Your Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man: Season 1 - Review 

Rating: 4 out of 5

I HAVE to admit that the idea of yet another Spider-Man reboot (the 12th TV series) didn’t exactly seem inspiring. But this first season of Your Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man quickly proved itself to be a really pleasant surprise.

From its energetic opening titles to its eye-catching visual style (which embraced its comic book origins by combining a retro look with something also resolutely fresh and modern), this new series, created by Jeff Trammell, had a determination to do things differently, while still proving itself more than capable of pleasing the fans.

The characters, for starters, were richly engaging and suitably different. Hudson Thames made his Peter Parker/Spider-Man suitably endearing, combining a certain geekiness and insecurity (befitting Tom Holland’s most recent approach) with a charisma more akin to Andrew Garfield’s take.

But the story offered him plenty of opportunity to indulge both sides of his character as he navigated the challenges of being a superhero and doing the right thing with being a student, friend and teenager.

His supporting cast merely enhanced this, by virtue of either the differing spins put on known characters or the newer, fresher arrivals.

Of the former, Norman Osborn (voiced by Colman Domingo) stood out as Peter’s friend and benefactor - combining elements of Willem Dafoe and, ironically, Iron-Man (with his tech know-how and funding ability). He remained an enigmatic presence throughout.

Zeno Robinson’s Harry Osborn was also good value… a character who grew into the series the closer he got to Peter and his friends’ circle.

But the inclusion of lesser known characters from the Marvel universe also worked well, with both Grace Song (as Nico Minoru) and Eugene Byrd (as Lonnie Lincoln/Tombstone) offering wider possibilities for the series that also served as delicious Easter eggs for viewers with a deeper appreciation of the Spider-Man universe (my son included).

It meant that the show didn’t just offer a retread of certain scenarios.

Rather, it mixed things up and opened things up. Hence, while nods to certain MCU storylines brought a certain familiarity, other departures added an element of uncertainty.

Trammell and his creative team enjoyed keeping viewers on their toes: appearances by Dr Strange and Iron Man provided different incarnations from more recent depictions, while Charlie Cox dipped in as Dare-Devil.

The show also balanced the action with the drama well. The look and design of the show contributing to some great set pieces, without overdoing the action (as some past animated TV shows have), while also helping to inform the drama (particularly around Peter’s insecurities and vulnerability, as well as his deceptions/responsibilities).

Rather than having to take a deep breath before each episode, there was actually a sense of excitement, buoyed by the energy of the terrific theme song.

A second season is already in the works and feels alive with possibilities, thanks to the work put in here. Your Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man was a really pleasant surprise - a show capable of appealing to the most ardent fanboy as well as the more casual observer.