Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man - Season 1

When I shared my thoughts on the opening few episodes of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, I mentioned that I was surprised by what I witnessed. This Marvel Animation series wasn't presented in a way that particularly gave me a lot of confidence, as there was something about the trailers, the art style, the general theme that just didn't quite do it for me, especially following a run of generally middling Marvel television. However, this series debuted and actually blew me away, both in its really authentic comic presentation of Peter Parker/Spider-Man and also its theme and ability to deliver an origin story that didn't feel as though it was treading the exact same ground countless other web-slinging origin stories had. The big question at that time was whether Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man could maintain this strong opening for the rest of its first season.

Now that episodes nine and ten are out in the wild, I can add that Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man has delivered on consistency and served up an engaging and entertaining first season of television. It's not ground-breaking and it won't go down as one of the greatest animated works we've seen to date, but it's fun and delightful to consume on a weekly basis, with a duration that doesn't overstay its welcome and reaches its stepping off point in ample time. For a viewer, this show is exactly what you could have wanted, 10 unique 25-or-so-minute episodes that all arrived within a three week period. It's ideal for the hungry consumer.

But the release cadence and the runtime of this series isn't the reason why you should check it out when you get the time. This show is a familiar yet fresh take on the story of Spider-Man, one that twists the memorable events into something new, which utilises typically less popular characters, and all while being presented in an artistic style and with a direction that makes it feel as though it was ripped straight out of a comic book. If you watched What If...? and expected something more or enjoyed X-Men '97, this show is a natural and enjoyable next step, even if it doesn't quite stand as tall as the mutant-based other Marvel Animation titan.

While I will note that the pacing of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is typically very good, there are moments where you wish it would pick up a tad, especially as Peter flounders for episode-after-episode in an attempt to pick the right suit for the job. Some of the mid-season episodes feel a bit steady and predictable and there is a misstep in the latter half of the season too, where it's very, evidently clear that time and work needed to be done to set up the grand finale. Granted, this can be excused as the final two episodes are strong, especially the finale itself, which sprinkles in some crazy time travelling to allow this first batch of episodes to arrive in a full circle and serve up a fulfilling payoff.

Still, the cast provide strong performances, especially Hudson Thames as an instantly recognisable Peter Parker and Colman Domingo as a respectable yet somewhat fearful Norman Osborn. There are interesting and engaging characters here, and the way that it continues to weave in supporting assets, heroes, and villains means that the future of this simple and straightforward animated series is very bright indeed. At least, if you're a Spider-Man fan that is.

So, all in all, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man stands out as a strong addition to Marvel Animation's portfolio. It's a simple, enjoyable, delightful superhero action series that you'll appreciate your time with. The story is engaging, the art direction is actually stunning and memorable, the characters you meet along the way are handled so that even versed Spider-Man fans might be surprised with how they develop, and the finale sets up a future that's highly promising. Considering some of the drivel that Marvel has cranked out as of late, this is a good and fun watch.