Well, Spider-man stars in his first decent cartoon since '94. The show's actually pretty good, it's basically focusing on Peter's college days, as well as his friendship with Harry and relationship with Mary Jane. The final episode ended on a real cliffhanger, I hope it's continued. The "new" villains are pretty interesting, and it's cool seeing Kraven the Hunter, voiced by Micheal Dorn, and Kingpin, voiced by Micheal Clarke Duncan, who also played him in the Daredevil movie. As I said, hopefully this show is continued, because the ending made me want to see more!

I mean, it's new for MTV to show some actually INTELLIGENT programming. Maybe that's why it ended though, since the "Jackass," fans couldn't fathom something that intelligent.

Spidey on TV has always suffered from being intended for children, and blatant cases of cheesiness, and that was a part of the appeal of it. Recently however, they've come out with a new Spider formula: more mature, having characters die on screen, insanity, and dealing with a broad range of new subject matter like sex, violence, drug abuse, and murder. This show is Spider-Man: The New Animated Series (or MTV Spider-Man).

Being done in full cell shading animation, it loosely follows up on the events of the first Spider-Man movie, following Peter Parkers life as he tries to deal with college, women, life, and his responsibility of being Spider-Man. The 13 eps. series flows in a somewhat sequestered format, with each eps being cut off from the others, aside from a few exceptions (a new love interest being introduced halfway through, and the 2-part series finale), which takes away from the feel that you're watching Pete's life go on, since his actions in one eps don't necessarily reflect in any of the others. But overall it works to establish the villains which show up in every eps.

As said, there is a villain appearance in each eps, ranging from a college girl obsessed with Spider-Man, to Russian terrorists, to telepathic twins. Of course some of your old favorites make an appearance such as Kingpin, The Lizard, and Electro to name a few, though not all of them are handled appropriately. For example, Kingpin, who's basically the nexus with which all crime in New York revolves around, comes off as no more dangerous than a somewhat successful crime boss. While others, such as Electro and The Lizard, are almost epic in their presentation. Both of which will tempt a tear to be released if not making you cry openly.

The voice acting is decent, with Spidey sounding appropriate and having a good hint of silly sarcasm to his voice, but the problem is he doesn't really change it. In some serious scenes, it just doesn't sound much different than when he's taunting a villain, only in a slightly lower tone. The real shining voicework comes from the one-shot villains. Particularly from Rob Zombie as Dr. Kurt Conners and Kathy Griffin as Roxanne (a telepathic twin). Both giving amazing performances and convey their characters marvelously. Especially Kathy Griffin, who doesn't seem like she would be the type to play a psychotic killer at all, but her voice fits amazingly well. One special note I'd like to make is about Ethan Embry who plays Max Dillon/Electro. While his performance isn't really anything special in the first half of his eps, once he becomes Electro his quality skyrockets. With 2 lines being given by him that are the 2 most memorable, and emotionally stirring in the entire series:

• No one is innocent!! NO ONE!! - Spidey: I know.. what it's like!! Electro: No.. you.. don't!!

It's not the lines themselves, but the way that they are said that just rips your heart out. The second line never fails to make me close my eyes and turn away slightly at his pain no matter how many times I see it. It's just that well delivered. You need to listen to it in order to understand what I mean, words can't explain it.

Overall, this is a well made Spider-man series with a more mature twist than what we're expecting to see from a spidey series. Though not without it's flaws (reuse of 3-4 people designs as extras continuously, repetition of Spidey's catch phrase "seriously.. ow!", etc.) it's definitely a worthy addition to the Spidey franchise, and is definitely worth a look if you're at all interested in your Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man.

This cartoon was awesome, especially for a show that utilizes so much computer-generated imagery skillfully combined with traditional hand-drawn animation. "Spider-Man" is everything a reader of the original Marvel Comics created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko could want - everything they could ever want - on hyper-drive. "Spider-Man" comes to us from comic book artist Brian Michael Bendis, who has received some pretty strong accolades for his work on Marvel's recent "Ultimate Spider-Man" title.

As a reader of Spider-Man comic books, the new animated series "Spider-Man" features one adrenalin-charged action sequence after the other, and then slows down to focus on the characters and their personal matters, which is what the original Spider-Man comics did to completely change the game after the character made his debut in "Amazing Fantasy #15" in 1962. And this show also features one of the best electronic soundtracks I've ever heard for a cartoon (too bad it's not for sale anywhere).

As we find in this series, which is more or less a follow-up to "Spider-Man" (2002), Peter Parker (Neil Patrick Harris) is now a promising student at Empire State University, together with gorgeous, on/off would-be girlfriend Mary Jane Watson (Lisa Loeb) and rich-boy best pal Harry Osborn (Ian Ziering). Peter divides his time between hitting the books as Everyman Peter Parker and hitting the streets as New York City's favorite wall-crawling vigilante superhero Spider-Man.

In "Spider-Man," a slew of familiar characters get brilliant, hyper-stylized makeovers, including Wilson Fisk/The Kingpin, Kraven the Hunter, The Lizard and Electro, plus some new villains including a Japanese samurai swords-woman, a trio of high-tech ex-KGB terrorists, and a Robin Hood-esquire would-be costumed crime-fighter.

And "Spider-Man" also features some pretty high-priced voice talent, including Michael Clarke Duncan (who played The Kingpin in 2003's "Daredevil"), Ethan Embry, Eve, Gina Gershon, and comedienne Kathy Griffin. This show is something that comic fans have been waiting for, since the animated series that aired in 1994 is no longer in production. This "Spider-Man" has been on hiatus for four years now; when's he coming back?!?

10/10

Hi all. Relatively new Spidey fan (the Straczynski run), and long time animation fan here. First off, like many, I was afraid of the idea of a Spider-Man cartoon being on MTV, for fear they might needlessly make the characters more "hip" and "cool" (see: X-Men: Evolution, and comic book Ultimate X-Men) to appeal to those darn kids nowadays. Thankfully, this show does not do that. What it does do is break most of the censoring that has held back dramatic effects in cartoons for a while now by allowing characters to bleed and die, and given Spidey a form of animation that perfectly captures him. Now, while some may be taken aback by the cel-shaded look of the show, I must say I find it works well for the effect (then again, I am one who took to Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker's graphics without a complaint - make of that what you will).

One minor complaint I have of the show, however, is needless recasting the parts of the characters with so-called more "respected actors" like Neil Patrick Harris, when the people who did the voices for the series of the early nineties and several of the video games still work perfectly. I find it just a bit of a cheap ploy to mistakenly get what the producers may see as "real talent". While i'm not complaining on NP Harris' part (he's good, but he's no Christopher Daniel Barnes), does Lisa Loeb really need to be Mary Jane? And Eve playing the Black Cat was woefully miscast, her voice and animation contrasting way too much and taking me right out of the mood the show had set. Now while Rob Zombie as the lizard I can kind of understand, it just seems like MTV is using the "Music" in it's name to cast musicians in the show gratuitously. Please, don't use famous people for cartoons when their voices will pull you out of the moment when lesser-known voice and character actors can pull you in, and keep you there.

But, that medium sized, rarely appearing quibble aside, this show has great promise. Aside from trying to have "hip" voice actors, the show doesn't bother trying to appeal to any target demographic outside of the one that just wants a great Spider-Man cartoon. And, with Brian Michael Bendis on board producing and writing, saying no is nothing easy to do. Even if it means committing a minor sin by turning on MTV, it's worth it.

This new Spider-Man series was very creative and the acting voices were pretty good. I remember I didn't miss any episode. I also remember watching this series all the time before a highschool football game and was just always fixed on it. The mini series was just incredible. I wish these directors could make more. Hopefully they will. The graphice were for sure better great and of course better than the older series. I think everything in this series beat out the older version. I was really happy that they made something like this since I'm a big Spider-Man fan. This was great to look at and hopefully they will make more in the future. But for now I guess they can give it a rest since after the Spider-Man 2 release.

9.5/10

I've always liked Spider-Man, and I have always enjoyed this show. Maybe it is not as good as the 90s series, but it is a hundred times better than Spider-Man Unlimited. It does have its problems, the show's ending did feel rushed and the Kingpin is rather bland this time around, too much of the standard crime boss sort of character. You also do wish that Aunt May was involved in this series, she always had that heart-warming sincerity and care for Peter that I think would have balanced the tone of the story lines even more if she was included. There is also not enough Jameson. That said, when I first saw the show I saw potential and on the most part the potential is lived up to. Having Spider-Man in computer-animation may be a shock to the system for some, but while I am a traditional-animation fan myself I really liked the animation here. The character designs are very well defined and the backgrounds are full of atmospheric colours and detail. The music is hauntingly beautiful, with a simply awesome theme tune. The writing is intelligent, thought-provoking and even Peter's wise-cracks raises some amusement, while the story lines have a very dark centre to them with the themes and the violence but does so in a way that does hit you hard but not in a heavy-handed way. The action sequences are very exciting, while of the villains Electro, Roxanne and especially the Lizard stand out. Kraven also intrigued me. The voice acting I think is very good, Neil Patrick Harris not only conveys Spider-Man's broodiness but also with the wise-cracks he gives a quirkier side as well, in short he makes the character his own while never deviating too far from it. Michael Clarke Duncan does do a fine job with the Kingpin, I just wish that the character was more interesting. Kathy Griffin as Roxanne is brilliant, as is Ethan Embry as Electro, and Rob Zombie gives a menacing and poignant edge. All in all, a very good show that should have lasted longer. 8/10 Bethany Cox

This was overall a great show, Great animation. It is really cool how they made the show completely 3d. Neil Patrick Harris does a fantastic job as Spider-man. The Mary-Jane and Harry voice actors also sound great. I saw this DVD at Best Buy and thought it was worth checking out. Boy was i right, Even my brother who is 18 got into the show. The season(and series)finale was great, a two part episode when these two twins fool spider-man into thinking that Kraven the Hunter killed MJ. So he attempts to kill Kraven then realizes it was a trick. At the very end of the episode he thinks that he is pushing one of the twins off the edge, but he accidentally pushes Indy off and she goes into acomma. He then throws his costume into the ocean, quitting being spider-man forever. The Finale makes you want a 2nd season really badly, but too bad they ended it after the 1st.

Truly the BEST ever incarnation of Spiderman and the best animated show EVER!!! Compared to previous animated Spidey's this was bold move, taking it in new, more mature and realistic directions. The 60's and 90's shows seem tame and childish in comparison.

Taking place after the Spider-Man movie this show revolves around the college adventures of Peter, Mary-Jane and Harry who have much better chemistry, character and dialogue than the movie ever offered. Each episode provides more drama and development and creativity. The stories are very imaginative and are obviously written by people who are passionate about Spiderman rather than a studio hashing a product together.

The computer animation is superb and resembles The Ultimate Spiderman comic book (my fave) more than anything. And I know Mary-Jane is only a CGI character but she is so beautiful, and she's voiced by the equally gorgeous Lisa Loeb. Neil Patrick Harris is the voice of Peter Parker and even in this performance he is a hundred times better than Tobey Maguire.

The show also offers some new, interesting characters like Indy, Cheyenne and Silver Sable and gives us alternate takes on Electro and Kraven. Though I was curious as to why Aunt May was not involved.

There is plenty of action and excitement to be had in every episode, all backed up to great music, MAN IS THAT THEME TUNE AWESOME! Where is the soundtrack CD?

The show could not have asked for a better DVD presentation. Not only do we get an absolutely stunning 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen presentation but a thumpingly good, totally engaging DTS 5.1 soundtrack too. Each episode is a 22-minute movie that is far superior to anything the live-action effort was. There are also an abundance of extras on this 2-disc set, some interesting, some not. But a seriously good package for a great show. You must buy! Fan or no fan of Spidey this DVD is too good to be without.

When i first heard about the new series of Spider-man i was a bit hesitant of watching it as i was a such huge fan of the old series as i remember rushing home from school so i could get in on time and watch it. I felt nothing could match up to it but i admit i was pleasantly surprised and instantly got hooked on it watching one after the other. I admit the voice overs weren't to bad but i prefer the old voice overs in the previous Spider-man probably because i'm just sentimental. Animation was new and different comparing to other series i've seen. Over all i enjoyed it despite the voice overs and would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of Spider-man or not. So go watch it!

Is a shame that this series didn't last very long. Personally, I liked this animation a lot, despite of the many differences that this had regarding the stories from the original comics.

Instead of that, this animated show seemed more related with the first live-action "Spiderman" movie from the year 2012. But to be completely honest, I liked more this series than that movie, mostly because the great character development it had, and the interesting topic from each episode.

The animation from this series was quite good too, with cool designs and a great atmosphere.

From all the "Spiderman" animated series, I consider this to be the most mature and interesting one.

9.5/10

This is a great Spider-Man Animated TV Series way better than any of those Spider-Man's TV Series.

This one is aimed towards Young-Adult/Adults if Teens maybe... but still. Why? Cuz there's lot's of Innuendos and a bit of adult stuff, I mean not every single Episode has Innuendos or Adult things but there's a good bit. I like the Story of it, especially the Characters are more I don't know... Themselves?! I don't know how to explain the Characters but I like'em way better than the Movie or even other Spider-Man TV Series.

Unfortunately, it only lasted 1 Season with 13 or 14 Episodes and for sure there'll be never more Seasons. Unless they do change things A LOT. Like, let's say MJ and Peter got Married and then they had a Daugther/Son. And then this KID also has a Spider ability but the kid doesn't know till his/her Teen-Age. Why? Well, the kid has to get bitten by a Spider as well. Well, not the same particular Spider that bit Peter but the same Species to activate his/her Spider Ability. But this kid is more Powerful than Peter because this kid is Peter's Son/Daugther. I don't know seems a bit stupid but it's an Idea well, of mine at-least and probably gazillions others too that thought the same way I did. Or even better a Remake of this same one.

Well, aside from that, overall this Spider-Man Animated TV Series is Great and I'd give it a 7.8/10 which is why I gave it an 8 because what's 0.2 points. And I'd recommend people this especially Spider- Man Fans.

Spider-Man: The New Animated Series ~ It's easy to see how this series could be a little polarizing, with its unusual usage of cel-shaded 3D animation, its mature elements, and a few unfortunate departures from Spider-Man tradition, such as Aunt May never appearing, J. Jonah Jameson having precious little role, and most of the villains not originating from the comics (though, since I'm a pretty new and inexperienced Spider-Man fan, I'm probably not as bothered by these things as long-timers). And as with any show, some episodes are better than others. Don't let that turn you off! I personally believe the show has quite a bit of merit and is definitely worth watching. (A bit of warning: The series originally aired out of order and as a result, the episodes are also in the wrong order on Amazon Prime. I recommend you use Wikipedia to determine the right order and watch it that way, as there is some continuity in the show even if it's not a whole lot.)

The first question someone might feel inclined to ask is, "What even is this show?" It's definitely a bit non-traditional. It was aired on MTV, is designed to be a follow-up to the first Spider-Man movie (though the movie sequels ignored it), it's not geared towards kids in any way, and of course, the cel-shaded CGI animation style. And it only lasted one season, though it wasn't intended to. In a sense, it feels like this show doesn't have a "place". It's an animated Western superhero show for teens/adults. You don't see many of those. Even other mature superhero 'toons, such as Batman: The Animated Series, still maintain some pretense of being children's shows, eliminating swearing and the like, while this one doesn't.

And you know, it's almost kind of a shame that such cartoons aren't a "thing". Because in my opinion, this show demonstrates the potential of action cartoons geared to teens and young adults. Sure, they may have gone a bit too far in the "gearing to young adults" thing considering it apparently kept them from showing much of "old people" such as Aunt May, Uncle Ben, or J. Jonah Jameson. But even though it takes a while to get used to, overall, I'm actually super sold on this show's aesthetics and how much they seem to jive with the target audience. The unique style seems to already separate this show from traditional kids' cartoons, the character designs are a bit more grounded and even sexier in places (though it's certainly not overkill), and then there's the neat EDM soundtrack. It all just seems to work together rather nicely.

Yes, I'm not gonna lie, at first the animation seemed weird and bad to look at because it was so unusual. But when you get used to it? Honestly, it's pretty cool. The character designs have a feeling of being relatively grounded and it has the capacity to be very expressive and dramatic. It just works a lot better than you might imagine. And they use it for some great action sequences in places, too.

Beyond aesthetics, this show has a ton else to offer. For me, how characters interact and their relationships with each other is one of the most crucial aspects to me really getting hooked into any series, and this show delivers on that front. The interactions between Peter, MJ, and Harry are well-developed and make them feel like a real group of friends. There's complexity to their relationships and room for growth, some of which happens, some of which is tragically unresolved. They're good friends, but there are plenty of rough spots. There's the fact that MJ and Harry are "normal" college kids with actual social lives, while Peter is the nerd dedicated to his studies...and secretly being Spider-Man. There's the fact that Harry has a deep personal grudge against Spider-Man due to believing him responsible for his father's death. There's the unresolved romantic tension between Peter and MJ that's made all the more complicated by Peter's interest in a show-exclusive character, Indy. There's an air of authenticity in the combination of casual, fun interactions and other hallmarks of friendship and the many problems the characters have. And the problems don't just exist, there are attempts to make progress on them...some more successful than others.

The interpersonal issues and superhero adventures are not only rather well-balanced, there's often quite a bit of overlap that usually works pretty well (there are even a couple times when Peter's friends have to help him save the day). There's quite a bit of quality dialogue, and the story lines are usually pretty good and sometimes very nicely dramatic. It's not a perfect show, and some of the episodes are rough in various ways. But there's still a fair amount of good plotting to be found.

The two-part series finale deserves a special mention as among the series' best, yet also rather heart-rending (it took me a little while to "recover"), as it's a MASSIVE downer ending that makes it seem like even more of a tragedy the series didn't go on longer. Extremely dramatic, gutsy, and well-done. They really pulled no punches here and it works! Even thinking about it gives me chills.

Overall, there's SO MUCH about this series that is great. It has drama, emotional depth and intensity, compelling character relationships, aesthetics that can be awesome when you get used to them, a splash of more dark and mature themes that work rather well, and much more. No, it's not perfect, but it's definitely worth a go for anyone interested in Spider-Man or superhero cartoons in general.

Spider-Man 2003 is a cel-shaded cartoon series for adults that aired on MTV and in syndication. It features amazing computer animation and the story-line is not the worst, though it does leave on a mini- cliff hanger. The action is interesting and fast-paced but not so much that you can't absorb scenery details and what's happening on the screen. I recommend that you give this series a try, as long as you watch the episodes in the correct order sequence.

I have determined the order in which to watch Spider-Man 2003. (I voted it an 8, but only if you watch the entire series in the correct order.)

Spider-man 2003 comes in a 2-disc set: disc 1 is A, disc 2 is B. Episodes are numbered, as on the discs. Copy and print this for your records.

Disc 1 (A) 3 4 1 5 2 6 7 8

Disc 2 (B) 2 1 3 4 5

If you can watch the episodes digitally, without discs, then watch the episodes in this sequential order (base this sequence on Wikipedia's list of episodes for Spider-Man 2003):

5. Law of the Jungle --- 2. Sword of Shikata --- 1. Heroes and Villains --- 3. Keeping Secrets --- 9. Royal Scam --- 4. Tight Squeeze --- 6. Head over Heels --- 10. The Party --- 7. Spider-Man Dis-Sabled --- 11. Flash Memory --- 8. When Sparks Fly --- 12. Mind Games I --- 13. Mind Games II

Apart from the action scenes this simplistic, juvenile fare is basically a waste of time. I was excited to see this but felt disappointed by it's shallow plots and characters. The computer animation is understandably simple, which is OK in itself, but combined with an average script I felt I was watching an opening for a computer game and wished i could hit escape to just get on with the game. I watched 3 episodes of this new spider-man series but found myself just fast forwarding to the action scenes as the actual dialog is painful. The one liners voiced by our nimble hero do not embody what I would call actual wit, just plain stupid adages. I'm finished complaining now, I don't usually complain so much but am obliged to write 10 lines for some reason.

I was very impressed with this show when I first viewed it on MTV. As a Spider-Man fan, I was intrigued by the changes made here with the characters from Spidey's comic history, but find them all acceptable. Of course, after I found out the Ultimate Spider-Man comic team was responsible for the series, that explained the changes.

I have no problem with the series at all except one. I hear it may not be continued. As Mr. Damien says in the Shikata episode, "Why in the hell not?" This series really captures the spirit of Spider-Man and the animation dazzles, in my opinion. If MTV is not going to continue the series, then I would sincerely hope that another network will. It would be a shame to have this die a premature death.

I religiously tune in to Spider-Man every week.

While it does use the Villain-of-the-Week scenario, I don't think this detracts from the success of the show. The animation is spectacularly done: it captures Spider-Man's motions with a McFarlane-esque fluid grace that has only ever been accomplished in comic books.

The villains themselves are modern: don't look for Electro to wear that laughable starfish mask!

What I like most about this series, though, is that the character of Peter Parker/Spider-Man portrays a lot of the duality and pathos that has made the character so popular over the years; here's a teenager with everyday problems and even superpowers out the ying-yang doesn't help him hold a job or get a passing grade. He's very... human.

What I don't like: the Harry Osborn and Indie characters. Harry's very 2-dimensional and his hatred for Spider-man (carried over from the movie) feels forced, it's more like the hatred one reserves for a rival sports team than the man who killed your father. He also flip-flops between brooding and vengeful to aloof playboy (for the love of God, pls stop swirling martinis!!!). Indie just feels out of place. A character they dreamt up but didn't have any other place to put her.

I love the series, I hope to see more, deeper stories and moreover, I hope this is a sign of cartoons to come!!

I've never been too much of a Spider Man fan. I've never seen the movie the whole way through. But this show this amazing! I love it! I mean this is not emmy material, but it is just pure fun! I'm hooked in it's web!

A-

After being burned by how the two Fox Kids "Spider-Man" cartoons were cut short before the plot lines were resolved, I was ready for a whole new incarnation of the wise-cracking webslinger in the red-and-blue pajamas.

At first, I was dismayed when I learned the entire thing was going to be done in computer animation. Come on! I didn't like the computer animation in neither the Spider-Man nor the Hulk feature films. I'll be scourged if computer animation will ever capture human motions as fluidly and as flawlessly as either live action or cell animation. If this series is going to be saved, it would have to be by the virtue of the story lines.

Luckily, it delivered in that avenue. Unlike the earlier incarnations of Spiderman on television, the writers either focused TOO much on pointless dialogue which can easily be conveyed through the actions of the characters, or as in the 1994 version, a lot of action (good) but a lot of superfluous dialogue was crammed in as well (bad). Here, they understood that the TV show does NOT always have to resemble a d**m comic book and actually utilized the cinematography offered through this medium (as well as the appropriately requisite dialogue) to convey the constant drama that is the dual life of Peter Parker/Spider-Man. Plus the fact that they take "liberties" with the language and themes by virtue of it being broadcast on Empty-V is an added bonus.

Speaking of the cinematography, the dizzying exhilarating web-slinging action almost makes up for the religious use of computer animation. The 1994 Spider-Man was enhanced by computer animation during the action sequences, so you can't really blame these people for taking the genre to its logical conclusion. Yet the characters still have that robotic feel to them, a major drawback to the CGI world that must be resolved before it's fully accepted.

The show still looks promising, and I will definitely place this among the shows to watch - a statement that is rare considering the channel it's being shown on.

*** out of **** stars.

I've been hearing about this show since shortly before the movie was released, and although I was disappointed by the fact that it was going to be completely computer generated, I was pretty excited by the fact that Brian Michael Bendis (the writer of Ultimate Spider-man) was going to be the head writer. After about a year had gone by with nothing on the air, however, I figured that the project probably wasn't going to get off the ground, so I forgot all about it. As anyone could probably imagine, I was pleasantly surprised to turn on MTV last Friday night and find that the premiere episode of "Spider-Man" was about to start.

Overall, I have to say that the show was about what I expected it to be when I first heard about it. It follows the continuity set in motion by the events of the first movie, but the characters, dialog, and overall feel of the movie feels more like the "Ultimate Spider-Man" comic series. Not that I'm complaining (especially since USM is one of my all-time favorite comic book series), but one of the things that I liked about the movie is that it felt like an old-school 1960s comic book story. The series is somewhat of a departure from that. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but some fans of the movie might not approve. Personally, as a huge fan of "Ultimate Spider-Man," I have to give the dialog and portrayal of the characters a big thumbs up.

I found the animation to be quite good. While I don't care much for computer-generated imagery (it just looks too mechanical), the series manages to maintain a sleek, stylized, and very appealing look that suits the character of Spider-Man quite well. The characters all move fluidly and naturally, and the action scenes are all exciting and fast-paced. My only complaint is that some of the backgrounds seem to be a little bland, but that's to be expected from an all-CGI television show (hey, not all CGI can be as good as Pixar).

To sum everything up, I felt that it was a pretty decent show that has the potential to be something truly great. It's a little different from the Spider-Man movie or the Spider-Man television shows from the past, but it's definitely worth a look.

I was fortunate enough to catch this new animated Spider-Man series very early in its' national MTV exposure. At first I was taken aback by the new animation - it reminds me of the Dreamcast game Jet Set Radio. Now don't get me wrong...just because I say I was taken aback doesn't mean I wasn't impressed. It's very fluid, flashy, and stylish. Spider-Man does all the things you'd expect him to do. The selection of color for the animation is rather eye-catching too. I couldn't complain. I wouldn't doubt kids and early adolescents being impressed by it.

As for the story, I only saw two back-to-back episodes, but they were rewarding for what they were. The voice acting has some big names credited and they certainly don't disappoint either. Perhaps nothing quite outstanding, but after all, the show is young and there is always room for improvement.

At first I was unaware which station this new series was being shown on. To be honest, I didn't even realize it was MTV until after the episodes were finished airing. Surprise, surprise. It's fairly obvious that the show is somewhat tailored to an MTV crowd, but don't let that be a drawback to a new, inspired reincarnation of the Spider-Man animated series.

High marks all across the board.

Being a fan of the comic book, this series is the best TV version yet. The animation is a fusion of "Reboot" and modern "Manga" style, and the stories which I have so far seen, are fresh. I look forward to seeing what direction the series takes and definitely recommend it to Spider-man fans of all kinds!!

I tuned in to Marvel's new animated "Spider-Man" television series after being hooked by the intriguing promos I've been seeing for the previous couple of weeks. I have got to admit I am impressed after watching the first two episodes. Each half-hour episode was fast moving, well acted, and had a tight, concise plot. These are not stand-alone episodes; character development is carried over from episode to episode. The main foreseeable pitfall that I hope the writers avoid is the "Supervillian of the Week" cliche. It's been done in every superhero show ever, and it's a show element that gets tired REAL quick. It might be easier to avoid in "Spider-Man" than in most other shows because as a character Peter Parker had always been at least as interesting as his alter ego Spider-Man. It is not hard to envision entire episodes where Spidey makes not a single appearance.

The show is aired on MTV, which should be a surprise but isn't. It should be surprising because MTV is renown for having a broadcast schedule filled entirely of utter crap. It isn't surprising because although it has been on a steep downward spiral for well over a decade now, MTV has had a rather impressive history of bringing quality post-adolescent animation to the masses. From "Aeon Flux", to "Beavis and Butthead", to "Daria", to the under appreciated "Undergrads" (now seen on Comedy Central), to their current hilarious show "Clone High", when it comes to animation MTV has the goods. Ironically, when it comes to MUSIC, MTV (MUSIC Television) is still sorely lacking.

The show features some relatively big name acting talent giving voice to the show's characters. Neil Patrick Harris (Doogie Howser, Starship Troopers) and Lisa Loeb (a singer known more for her bespectacled look than her songs) take the lead as Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Mary Jane, while other actors of note include Michael Dorn, Michael Clarke Duncan, Eve, and Ethan Embry. I hope they are not paying too much for this star power. If they are that means this must be a rather expensive show to produce. These days that seems to mean short runs and early cancellation. Who wants to pay a small fortune for a well-made show when they can just cobble together yet another "reality" show for a mere pittance?

Adding to the costs (...or perhaps cutting it nowadays) is the animation itself. "Spider-Man" is one of the earliest examples of true 21st Century animation. It is CGI from top to bottom. No farming out the tedious animation work to Korea or the Philippines, where folks would toil away for hours upon hours drawing one animation cel at a time. Now everything is done on computers, to dramatic effect. The look is unique, and the animation and special effects are seamless and super smooth.

Overall I'd rate "Spider-Man" an 8/10. However, that is only after two episodes and is certainly subject to change depending on where the series goes from here.

I remember the joy that I used to get as a kid when my mother would bring home the newest comic book off of the stand. My grubby little hands would sweat as I held it tenderly, and opened the pages and anticipated the enthralling story that I would soon be a part of. I thought that I was now too old for comics. However, it seems that there is nothing that I can do to escape them. The recent rush of films following the story lines that I knew and loved as a kid has once again captivated my interest. Nothing, and I mean nothing (not even the Spider-man movie) prepared me for the overwhelming excellence of the animated series of the same name. This truly is one of those shows that grabs a hold of you, and doesn't let go. Even after watching the season finale, I found myself hungry, anxiously awaiting the announcement of the date when the second season is to start. First let me discuss the most defining characteristic of the show, the animation style. The whole show was created with CGI, but at the same time was purposely made to look hand drawn. The results are fast moving images that make it seem more like you are reading a comic book that has come to life instead of watching something on your television. Complimenting the amazing animated effects is a fairly solid story, complete with plot twists, and the much fabled inner struggle that Peter Parker goes through in the old graphic novels, as he is constantly trying to sort out his feelings towards his friends, and maintain a relatively normal social life while saving New York. Though it is hard to have complaints about this show, I have found a few faults, though they are more simply nit picking than anything. The first complaint has to deal with the way the characters look. I feel that they have too much of that tried and true Real World look to their attire, which makes sense seeing as how they are on MTV, but their characters can sometimes fall into a similar mold as a person from that show. Likewise, instead of there being a lengthy struggle between good and evil (i.e. a villian who gets on the show and stays fighting Spidey for a multitude of weeks) we are left instead with the wall crawler fighting a different villian each week. Let's face it though, these complaints are fairly minute, I mean the overall presentation of the characters is near flawless, you feel for them as you watch them struggle with there problems, and parts of the show will find you with your jaw on the floor. As far as the weekly bad guy thing goes, I figure it makes it more fresh when you see Spider-man fight someone new each week, and it gives it the feel of the original comics.

Though I am not usually a supporter of the channel, I must tip my hat to MTV for bringing such a brilliantly executed television show to its broadcasting waves. Check this one out, and I am sure that you, like me, will be eagerly awaiting the second season.

Okay there are many things wrong with this series. This is definitely not the Spider-Man series i was hoping for. I can tell you why.

1. Its not a comic adaption and lack of comic characters

Okay why do they even bother making a series that takes place after the blockbuster Spider-Man movie? I mean sure its great and wonderful but why make a series of it. There are hardly any villains and supporting cast from the comics. And because of MTV and their stupid rule of not having any adult characters there is little JJJ and Curt Conners and Robbie Robertson, MJ's father and or course Aunt May weren't even part of the series. And don't get me started on the villains. Why made such stupid villains while you can have those cool ones from the comics. Okay so we can't have Green Goblin because of the movie and Doc Ock, Sandman & Venom are a no no but why can't they use villains like Shocker, Rhino or even Mysterio. They only classic villain they have here are Kraven the best villain here sadly, Kingpin who is portrayed very badly despite being voiced by MCD, Electro who was quite good, Lizard who looks nothing like the original and i don't even count Silver Sable as a classic villain.

2. Aimed at the wrong audience

Okay if you want a series about a classic hero like Spidey there are only two markets that you should aim for, The Kids and the Core Fans. Kids love the fights, the action and of course the hero and Core Fans love the villains, the stories used, the supporting cast and the everyman hero. Along with that there is only one market you should avoid at all cost, the MTV Crowd. I mean seriously WHY MTV? They don't even care about book characters they only care about the movie. And they are not even interested in this new series which is why it gotten cancelled mostly because it was aired in 2003 and X2 was the most popular movie back then meaning that they lost interest in character and whatever MTV says is cool or boring their lemmings will always agree.

3. Cell shaded animation

Exactly why is it that people don't like traditional animation anymore? Ther is absolutely no reason to make a Spider-Man series computer-animated. The animation is not bad but its not good either. Why use those damn computers when pencils and inks are your tools FOR GODS SAKE!!!!

There i said. The only thing i actually find interesting about this show is the violence and Spidey. As a fan of the character i say thank goodness we are rid of this rubbish and we are going to have a new Spidey DTV series next year. Take my word for it if you are a fan of the character go see the 90's series.

Just watched this series all the way through and actually quite enjoyed it, OK the villains are a bit naff, compared to those we have seen before and a few key characters are missing such as aunt May, not a massively important character to the show, Peter Parker, voiced by Neil Patrick Harris still has his usual one-liners and i thought the animation was actually quite good whether done by CG or not, who cares? something new was tried, i would have liked to see a second season, to see if they built on the first one!, i would recommend this to spidey fans to try to see what they think. after watching previous series myself and reading magazines for many years i personally would give this an eight out of ten!