‘Serious Saturday-Morning Energy.’ Critics Agree Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Brings Nostalgia To Disney+

Head Writer Jeff Trammell has crafted a contemporary take on Spider-Man which, while heavily inspired by the MCU, takes many of its cues from those early comic book adventures dreamed up by Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, and John Romita Sr. That's evident from what proves to be utterly gorgeous animation' the colours pop off the screen and these heroes and villains are brought to life through expressive character models which often appear as if they've jumped straight off the page. In terms of the writing, we're not kidding when we say there are ideas and moments here that have been conceived even more effectively on screen than what we've seen in Marvel Studios' stellar Spider-Man trilogy. This is movie-quality storytelling on the small screen.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man has some big competition in the animated Spider-Man realm: not just a number of successful television shows, but also both Spider-Verse movies. However, it more than justifies its existence in the crowded field, at once referencing plenty of Spider-Man history (look for the Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield references in the opening credits!) while standing on its own two feet. The show presents a great opportunity for Marvel Studios to tell its own Spider-Man story that still fits into the wider MCU (or at least an alternate version of the MCU). It may not be quite as grown up as X-Men '97, but Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is still a real treat for fans and casual viewers alike.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is surprisingly mature for being this energetic and squishy, a PG-rated take that treats its teen characters with respect by not insulting their intelligence or limiting their growth. Still, light and breezy is how it begins, and at its most joyful moments, the radiant 3D animation from Polygon Pictures and CGCG bursts from the set with serious Saturday-morning energy. The animation is not perfect; it can get choppy during its more frantic action sequences, while character interactions are sometimes herky-jerky, like Romero’s artwork has been skinned over a PS2 cutscene. More often, the series looks like a living, breathing panel from a comic book, replete with a nostalgic flat color motif. All this pop effervescence would stunt the more sobering moments in another series, but the vocal performances of Spider-Man are always there to ground things.

Full of popular Marvel characters, a stellar voice cast and numerous Easter eggs, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man captures everything fans have always loved about Spidey while delivering a fresh take on the teen superhero’s beginnings. Moreover, though Peter’s story anchors this narrative, Trammell and his writing team, led by Charlie Neuner, expand the stories beyond Peter and his immediate circle and into the multiverse. Intriguing, fun and timeless, the series is a love letter to those who’ve always rocked with the wall-crawler while welcoming new viewers into the fold.

This is a truly fresh take on Spider-Man filled with many delightful surprises, from fun superhero cameos to shocking plot twists. The inclusion of real-world issues does give it an air of authenticity, although it’s essentially window dressing for a fun action show with great characters. And while the animation has some distracting quirks, overall, it works quite well. Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man has lively pacing, the writing is as sharp as a scorpion’s tail, and it finds new ways to make you laugh and gasp every episode. For a character whose stories are as well-tread as Spider-Man’s, this is just what the doctor (Octopus) ordered.