Wall-crawling, web-slinging, and occasionally face-planting.
Look, at this point, Spider-Man has been rebooted so many times he’s practically a damn Iphone update. But Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man? Now this one swings differently.
For starters let me be clear in saying that this is only based off of the first few episodes I was privy to see. However, forget everything you thought you knew. This isn’t Holland’s Spidey, Maguire’s Spidey, Garfield’s Spidey, or even Spider-Verse Spidey. This is a new Peter Parker, living in an alternate timeline where Norman Osborn—not Tony Stark—becomes his mentor. That alone should tell you things are about to get messy. But messy in a way that fully embraces classic comic book chaos while making some bold, weird, and surprisingly smart choices.
The Vibe? Think bright, kinetic, and jam-packed with more Easter eggs than a Disney D23 shareholder meeting. The show borrows from Steve Ditko’s vintage Spidey comics while using a crisp, 3D-meets-2D pop-art animation style that makes every frame look like it jumped straight out of a Silver Age issue of The Amazing Spider-Man. It’s fun, fast, and stylish AF.

The Plot? No time wasted. We skip Peter’s whole “oh no, my hands are sticky, what’s happening to my body?!” phase and jump straight into his early days of heroism. He’s balancing high school, friendships, and a very questionable internship with Norman Osborn (red flag, Peter. Huge red flag.) while also dodging giant interdimensional creatures outside of Midtown High because, apparently, that’s just a Tuesday in the MCU.
Now, let’s talk Norman Osborn, a.k.a. Peter’s new life coach. Played with menacing smoothness by Colman Domingo, this version of Norman isn’t immediately cackling like a lunatic on a glider—yet. Instead, he’s sly, charismatic, and way too good at making Peter feel special. It’s a genius move, setting up a mentor relationship that’s basically Tony Stark’s mentorship arc but with the looming, inescapable dread of eventual betrayal. (Love that for him.)
And the cameos? Oh yeah, Charlie Cox’s Daredevil rolls through, proving that even the multiverse respects good casting. Doctor Strange may even show up, too, but don’t expect the usual actor because, well… Disney’s budget ain’t infinite, folks. (Multiverse logic: just go with it.)
Now, let’s talk about where Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man gets caught in its own web. First off, the animation? Mostly great—until it isn’t. One minute, it’s a glorious comic book fever dream, the next, Peter’s moving like someone forgot to update his graphics card. Smooth one second, PlayStation 2 cutscene the next.
And the pacing? Wildly inconsistent. Some episodes rush through plot points like they’re trying to catch the last train home, while others drag things out like we’re sitting through an extended cut of Peter doing his homework. And while the show introduces diverse characters and sprinkles in social themes, it sometimes tiptoes around them like it’s afraid of stepping on toes. Naturally, this has led to the usual internet discourse—some folks calling it “woke,” others saying it doesn’t push far enough. Either way, Twitter is gonna Twitter and X is gonna X.
Now, is this show the next Spider-Verse? Nah. Is it X-Men '97 levels of peak nostalgia? Not close. But is it fun, fast, and a great new spin on Spidey’s origin story that actually respects its audience? Umm...sure.. This Peter Parker doesn’t just deal with punching villains—he’s grappling with responsibility in an increasingly dangerous world. Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man may not be the definitive Spidey story, yet, but it’s a fun remix with just enough bite to keep things interesting. Will it swing into greatness or trip over its own web? We’ll tell you when the season’s over
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