalize off of the Conners' pain with jokes!), and the Goblin was his crazy best friend, that seemed in rather poor taste, but it was still funny so that made up for it for me anyway.

The other was 'peter is twice the man you are' by Mary Jane. If she knows he is spider-man then this line is perfectly understandable but as it stands it strikes me as a rather odd comment for a sixteen year old girl to make when she barely knows Eddie (not that he wasn't being a complete creep, but I'll get to that in a second) and she's gone on one date with Peter and run into him a couple of times afterwards, at least it seems that way to me. It works in regard to the story, but it seems weird for it to be coming from Mary Jane to me.

Whereas Mary Jane almost seemed to be a bit too insightful and too wise, Eddie just seemed to be a judgmental fool to me in this episode. Jumping to every conclusion without even letting Peter speak up for himself or explain himself. It's true to life, but for the narrative it struck me as rather sudden, and it was almost as if he went from 50 to 100 on the jerkometer in a single episode. While I feel that there could have been a 75.

At least that's how it seemed to me at first, but I've watched it a second time and it actually occurs to me that he wasn't really doing anything other than being a HORRIBLE conversationalist and a crazy driver. And if it wasn't for that 'funny little plane accident' comment complete with the 'I'm a psycho' look, I wouldn't say he was that out of line. I think it's more that comment earlier about making 'Peter suffer too' that made me think that he was going to kill Mary Jane or something. But in hindsight, looking at that scene again, he was just a frustrated guy trying to make what he saw as the cause of his frustration a little jealous who might have taken it a little too far in the moment.

In hindsight, I didn't dislike the Mary Jane and Brock scene as much as I did initially, but it was still probably the weakest subplot of the 10 episodes we have had thus far.

All in all, these are probably my three favourite episodes of the lot so far, barring Eddie in 10, but we're obviously getting some episodes on that over the next two weeks, so maybe it'll be put into perspective for me.

Algernon writes...

While I'm at it, more Spectacular Spider-Man.

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GROUP THERAPY

Another great episode, admittedly I was slightly worried that the story would be a bit crammed with both the Sinister Six and the alien costume story, but once again this you guys manage to make the most out of your allotted twenty minutes.

The six themselves were played fantastically. This episode does a good job of show casing what a villainous mastermind Doc Ock truly is. It's interesting how he's apparently taken Electro under his wing. I especially liked his warped sense of chivalry regarding May and Anna. Ock may be a homicidal maniac but he is also a gentleman.

Speaking of may, I really liked that she stood up to the Six for Spidey. The whole "that awful Spider-Man" routine in the comics always made her really unlikable to me. I do hope that they don't overdo May's ill health, it's okay here but in the comics it's devolved into a borderline running gag.

I really liked how you've been developing the symbiote, very creepy and very subtle. I especially liked the way Symbiote Spidey literally beat the Six in his sleep.

The only thing that did bug me was Eddies sudden turn from a seemingly okay guy whose understandably pissed at Peter to creepy psycho. I understand how losing you clan or crippling your brother might drive you round the bend. But Eddie thinking Pete is a jerk doesn't seem quite eternal vengeance worthy to me. Still I'll reserve judgment till the current arc is over.

In short: 95% greatness and 5% "meh", still great stuff. The promo for the next episode looks creepy as hell.

TTFN

Greg Bishansky writes...

Group Therapy
In our latest misadventure, the Sinister Six comes to town.

First off, this was almost a Where's Waldo of previous characters. Let's see, who's in this episode?

Dr. Octopus; Vulture; Electro; Montana/Shock; Sandman; and Rhino. Our Sinister Six. But Hammerhead; Fancy Dan; and Ox also make appearances. I think Quentin Beck and Phineas Mason were also seen in Rikers Island.

Really, Green Goblin; Lizard; and Chameleon were the only ones missing. Goblin and Lizard apparently had Knicks tickets; I'm guessing Chameleon is a hockey fan, and hoping Black Cat is into jello wrestling ;)

Okay, first off, I loved the prison scenes. Especially Rhino and Sandman's cells. How does Rhino go to the bathroom? Kudos for the Dr. Ashley Kafka cameo. I enjoyed Electro and was glad to see he was the catalyst of their escape. I didn't expect Ox and Fancy Dan to join in the escape, but nice to see they're off with Hammerhead and I'm sure we'll see them again doing the Big Man's bidding...

... While I'm on the subject. One of the many things that annoyed me about the 90s series was that the Sinister Six.... er, "Insidious" Six (apparently, Sinister was a no no word for Fox Kids) were nothing more than Kingpin's glorified goon squad, with Doc Ock as the leading lackey. For a moment, I was afraid we'd see the same here, with Tombstone in the Kingpin's role. But, I'm glad that's not the case. While they may have coordinated, the Sinister Six is Doc Ock's show.

And what a show it was. Ock was cold, ruthless, sadistic and had all the best lines. Yup, that's the Doc Ock I know and love. I loved the dinner scene, hell, if I were locked up for a while, first thing I'd want is a four star meal at the best Italian restaurant in town. "Gentlemen, and Rhino," I loved that line.

The fight scenes were brutal. The first one, where Spidey got his ass kicked, and the second one where the Six got torn apart. Ock was just vicious, what with all the talk about impaling (heh, only character I foresee getting impaled wasn't in this episode) and peeling the symbiote off.

Finally, I'm glad the symbiote didn't make Peter over the top ruthless and vicious like the third movie and the 90s series did. While, I'm no fan of the story, I still liked the nod to the symbiote taking Peter out for a joyride.

The only thing about this episode I did not like was the Eddie Brock and Mary Jane scene. Okay, his first scene with Peter was fine. I can believe the guy drives like a maniac... he's crazy enough to tackle the Lizard. But, I just can't see the guy we have previously seen doing that to Mary Jane. I can't. Personally, I think this is an intrinsic problem with the character of Eddie that goes back all the way to his comic book debut. There is no logic at all to what he becomes. I hope I am proven wrong, and so far this show has done nothing but hit everything right as far as I'm concerned. But this here, by itself, just fell flat to me. Aw well.

Good show.

Algernon writes...

One more belated Spectacular Spider-Man Review

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Persona

Another jam-packed episode, giving us the alien costume, Black Cat, Chameleon & our first real look at Captain Stacy. I really don't know how you do it Greg, I have to check my watch to make sure these episode are really twenty minutes long.

I think it's interesting how you've chosen to go with the classic alien version of the black costume as opposed to the Ultimate "cancer suit". Particularly since your version of Brock draws heavily on his Ultimate incarnation. This show does a good job of blending elements from Spidey's various incarnations.

This episode also introduces two new antagonists into Spidey's world. Black Cat is a lot of fun. And before anyone else says it Felicia was doing the whole "amoral-cat-burglar-with-the-hots-for-our-hero" thing back when Catwoman's schemes mostly involved using black magic to turn Superman into a house cat. The Catwoman that Black Cat supposedly ripped off didn't really exist before Frank Miller's Batman: Year One, so there.

We also meet Chameleon. I liked that you went with the more old school master of disguise version, as opposed to the more Mystique style shape shifter he's become in recent years. He's also the man behind my favorite line in the episode…

"My insectoid early warning system is tingling!"

I'd go on but there are only so many different ways to say "I liked that" without it sounding repetitive. Looking forward to the Sinister Six.

Todd Jensen writes...

My ramble/review of the most recent episode of "The Spectacular Spider-Man".

This is a minor detail, but I was astonished when Aunt May and Anna Watson were talking about Falstaff in the play that they were going to see. I can't fully explain why at present (because of the "no ideas" rule), but we were discussing "Bad Guys" a couple of days earlier in the comment room, and part of the discussion turned on Dingo's real name being Harry Monmouth (a name also borne by Prince Hal) and its implications. (Though the play that Aunt May and Anna Watson were going to see was apparently "The Merry Wives of Windsor" - which I like to think of as the Falstaffian equivalent of the "Goliath Chronicles", incidentally, except that Shakespeare wrote that one - rather than one of the Henry IV plays.) At any rate, I was surprised at the timing.

I hadn't thought at first that Peter's sleepiness, and his silence during the final battle with the Sinister Six, was due to the alien symbiote, but that made a great revelation at the end. I'm looking forward to seeing how that develops in the upcoming episodes.

J. Jonah Jameson had another human moment when he discovers that Aunt May had a heart attack (I'd suspected, incidentally, that we'd see that coming when she had a faintness spell at the start of one of the earlier episodes - I think it was the Chameleon one).

The Sinister Six definitely came across as a threat - and I liked how they were all handled with their familiar characterizations (Sand-Man is still more interested in making a big haul than in getting revenge on Spidey, for example).

kyle tonarella writes...

sorry to bug you once again but i need questions answered will be seeing green goblin in season 2 and more crime bosses such as silvermaine in the gang war storyline you said you were doing for season 2
and will we be seeing more of black cat in the series as it goes on and last but not least will the lizard return

Algernon writes...

Sorry this took me so long, I've been up to my neck in exams. Fortunately that's all behind me now and I can finally play catch up with these reviews.

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The Uncertainty Principle
First off, I liked that this was a Halloween episode. It's always been my favorite holiday and it's particularly appropriate considering who this weeks villain is.

Speaking of which, this episode really did a good job of illustrating what always made the Green Goblin such a menacing villain. Behind that apparently deranged visage there lurks a cold and calculating intellect. Steven Blum's voice work was again top notch. I especially liked the "lets see which breaks first" line, the Goblin has an appropriately ghoulish sense of humor.

On the civilian front we see Harry descent into self-destruction reach a climax. A pity that Pete's too busy trading punches with costumed lunatics to really notice. Fortunately Gwen's still there to try and save Harry from himself. I have to admit I never really cared for the comic book incarnation of miss Stacy but you guys have done a great job of investing the character with a lot of strength, nicely done. On a lighter note, was anybody else suprised by how comfortable Flash seemed in that cheerleader outfit?

As for the mystery of the Goblin, personally I think that this "revelation" still leaves too many questions unanswered. How did Harry get his hands on the goblin juice in the first place? What the heck is Norman hiding behind that secret passage? I definitely think we haven't heard the last of the Green Goblin.

Arthur Jr. writes...

Hey Greg, I have a bunch of questions for you that are Spider-Man-related:

1. If "The Spectacular Spider" is successful, will there be any plans for a season where Spider-Man will meet other heroes and even help them face off against some of their enemies in the episode he first encounters them in?
2. Why use Montana of The Enforcers as the Shocker instead of Herman Schultz? That's what I've been wondering.
3. If Kingpin isn't going to be included in the show, what will this mean if there are plans for Silvermane, Owl, and Caesar Cicero since Kingpin is much powerful than them? I didn't mention Hammerhead since the series has him a servant of Tombstone and I'm not familiar with Top Man (whom Hammerhead succeeds over)!

Antiyonder writes...

Continuing my review on The Spectacular Spider-Man:

Episode 4- Market Forces
- Peter should have showed some more enthusiasum concerning MJ's good personality. Who knows, they could marry each other some day.
- If only Flint and Alex didn't resort to crime, I could see them as this generation's Odd Couple.
- Definitely thought Spider-Man 3 with the emo line from Eddie.
- In all seriousness, I found the choice to use Montana as The Shocker to be a good one. It certainly keeps the story interesting.
- While we can agree that Norman isn't parent of the year, I found his advice to be a sound one indeed.

Episode 5- Competition
- Looking forward to seeing Flint and Alex's interaction when they meet up in The Sinister Six.
- I'm going to guess that May didn't look into Peter's room after the webbing expired.
- Good to see that Sandman has a sense of priority (no revenge), even if he didn't have the sense to take a crime breather.
- Had a flashback to Spider-Man And His Amazing Friends when Sandman left the bag of money behind.

Episode 6- The Invisible Hand
- Nice to see that the Grant/Brant bit wasn't lost on the younger crowd.
- Always good to see Jameson when he isn't doing the ranting, and this show does that well too.
- While Clancy Brown does good voice work for an antagonistic character, he certainly doesn't sound villainous when voicing a protagonist (refering to his voicing of George Stacy).
- Have to say that Tombstone really looked intimidating even before his display of power.

Questions:
1. What was the silicon armor suppose to do?
2. Recognized Sandman's voice actor as John Dimaggio (Dr. Drakken). Was his facial similarites with Drakken intentional?
3. Given that Betty is an adult in this series with Peter being a minor, was BSP showing any nervousness with Betty (since she was at least considering to go to the dance with him)?

Thanks for another enjoyable set of episodes.

Grant writes...

This isn't a question just praise and thanks. I felt that last episode (Persona) deserved at least that. I loved ever minute, all the angles, villains, the cat, and of course the black. The Black Cat was deliciously flirtatious and Helfer played it up perfect. The whole team deserves a big pat on the back for putting together such a stupendous series in The Spectacular Spider-Man.

Wayne writes...

Since the cancellation of Gargoyles with the other stories that you have created have you tried to take the ideas for any of the spin offs to other companies such as Scifi, Cartoon Network, etc to try to get a new series or one of the spin offs produced? I loved Gargoyles, as well as, your work on other series, loved the Goliath Chronicles and would love to see the completed spinoff for King Arthur and Gryph. Do you have any plans to work on any other series in the future other than Spiderman, yours or others?

bwyell writes...

If I buy 30 copies of every issue of the Gargoyles comic book, will you promise not to kill Gwen Stacey?

Todd Jensen writes...

My review of the latest "Spectacular Spider-Man".

Another enjoyable episode. Parts that especially stood out to me:

We see more of the consequences of the Lizard story (and now Eddie Brock's got even more reason to be angry with Peter - and this time with Spidey as well).

Although I'd heard that Chameleon would be showing up in this episode, I was still surprised when he pulled off the Dr. Connors disguise. And then when he shed the Norman Osborn disguise, as well.

J. Jonah Jameson in great form as usual. Telling Peter to get out of his office in seventeen words, shouting "Spiderman's not a fraud!" and then feeling amazed that he just said that, and printing the retraction - on page 42, in a small font!

Even though I knew from last week's episode that Harry Osborn had been sent away, I was still surprised to see Mary Jane replacing him in the opening credits. (Though, knowing your enjoyment of making changes as the story progresses, I shouldn't have been.)

The influence of the alien symbiote on Spidey was well-done, especially his justifications for keeping it. (The kind of justifications that wind up getting used for paving material on a certain road.) I'm looking forward to seeing where things go from here.

Fresh embarrassment for Peter - now seeing his alter ego being defended by Flash Thompson!

And we get a reference to the upside-down kiss (I've never seen any of the Spiderman movies, but I've still heard of it; it's one of those things you have to be aware of unless you become a hermit).

Another fine job, as ever.

Anonymous writes...

*SPOILERS*

I enjoyed it. Venom, being one of my favorite spidey villains, made a strong entry into the series here, as it slowly absorbed Spiderman, turning him into a badass. Really looking forward to more Venom action.

Nice moment at the end with Black Cat. Definite echos of a certain infamous alleyway scene from the 2002 film. Thanks for that throwback, Greg.

Chameleon also made a strong showing, with his frequent impersonations (Dr. Connors, Spidey, Norman) that make it obvious where he got his name from. Kudos.

So Mason makes his first appearance. Forgive me for asking (I'm not AS MUCH of a Spider-man fan as other people here seem to be.) but who was the dark-haired guy working with Chameleon? His name escapes me. :(

Is this the season finale? There was no promo for the next episode. If it was, thanks for a great first season. If not, I still can't wait for more.

So, either way, great job on this episode and the series in particular.

End review.

See you at the Gathering next month.

Greg Bishansky writes...

"Persona"
... And so it begins, the Venom arc. I'll admit right off the bat, this is not a story arc I've been looking forward to. But, I'll save my ramble on Venom and everything that I think is wrong with him as a character and a concept for my review of the season finale, when Venom actually appears.

Peter is such a geek, alien life is discovered and no one seems to care. Not Aunt May, but she's got other things on her mind. Good to see him and Eddie on speaking terms again, but honestly, can you blame Martha Connors for not wanting him there? I can't.

Nice change to the title sequence. Harry's out and Mary Jane is in. That's funny considering that she did not even appear in the episode itself.

And here we have our favorite feline, the Black Cat. Tricia Helfer did an awesome, purrfect job with that character. Oh. My. God. What have I done? Did I just type "purrfect?" Yes, I did. I hate myself for doing that, as I genuinely think puns are the lowest, least funny form of humor there is. But, I can't help myself here, because Cat was indeed purrfect. Argh, I'm doing it again!

The Black Cat has always been one of my favorite characters in the Spider-Mythos. So, I've been anticipating her almost as much as I was anticipating the Green Goblin. I think she was done purrfectly here (Ugh, I'm still doing it?), from her moves to her lines.

Speaking of those lines...

"My kitty sense is purring."
"Try not to get your goop in my hair." .... and I thought Mary Jane and Rand's line about being randy was pushing S&P. How did that get on the air?

Yes, I like Black Cat better than Catwoman and I always have. There, I said it.

Loved Steve Blum as the Chameleon. It's also refreshing to see a more old school take on him, as opposed to him just being a standard, Mystique-like shape shifter. I suppose he could eventually become one, but I'm glad he's not starting out that way. "So, which captain of industry are you going to masquerade as this time?" ... hmm, I know I should be focusing on this episode, so, I'll just do that. La di dah. Oh, what the hell, I can't resist... when he shows up at the party later as Norman Osborn, my mind went back to last week's episode where for a brief time the Green Goblin and "Norman Osborn" were face to face and I shouted "I KNEW IT!" so loud, I think I woke up the neighbors. The Goblin mystery is definitely not over... but, enough of that, I've now indulged myself. Back to "Persona."

Eddie Brock now hates both Peter and Spider-Man. Too birds, one stone. So far, this has been the best depiction of Eddie Brock I have seen yet, but... I am still apprehensive about the whole Venom story. As I've said before, Venom is a character I've never liked. I'm going to give the character and concept another chance in this universe, but I am remaining skeptical.

Chameleon disguised as Spider-Man cracked me up with his faux Spider-Wit. "My amazing insect sense is tingling." And I loved how Jameson just knew that the real Spidey was real, yet was still slandering him. Daran Norris is great.

And now we meet Mayor Waters. Okay, first thing I want to know is, was she in the comics? I don't recall her, and Marvel always preferred to depict the real Mayor of New York (Giuliani appeared as mayor several times in the 90s comics). She also reminds me of Senator Hillary Clinton, and with that, I'll refrain from going any further. Best not to bring politics into this review.

I liked seeing Quentin Beck and Phineas Mason as the Chameleon Goon Squad. Looking forward to them popping up again. Beck looks kine of like Moe. Wait... Bowl Cut Beck. Balding Mason and no hair Chameleon... no, too easy. ;)

The symbiote itself was well done. I like how it subtly took over Peter's costume, and seems to be playing evil Jiminy Cricket on his shoulder. Peter is going to go dark, and I'm hoping for some wacky malicious hijincks and no dancing and strutting in the streets.

Finally, the infamous upside down kiss between Spidey and Black Cat. Purrfect... I promise you, and I promise myself, I will never do that again.

ColdFusion writes...

Just watched "Persona" and I have to say, I'm ecstatic about there being such an intelligently-done show on a channel block that calls itself "for kids" @_@
The attention to detail was perfect. They actually showed all of Chameleon's tricks instead of being lazy and letting us assume he can fake things... Showed several instances where he had to 'prove' he was the real deal.. people suspected his height.. and best of all, when his goon pressed a button on his watch, he actually had to DO something with that button to make his boat arrive.. he slid it to the left a bit. That right there is what TV for any demographic is sorely lacking right now. I actually have faith that maybe entertainment is de-retardifying as we speak :D
Keep up the excellent work.

Enterprise writes...

I know you been asked this before but dose disney have a say so or the rights in weather a film could be made out of this spectaculer series

P.B.D. writes...

Is there a chance Norman staged the whole green goblin is Harry thing to throw people off his trail?

P.B.D. writes...

Why did you go more with the movie symbionite suit instaed of the classic look?

Dirk writes...

1. Since Harry was the First Green Goblin in the new cartoon, does that mean that Norman Osborn will never become the Green Goblin?

2. Will the Hob Goblin, Scorpion, Mysterio and other villains appear in the series?

3. Will Carnage eventually appear in this series (like Season 4 or 5 if the show stays succesfull)? Or is he too violent/scary to put in this cartoon.

Nabil writes...

Hey Greg,
you guys are doing a fantastic job on the series i really love it, every bit and piece of it i have couple questions though:

1- Do you have any idea on when the first dvd will be released and will it have a bluray edition as well?
2- is there any chance that tombstone is not really the big man, but as foswell put it "some other guy pulling the strings from behind" especially that tombstone never refer to himself as the big man?
3- there surely a lot of mystery surrounding goblin's identity even though we are to believe it is harr after the unmasking in last episode, when will we have a definitve answer on who the goblin was/is? (season 3 ?)
4- are there any plans for a series of comics or video games based on the spectacular spidey series?

Keep up the good work and thanx a bunch for all your efforts

Arcturus writes...

First of all, I just want to say that the Spectacular Spider-Man is perhaps the best Spider-Man television series in a long time! The writing, the animation, the voice work and the plot lines are all excellent! I also like how the episodes flow together. I can certainly see all the dedication throughout the series, keep up the good work! I do have a few questions, where has Eddie Brock been? What has he been up too? I believe the last we seen of him was in Catalysts. I understand that the symbiote saga is underway, and Eddie Brock is an essential part of the arc, are we going to see what drives him into wanting to smash Spider-Man/Peter Parker? I simply ask because Venom is my favorite Spider-Man villain.

Todd Jensen writes...

My review/report on the latest episode of "The Spectacular Spider-Man", if a day late.

Obviously, the big question about this episode is: Is Harry really the Green Goblin, or has he been framed? Bishansky's already said a lot about that, so I won't say anything more (except that I also think that Harry *is* being set up).

What more appropriate time for the Goblin to show up than Halloween? I enjoyed Spidey's parody of "Twas the Night Before Christmas", especially his not-too-successful effort at the rhymes. And talk about daring! Peter actually making Spider-Man his Halloween costume. Shades of the gargoyles' own two Halloween parties ("Eye of the Beholder" and the Double Date story in the comic).

And not only does Flash Thompson wind up dressing as a cheerleader, but so do all his football buddies. I hadn't expected that latter part.

Tombstone's as imposing as ever (I can see why Hammerhead respects him). And I got a kick out of Goblin's "deja vu" remark to Spidey.

Great to see more of J. Jonah Jameson's human side, as he waits anxiously for news about the shuttle landing. Which itself looks like it'll have its own big consequences: now Venom's in town. Things are going to get even more lively in the Big Apple now....

Greg Weisguy writes...

Harry looking like the Green Goblin when seen through the vial of globulin green was a nice touch.

Clones have a bit of a stigma attached to them among Spider-Man fans, but you've shown you can execute the concept well in Gargoyles and Buzz Lightyear. How do you feel about the issue? Can clones work in a (relatively) grounded property like Spider-Man?

Harvester of Eyes writes...

Thoughts on the Spectacular Spider-Man episode "The Uncertainty Principle."

Wow. So many good scenes in this episode. I'll do my best to keep my thoughts following some sort of coherent pattern.

First off, I'm very impressed with the Green Goblin so far. I was a little stunned to learn Steve Blum was doing his voice (my reaction was probably the same as my reaction way back when I first learned Mark Hammill voiced the Joker), but it fits the character well. I love all his gadgets, and I'm glad to see that he has the charged gloves again (something I missed from the movie). I also love the sound effects his pumpkin bomb explosions make. Like sick, mutilated laughter, which is very appropriate.

I also love the way that his mind works. Blackmailing Tombstone was never his intent. He was simply trying to get his two main enemies into the same room to eliminate them.

"Anyone else getting deja vu? Oh well, let's run with it!" Great watching Spidey and the Goblin interact.

It's kind of funny how the Goblin keeps making Spider-Man and Tombstone work together. And wow... Tombstone took three blades in the back. Makes me wonder what exactly he had done to himself. Also thought it was interesting the way Spider-Man saved himself from going splat. Reminds me of an old episode of the first cartoon where he fought the Sandman, but what he did in this series is much cooler.

As far as the ending is concerned, I loved the confrontation between Harry and his father. Norman raised a good point. Tombstone probably wouldn't have let Harry live if the Goblin's identity were revealed, but I can't help but wonder if anything else was going through his mind. Norman is a ruthless man who never apologizes. And as far as unmasking the Goblin is concerned, I'm convinced there's another angle, but I'll avoid delving into "ideas masquerading as questions," and won't get into specifics.

Still, it was a good character moment for Norman. We also got a nice character moment from Jonah. It's fun seeing hard men have moments of softness. I particularly liked how Jonah's actions bit him on the rear, forcing him to swallow his pride again (the first time being in the episode "Catalysts," when he was forced to give Spider-Man credit for stopping the Goblin). I like his voice a lot better than in the 90s cartoon. Ed Asner was good, but he wasn't a perfect fit. I like what Daran Norris does with it.

It was also nice to see a cameo from the Black Cat. Wonder if she'll be popping up again.

Greg Bishansky writes...

"The Uncertainty Principle"
*** SPECTACULAR SPOILERS ***

I loved this episode.

Very good title, as curve balls continue to be thrown at the audience. The mystery of the Green Goblin's identity is far from over. Well, after re-watching "Catalysts" and "Reaction" over again before watching this I am more convinced than ever that Harry is not the Green Goblin. Either he's been brainwashed or Norman has the Chameleon (who is showing up in the next episode) standing in for him as an alibi. But I'll get to that later.

Nice to finally see Hammerhead in action. Yes, this is why he's Tombstone's enforcer. But, nope, he's no match for the Green Goblin... that's why he's Spider-Man's arch-nemesis.

I loved scene with the Goblin and Tombstone. Just watching the two most dangerous characters in the series go at it like that is priceless. You can see why Hammerhead respects Tombstone so much. The Goblin is arguably more dangerous, but Tombstone commands respect just as much as fear.

It wouldn't be Halloween without costumes, and is that the Black Cat I see? Nice. Mary Jane shows up dressed as a sexy vampire. Liz shows up dressed as a Johnny Depp Fan Girl. Gwen... doesn't even have time to get into a costume because she is too busy worrying about Harry. Poor Gwen, when I see her, I think to myself that she is the only sane person in an insane world. "Some one is getting the look!"

I've been waiting to see Flash dressed as a cheerleader, but I did not expect the rest of the football team to be joining him. Way to show unity, guys. Flash seemed to like having boobs a little too much. So, how long until Rand tells Sally where she can stick it?

I loved Jameson in this episode. People have complained about him being two dimensional, but I never saw it. Hopefully this shut them up. His concern for his son's life was touching. I like this reasoning for his hatred for Spider-Man in this universe. He can't stand to see the spotlight stolen from his son. Is it rational? Not really. Is it understandable? Yes.

"Trap?" "Trap!" Someone's been watching "Serenity".

The fight scene at the end of the episode was stunning. A tip of the hat to everyone involved. Though this borders on cliche, you could feel the heat. I'd say it would be hard to top this one, but I said the same after Spidey's fight with the Lizard.

The final scene at the Osborn residence was... great. Norman is such a manipulative bastard, and I really felt for Harry. But this is the finest case of "the writers are trying to trick you" that I have ever seen. Now, Harry is taking a leave of absence. I hope we see him again soon.

Harry as the Green Goblin just does not add up.
* When the Goblin stole the tech-flight glider from OsCorp, it didn't have the bat-head designed to fire pumpkin bombs and extend a spear on it yet. Harry does not have the technical know-how to add on a feature like that. Norman does. Or the expertise to add that Inhibitor cannon to it. Harry's a moron.
* If Harry were the Green Goblin, he would have attacked the Fall Formal instead of going after Tombstone.
* How would Harry even have access to the Globulin Green in the first place?
* Why would Harry attempt to kill Octavius? Norman knew Otto was a liability, Hammerhead said so in "The Invisible Hand". Norman berated Otto for being a weak man. Then he dressed up as the Goblin so he would have an alibi to show Hammerhead.
* The Green Goblin and Norman Osborn both had the same safety key for Otto's experiment.
* The Big Man was only ever referred to as "Mr. Lincoln" by Norman once and that was in the underground lab while Rhino was being created. Harry could not have overheard that.
* Norman Osborn just so happens to have a secret chamber, which we never saw the inside of. Where's Harry keeping the glider and equipment... not under his bed. For that matter, stealing one or two vials of Globulin Green, I can buy... but we've seen Harry drink from too many.
* Norman's knowing smirk at the end of "Reaction" about unmasking the Goblin before it's too late.
* Peter tipped his hand, told the Goblin he figured out who he was. The Goblin knew Spidey would be coming to the Osborn residence.
* Harry in "Goblin mode" didn't admit to anything except taking the drug. To be the son Norman always wanted. A straight A student and a star athlete.
* Norman is thrown twenty feet up a wall by Harry and is uninjured.
* And it was Norman himself who rationalized it all at the end (a very rehearsed sounding explanation). Then offered to take he fall.

No, Harry was set up. By his own bastard father.

Spectacular episode.

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

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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

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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
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A
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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.

Jess writes...

Hey Greg! "Market Forces" was another great episode! Poor Peter managed to make progress with Eddie only to blow off Harry. Speaking of Harry, all the money Oscorp stands to make in those shady dealings with the Big Man will come in real handy for the years of therapy the kid's going to need, thanks to Daddy Norm's nonexistent parenting skills.

I did like having an in-story explanation for the dearth of Super Villains we'll be seeing in the future, and am especially looking forward to the Green Goblin.

On the plus side, Peter is now employed, this time with actual money involved! That said, I liked Aunt May being initially reluctant to take his money, and that even though she relented, made him promise to save up for a new camera.

Somehow I have a feeling Peter well end up running into MJ just in time for the school dance, and when that happens he won't be complaining about her "wonderful personality".

A quick question about Peter's first choice of date: How old is Betty Brant? I guessed early twenties, but wasn't sure.

ColdFusion writes...

Sorry if you didn't understand, I just meant Aunt May is mothering Peter in a way we haven't really seen before in other versions of the franchise. He's got the kind of "mom-troubles" that older-Peter doesn't.
It's one thing to juggle a social life with the life of a superhero, it's another entirely when, on top of that, you're underage and thus have fewer personal liberties, eh?

Man Mountain writes...

Hey Greg. First I want to say I love the comic, the artwork, and the story so far and hope it continues on and on. Second, same goes for Spiderman! You are hitting everything that IS Spiderman while still making it your own. Finally to my question, I don't know if you have any comments (or time), but could you comment on your Spiderman episodes as you do for Gargoyles? I always love behind the scenes insights. As always, thanks for your time and effort.

Bill Rodebaugh writes...

Hello Greg,

I'm an animation fan....particular from the days when everything was animated in the US....such as the earlier Hanna-Barbara days or Filmation's cartoons. Has "Gargoyles" and the new animated "Spectacular Spiderman" animated overseas? Do you have direct input into all the stories that go or have gone into these series?

Sincerely,

Bill

Algernon writes...

I'd like to start by wishing a happy Easter to those who cerebrate it and to those that don't, have a great day anyway. Now lets talk Spidey...

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Market Forces

Another solid episode with a lot of different threads running through it. We start getting to know J. Johna Jameson and he's a lot of fun, I especially liked the whole hyperactive 'perpetually ten minutes to deadline' attitude they gave him. Interestingly this incarnation of ole Jolly Jonah doesn't seem to be particularly Anti-Spidey, I don't know if you've completely dropped it or if you're going to incorporate it later.

Also returning are Flint Marko and Alex O'Hirn AKA the future Sandman and Rhino respectively. O'Hirn's "ram him with a truck" move is a very Rhino-esque tactic, nice bit of foreshadowing.

When I first heard that Shocker wasn't going to be Herman Schultz I was a little weirded out but this episode erased all my doubts. Montana makes for a pretty charismatic villain with warped sense of honor. by the way, how weird is it to see the bad guy espousing the Moral of The Day(TM)?

We also meet Betty Brant and Robbie Robertson, I'd guessed that Randy from Peter's school was indeed his son but it's nice to have confirmation. big shout out to Phil LaMarr who managed to make father and son sound both reminiscent yet distinctive. Some nice interaction between Pete and Betty but is he trying to get the poor women tossed in jail.

Norman Osborn gets some nice development in this episode, teaming up with the Big Man to set up a sort of Supervillians'R'Us. That's what sets Osborn apart from Spidey's other rogues. Take away Vulture's wing and he's just a bitter old man. Take away Electro's lightning and he's just the school handyman. Take away Venom's symbiont and he's just a dweeb with a persecution complex. But take away Green Goblin's Glider and Pumpkin Bombs and he can still make your life a living hell as plain old Norman Osborn.

When I first heard that Keith David would be replaced as the Big Man I was rather disappointed but I was very impressed by Kevin Michael Richardson's performance. he really nailed the part, so much so that I wouldn't have noticed the change if I hadn't heard about it before hand.

All in all another job well done.

Todd Jensen writes...

Saw the fourth episode of "The Spectacular Spider-Man" this morning, and enjoyed it. In fact, I laughed several times during it, including at the J. Jonah Jameson scenes (yep, that's definitely him all right), and Peter/Spider-Man's difficulty getting rid of the garbage smell.

The Shocker was a great villain, and truly felt like a menace to Spider-Man. I also liked the touch about his remark about carrying out his responsibilities hitting home to Peter, fitting in with his abandoning Harry and his worries about Aunt May.

And we see an alliance formed between the mysterious unseen boss and Norman Osborn, something that could lead to some big episodes ahead.

Keep up the good work.

Greg Bishansky writes...

MARKET FORCES

Another terrific episode. I really enjoyed Greg's take on the Shocker, and making him Montana really works in the context of the series. As I've said before, who is Herman Schultz? Who cares?

Lots of pipe laying here. Sandman and Rhino both, plus a lot of foreshadowing on where Norman Osborn is going.

The Big Man is no longer voiced by Keith David, unfortunately. Kevin Michael Richardson is a decent substitute, but I can't help but miss Keith. There's a certain quality to his voice work that Richardson can't quite capture.

Aunt May wants to introduce Peter the neighbor's niece, Mary Jane Watson. She has a "wonderful personality". Naturally, Peter shudders.

Norman Osborn was great in this episode, telling Harry to "cowboy up", take responsibility and do what he has to do. Like Halcyon Renard. An evil, cold, sadistic, borderline insane version of Halcyon Renard...

... actually, I got kind of a Tony Soprano vibe from Norman's little pep talk. "What happened to Gary Cooper? The strong, silent type. That was an American. He wasn't in touch with his feelings. He just did what he had to do."

Peter finally landed a job at the Daily Bugle, working for jolly J. Jonah Jameson. But, don't fret. JJJ is a decent man deep down. Mariana's trench deep. Dante's Ninth Circle deep.

"Don't go emo on me, bro."
- Eddie Brock to Peter. I'm guessing Eddie's seen "Spider-Man 3"

Moe writes...

Hey Greg! I'm really excited about the Spectacular Spider-Man series and the direction its taken so far. I seriously haven't been this into an animated series since back when I was a kid. At first I was a bit skeptical about the decision to make the character designs more simplistic, but I found it to work quite well with the speed of the animation and the story line in general. Can't wait to see the next episode, and I hope there will be several seasons to come :).

CanusShamus writes...

Hey Greg! Long-time reader, first time writer </cliche>

Well, typically Entertainment Weekly waits for the first three episodes of a new series to come out before they write a review, so I thought I'd do the same. Short version: I liked it.

I'll admit I was skeptical at first, since WB's new Batman show not only didn't live up to movie, it wasn't even better than the 90s TV show. I am, however, one of the few who despised the Spider-Man movies, and going back to the 90s Spider-Man, I realized it didn't hold up too well over time, so I would tentatively say your version surpasses both of them.

If I had to pick the show's strongest point, it would be the animation. When Spider-Man fights Lizard on the train their fight technique is all one fluid motion, and each comes back from a hit right away, using the momentum for their next strike. It reminded me of a martial arts film, and was better looking than all the CGI that was dumped into the films. Also, I liked how Peter's tag is always sticking out of his shirt; it's a subtle thing, but it works great to play up the 'nerdiness' of his everyday persona.

Another development i enjoyed was the characters. I'm interested to see where you're going with Brock (especially after the animosity he showed at the end of episode 3), and I think not bringing in MJ right away was the smart thing to do (personally, I hope she doesn't show up for a good long while; it will make it seem more significant when she does). My only complaint is Gwen: not that I don't love the way she's written, it's just...well, as any Spider-fan knows, it's Gwen's destiny to die, and the fact she may do so before she even leaves high school just seems unbearably bleak. But you never know; she could go the distance after all.

Summing up, I haven't had occasion to watch ANYTHING on Saturday morning for a good long while now, but you can bet I'll be coming back for Spider-Man. Heck, the average fan would probably prefer this to the "Brand New Day" storyline that's going on in the comics right now.

Oh, and since this is a Q&A column: are there plans for any crossover episodes with other Marvel characters, such as Spider-Man teaming up with Daredevil or fighting against Dr. Doom?

Thank you for taking the time to read my comments. Hope to hear from you soon.

P.S. I thought I was so clever for catching the Broadway cameo, but I apparantly completely missed the Hudson one. Blerg.

Michael N writes...

How about asking Cary Bates to write the intro for the next trade paperback. It'd be a nice tie-in to your early comic book work on Captain Atom and he's certainly had a hand in shaping Gargoyles to what we know today. If nothing else it'd be nice to hear his take on Gargoyles.

I'm really enjoying Spider-Man so far. I think there's a lot of smart storytelling in the show; the same thing that attracted me to Gargoyles. I like that stereotypes are skin-deep. For example Flash fits the jock stereotype nicely, but you see some of his jock friends definitely don't. Likewise not all geeks are, well, geeks. That'll make Eddie's turn especially hard to watch.

I think you're a great match for the job of writing/editing Spider-Man. It's filled with characters that are neither "bad" or "good", but all sorts of in between. You've got an annoying (but in a good way!) habit of developing those sorts of characters in ways that make it hard to hate them and root for the "good guy". Xanatos awakens the gargoyles to use them for his own purposes like they're just tools. Then he tries to "discard" them. Then he helps them. Then he gives them a place to stay and helps to protect them. I want to hate him. I know he's going to try and (ab)use the gargoyles again. They know it as well. But I can't hate the guy. It's damn frustrating (but in a good way!) and Spider-Man is going to give you more opportunities to do that with other characters. You've already started doing that with Electro and Vulture.

My understanding is Electro was "created" when Max was struck by lightning. Was the change in his creation a nod to Gargoyles with respect to the creation of the mutates or was that more coincidence than anything else?

Thanks Greg!

Charisma82 writes...

Okay, I hadn't planned on giving a review for each Spidey show that came out, (& I'm still not planning on it as of right now) but I had to give you and all the people who worked on the episode "Natural Selection" props. I feel this has been the best episode so far, and hey, this is only the 3rd one. I really felt for Spidey at the end of the episode, having to look like a coward in front of his friends so he could keep his Spiderman secret. I guess I'm just a sucker for characters who save the day and never get the recognition they deserve, and even worse, look like they wimped out when they really didn't. The whole story was great, and I can't wait to see more.

Thank you for your time and all that you do.

-Charisma82

Jess writes...

Hey Greg! I'm still keeping up with Spectacular Spider-Man and "Natural Selection" didn't disappoint. I feel like each episode is slightly stronger than the one before it as everyone gets more in-tune with the material and each other.

I think you found just the right note with the Billy subplot, where it was genuinely emotional and not cloying. I liked the "I took a cab" bit with Eddie at the zoo. Just a fun little jab a typical cartoon logic. I was not expecting Peter to be fired, so that was a cool moment for me as well. Somehow I have a feeling we'll be seeing the serum again.

Nice continuity nods with the ring-tone alarm, the mention of Electro, and especially Peter and Eddie calling each other "Bro", then having Spidey try to cover it up when he does the same.

One thing I noticed was that during Peter's voice-over before he plans on taking the serum is that he mentions "a hard 9PM curfew" where before it had always been 10.

The cast continues to be amazing (or rather spectacular). In particular, Kath Soucie and Lacey Chabert just completely nailed their parts this week.

Since this is "Ask Greg", I do have a quick question: For small parts i.e. the people at the coffee shop in "Interactions", or Thug #1 in this past episode do you have certain people in the cast in mind, or do you just ask whoever's in that day if they want to do it?

Thanks for your time!

Harvester of Eyes writes...

Thoughts on the Spectacular Spider-Man episode "Natural Selection."

First off, I like this incarnation of the character of Peter Parker a lot, more so than in other cartoon versions. He's still a kid with a lot to learn, and like most kids, he thinks he knows everything. I like how even getting a good picture of himself as Spider-Man is a learning process.

And I also like the continuity in the series. In the previous episode, we see Connors's formula get shocked. And Curt puts it in his pocket. And now we see the consequences (unless, of course it just resulted from months of him injecting himself, and that last one was the proverbial back-breaking straw). The animation was awesome, in particular his morphing into and out of the Lizard. I like how the tail was formed. And the pacing of the fight scenes reminded me of the movies, which was fine. Those gave us a fantastic sense of Spider-Man's agility, as do these.

I also didn't expect to find myself saying this, but I like Eddie Brock as a character. I wasn't thrilled when I first saw his name in the cast, but I love what you've done with him so far. Giving him this personal connection with Peter Parker might actually make Venom more interesting. He seems to be building a reputation of not being able to successfully tackle baddies in Connors's lab. And I like the way he and Spider-Man worked together at the end. He's a bit reckless, but he also seems to have a strong moral sense. So he and Peter have that in common. I'm actually finding myself caring about what sets him on the road to becoming Venom.

Anyway, favorite moment in the episode: Billy Connors confronting his mutated father. I'm not sure Curt recognized him, and I'm wondering if this might come up again. And I also like how Peter Parker chose not to take what might cure him of his powers, but he also didn't throw it away. More foreshadowing, I suppose.

All in all, you and the rest of the crew have done a fantastic job so far. I was never a regular reader of the Spider-Man comic, but I'm getting more and more excited about this show the more I watch it. Keep up the good work.

David Blyth writes...

In the new Spider-Man animated series, Gwen already has a small inkling into Peter's financial problems, so why get irritated when she perceived his photo-taking of The Lizard as selfish when it was to benefit his Aunt? Is she just following the crowd's attitude, or was she afraid for Peter's safety and her anger is a result of that?

Aldrius writes...

Ramble on Spectacular Spider-man episode 3.

That attitude is gonna get Peter into a lot of trouble... so is actually having a happy life. Don't you read comic books, young man? Any time you're life is going WELL, that's when fate smacks you upside the head.

Still like that theme song.

Aunt May is okay. I think I jumped the gun when I watched the first episode.

Hmm... is Stan Lee always the executive producer on these marvel animated programs?

Stop meddling with weird science, Curt! It never results in good things. Though I do like the attention here. He's well intentioned. He's not selfishly just trying to heal his own arm. He's trying to save decapitated people all over the world.

Go Gwen. Yay! Random jock friend who's name I should really learn. Is he a classic Spider-man comics character that I don't know about?

"What are we celebrating? Oh... crazy god-defiling science!! This will end well."

Smart AND perceptive. Quite a man this Parker boy.

So Billy's a scientist too. They start them so young these days.

That's a very nice lizard design.

Peter the coward. That's nice of him. He could have come up with a better excuse than 'My aunt may won't be able to sleep unless I get home.' But I guess he didn't have much time.

Still very funny. I like Peter's banter. Feels very natural. And of course it fits the character perfectly.

Spider-man seems to like fighting on the subway/train lately. I guess the subway's a subterranean place for the Lizard to hide out.

People really should check on those over-anxious kids more often.

I wonder what kind of Lizard Curt blended his DNA with... a cocktail of iguana, and crocodile, or what?

Heh. Peter even cares about Polar Bears! What a guy.

And Aunt May proves herself more dangerous than the Lizard! That's three super-villains that she's beaten out with her telephone!

And the Lizard reverts back to normal.

That ending was really, really powerful. I'm feeling that one in my ribs. And hey, great responsibility, there are consequences for Peter's actions. Even if they weren't his fault per se. Halcyon would be proud.

The ending REALLY sold this one to me. And the general mood and feel of it. And I'm still not sure about the spider mask in the sky at the end. It's... interesting... but... yeah. Not sure about it.

Over-all. Bravo.