Tag: Spider-Man

  • Marvel’s Spider-Man, Origin Part 2-6 Breakdown

    I said I’d be back when all 6 parts of Spider-Man’s origin were out, and here we are! Let’s break this thing down, piece by piece, and see what we’re in for with this new show! I’m starting on Part 2, if you missed my breakdown of Part 1, click here. Alright, here we go!

    So we pick up right after Peter got bit in part one, and he’s discovering his powers. It’s kind of refreshing to see the power discovery/origin phase again, since all the animated series to this point have glossed over it if you really think about it. They all had flashback episodes, but for the first time in a Spider-Man cartoon, I feel like we’re starting from the beginning with Peter and following him on his journey. I also like that Peter’s processing his powers with the 5 steps of the scientific method (that I’m sure we all learned in middle school). This keeps true to his scientific nature and gives this version of Peter almost an endearing personality about him.

    This episode is the Observation phase, and it’s a nice touch to have Peter recording his thoughts; talking to himself has always been a Spider-Man staple. I like the Raimi-trilogy moment where he’s hiding from an Osborn on the ceiling, and let’s not forget that part straight out of the comics where he flips to avoid a car and lands on the wall. And that Spider-Sense effect is awesome, be it a bit intrusive. It was subtler in previous iterations, but at least we’re clear on when it goes off.

    Next we get to the Hypothesis stage. Again, this recording his thoughts shtick they’ve got going is great, and the parkour/Parker bit was a nice face palm nerd joke only Peter would make (along with his baseball touchdown). I would, however, like to take a moment to point out the quip about his web shooters, how if they told time and played music he’d make a fortune. Not only is that legitimately funny, but it’s subtle, which is something we haven’t had in a while from the Disney XD Marvel shows. It’s smart humor, not fart humor, and with that, I think this show can go far. The rest is Peter making shapes and objects with his web shooters, a bit Amazing Spider-Man world in Shattered Dimensions if you ask me, but I guess it takes Peter’s ingenuity a step further, so I won’t complain. And the web slinging bit at the end, pure heart eye emoji joy.

    We now reach Prediction (smart throwing the psychic in there, though I wish it was Madame Web!) This is mainly Peter coming up with a name and a costume, which totally brought me back to me trying to (unsuccessfully) make my own homemade Spider-Man costume! That little Ben Reilly nod was cool, and hey, we hear Aunt May! Still haven’t seen her, or Uncle Ben, which is a bit strange, but they’re choosing to focus on Peter, so I guess it’s fine.

    The Experimentation part is my favorite of these origin bits. It’s basically a love letter to Raimi’s first Spider-Man movie (I mean, Bonesaw Mcgee! Come on!), and I’m all for it! It’s formatted like an episode of the show they made up “So You Want to be a Wrestler”, with backstage interviews, an announcer, and the video intros, which is unique and different. This version of Peter continues to win me over with his lack of sports knowledge and insistence on being a nerd no matter his situation. And the actual match with Bonesaw was cool peek at what the action in this show is going to be like. Peter throwing quips while coming up with creative and agile ways to take down his enemies. It’s perfect, it’s Spider-Man. Now of course, Peter lets the burglar go, and we know that won’t end well, but like I said, this was a 5 minute flashback to Spider-Man 1, and made me almost nostalgic in a way. And hey, let’s not forget about good old Stan Lee’s cameo!

    The last part, appropriately titled Conclusion, is the Uncle Ben portion. Strange, since, again, we haven’t seen Uncle to this point, so the emotional impact isn’t as strong, but kids will be watching, so I don’t expect them to pack it on. And Peter’s reaction is more than enough to sell it. I can’t understate, however, how much I love, love, love the opening to this. Peter stating that the trophy is made of three kinds of metal, then asking “You know else is made up of three different kinds of metal?” And boom! It’s an inspired moment, and one that  drives home the point while punching you in the gut. The rest is by the numbers, Peter corners Uncle Ben’s killer, full of rage, discovers it’s his fault, and accepts that with great power comes great responsibility. Peter’s anger and then anguish at what he did is well represented, and helps me really connect to Peter. I actually believe why he wants to be Spider-Man in the end.

    I think that this six-part origin was necessary, so that when we’re thrown into Peter’s adventures as the wall crawler, we now care about who he is underneath. I find that the best Spider-Man stories are when I’m rooting for Peter, even when he’s wearing the mask. Ultimate took a step back from the Peter Parker aspect, which I think cost the show dearly, and is the reason no one really got into it. But this show seems to be getting back to basics, the reason we all love Spider-Man in the first place, and that’s because when he’s plain old Peter Parker, he one of us. I’m really excited, and everything I’ve seen of this show only gives me more hope. Fingers crossed that this is the Spider-Man show that’ll go down in history as the best!

  • Spider-Man Confirmed on Marvel v.s Capcom Infinite #SDCC

    Now I can pre-order the game in good faith knowing that Spider-Man is confirmed! Comic Con kept the hits coming with the reveal that Spider-Man, Frank West, and Nemisis (you know, that big immovable tank character) are in the game and a new creative stage combining A.I.M and Umbrella! Get ready for some Crawler Assault and Maximum Spider! Also there’s a new special with cameo from a longtime Spidey villain! And we got a first look at the Mind Stone, which apparently maxes out your special meter. Very helpful I’d say! Marvel v.s Capcom Infinite launches September 19!

  • Spider-Man Homecoming Easter Eggs

    Alright, Spider-Man: Homecoming is out, and you’d better bring an Easter basket because the Easter Bunny was hopping all up through this movie! So, strap up, and let’s jump in! Oh yeah, and SPOILER ALERT!!!

    Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man

    Wealth and fame, he’s ignored, action is his reward. Look out! Here comes the Spider-Man! Not only did we get an awesome Michael Giacchino orchestreal version of the classic theme in the beginning, but Spider-Man left notes on the criminals he caught just like a good Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man would!

    The Scorpion

    Mac Gargan, aka the Scorpion, played a small role in this movie, but I think he’s more there as a token for what’s to come. I like the fact that for those who didn’t catch the name Mac Gargan, they basically telegraphed it by giving him a scorpion tattoo on his neck (and the scarring on his face more reminiscent of Ultimate Scorpion). Even with his small amount of screen time, Gargan came across as menacing and a bit scary (talking about slitting poor Spider-Man’s throat!) I’m excited to finally see Scorpion on the big screen, and I’m ready to meet his ‘friends on the outside’. *Cough, Sinister Six, cough*.

    Jim Morita

    Midtown High’s principal is Mr. Morita (I heard it in a voicemail  from Michelle in the Spider-Man Homecoming app… I have no life). We know that Captain America had an old war buddy named Jim Morita, a member of the Howling Commandos! Jim Morita and Principal Morita are both played by the same actor. Which probably explains the black and white photo and war medals for old Jimmy posted up in Principal Morita’s office. It’s quick, so make sure you catch it!

    Women of Spider-Man

    We had Betty Brant reporting the news Daily Bugle style, although she looked a lot like Gwen Stacy. We had Liz Allen, with a surprising twist, although she married Harry Osborn at one point in the comics, so having a villain as a father isn’t a far stretch. And we also had Michelle come out as MJ. Not Mary Jane, but MJ. I don’t know, we’ll see what they do with her, but I really do want the classic Spider-Man and Mary Jane relationship. So maybe, now that she has friends, MJ will come out of her shell a bit more and grow into the party girl we all know and love! Oh, and the Asian girl on the Decathlon team is listed as ‘Cindy’. Hm… *Cough, Silk, cough!*

    Ned Leeds

    Another one of Peter’s friends that had the unfortunate disposition of becoming a Goblin, and paying the price. Well, let’s hope that never happens, because Ned is a great guy in the chair!

    Forehead of Security

    This isn’t really an Easter egg more so than a callback, but in the car when Tony and Happy are dropping Peter off at home, Tony states that Happy used to be the Forehead of Security, which was the joke he made in Iron Man 3 when Happy, not knowing how to work an iPad, was holding the camera up to his forehead.

    Homemade Suit

    This suit just screams Ben Reilly. We’re all thinking it! Might as well just say it!

    Iron Spider

    It looked a lot different, but the suit Tony presents Peter with in the end of the movie, along with an offer to become an Avenger, is indeed the Iron Spider. I have a feeling Peter will be donning that suit when Infinity War rolls around, but until then, he’s gonna just go ahead and be a Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.

    Uncle Aaron/ The Prowler

    I’m going to write an entire article on Donald Glover and his relation to Miles Morales, but it’s good to see that they cast him as Mile’s Uncle Aaron Davis, who is also the villain known as the Prowler in the Ultimate comics. I’m also glad he mentioned his nephew, more or less confirming Miles’s existance in the MCU!

    Spidey Tracers

    When Shocker comes to Midtown looking for the Chitauri power source Spidey swiped, Peter narrowly avoids them, and tags Shultz with a tiny little mechanic spider that allows him to track them to Maryland. These are classic Spidey Tracers, used often in the comics and 90’s series but never in the movies… until now!

    Damage Control

    Dwayne McDuffie, a minority comic creator and huge inspiration to me, created Damage Control, the guys who clean up the messes superheroes tend to make. It’s good to see it get some love in an MCU movie since the TV show is apparently MIA. There was a passing mention of it in Iron Man 1, but here it is in full force! All they’re missing is the bulldog logo!

    MCU Here and There

    Just a bunch of little sprinkled MCU bits cementing Spider-Man into the Universe, here’s a few of them:

    • Avengers Tower (duh)
    • Road sign in DC warning about ‘Triskelion cleanup’
    • Pictures of Howard Stark and Bruce Banner at Midtown, and hey, I even hear ‘ol Dr. Erskine is up there!
    • History lesson on the Sokovia Accords
    • A gun assembled from ‘Sub-Ultron’ parts
    • Cap being a war criminal (sad face emoji)
    • Speaking of Cap, notice he’s in his Avengers (2012) uniform, so I guess these were filmed right after he was thawed out
    • The first 15 minutes of the film, right after the Battle of New York and during Civil War

    Now, there’s a big one, right at the end where where Spider-Man is trapped under the rubble, but I can’t tell you yhat because it would spoil the trivia question for my Spider-Man Homecoming Podcast, so… I guess we’ll end here! Were there any I missed? Let me know in the comments below, and stay tuned for more from Spider-Man Homecoming!

  • Spider-Man: Homecoming

    Spider-Man: Homecoming is finally  out! This is a thread for conversation, what we liked, what we didn’t, what we thought, Spidey, Vulture, everything! All spoilers, so don’t venture into the comments if you haven’t seen the movie yet! So let’s start a conversation below! Members can listen to my full #SpiderManHomecoming review in Episode 2 of the Face Front Podcast, and get a chance to win a Marvel Legends Spider-Man action figure! So what’d you guys think? A lot happened, so let’s jump in!

  • Marvel Heroes Omega

    WARNING: This post contains ‘gamer lingo’, words like XP and gear and beta. If you are not fluent, you may get a little lost. Don’t worry, I’ll try and keep it simple.

    So, I played Marvel Heroes Omega today. Actually, I started playing Marvel Heroes back in 2013 in the PC beta, but yesterday was the official console launch. They’ve been in beta on consoles for about a month (which I also played), but now that they’ve fully launched, I’m going to assume that this is the most perfect version of the game they were after for this date. So, with that in mind, I’m going to talk about it!

    So I played around with Spider-Man, who I bought the character pack for in the beta. He’s my favorite hero and, after 4 years of playing him in the PC version, I have a pretty good idea of what he can do. I was playing on PS4 with my brother playing as Black Widow. He’s a DC fan, and literally doesn’t like any Marvel hero except for Widow, so that’s fine. I am a big fan of the couch co-op they added, which for obvious reasons couldn’t be done on PC. It’s like when we played Ultimate Alliance back in the day, and it’s way more fun to run around these levels with a friend than it is doing it by your lonesome. We played through the Hell’s Kitchen level, where you’ve got to fight Venom, Electro, Shocker, and Doc Ock, in an attempt to secure the Tablet of Life and Time.

    I’ve been through this mission quite a few times, having been on the game for so long. But I must say, they’ve definitely changed the level up. It’s a bit more streamlined for consoles. For instance, Electro would show up at random times and places in the PC version, and you and a group of other players would have to box him in and beat him. Now, he’s got his own little power plant, and his goons! They also changed the Venom fight, not drastically, but, well, Alistair Smythe used to be in the level and now he’s not… The Shocker and Doc Ock fights are basically the same.

    I like the gameplay and controls. You can assign which attacks you want to which slots, which makes it nice and easy. I like playing consoles better than PC, I grew up on PlayStation, and a good Duelshock feels right in my hands. In the PC the moves were attached to A, S, D, F, G and H on the keyboard. But using the good old X, square, circle and triangle just feels so much better, and you can access a secondary set of moves by holding L2.

    Like the PC version, this one has gear. I feel like the inventory is a lot smaller, which is burdensome when you try to pick up a mask or web shooters and Spider-Man complains “I only have two arms here… usually!” But I overcame inventory in the PC, so I think I can do it here. The system is also simplified, with big green arrows on each piece of gear telling you “Oh, this will make you stronger!” and big red ones saying “Nah fam, trade this in for crafter XP.”

    Speaking of XP, more powers unlock as you get higher in level, which would be a problem for my brother, because Black Widow caps at level 10 unless I fully unlock her which would allow her to go to 60. Luckily we finished the level as he hit level 9. But it’s a little jarring, since My Spider-Man on the PC is not only level 60, but has prestige as well, so not having access to all his powers makes me a little impatient. I had to hit level 10 just to web swing!

    Now, there are some things I take issue with. For instance, everything is so much more expensive! Like, leaps and bounds. Things you didn’t have to buy, with real or in-game currency, in the PC version are being sold here! Also, the character selection is drastically decreased, as are the costumes, and the sidekicks are absent. But I feel all that will come in time, so I’ll be patient. Except for the Fantastic Four, who have been removed from both versions of the game, but that’s a post for another day. Now this next issue made me very upset. I saw a Spider-Man loot box, with a chance at the Spider-Man Homecoming costume, the hooded version, Spider-Gwen, Amazing Spider-Man, or Iron Man’s Mark 47. Each cost 250 G’s (currency that can only be acquired with real money). I had 500 from the Spider-Man character pack I bought, so I said hey, why not, any of those costumes would be sweet, and I get two chances! What the loot box failed to mention, however, was that I also had a chance to get NO COSTUME AT ALL! Which was the case with both boxes I opened, so now I have zero G’s, no new Spider-Man costumes, and a bunch of useless junk I’m probably going to trade or dismantle later. Stupid me, I guess. Costumes in the PC version have always been for sale, which is why I like Marvel Heroes. No BS ‘chance’ crap like in pretty much every Marvel mobile game, you get what you pay for. But I actually discovered that this is the only way to get the Homecoming stuff, even in the PC version, a chance draw through Fortune Cards, which makes me very sad after how long I’ve been supporting this game.

    So, never buying loot boxes again. But other than that, all I’ve ever wanted, since I played the PC beta back in 2013, was for Marvel Heroes to come to PlayStation, and now I finally have that. It’s a great start, and there is room for improvement, but so far, I think that newcomers will be able to jump right in and have a good time. PC players can stick with that, heck, I have more characters and costumes in the PC version, so I’ll still play that too. But playing on the PS4, well, that’s just a dream, that’s finally come true.

  • Ingenuity vs. Laziness: Spider-Man Cereal Prizes

    My, what has become of toys these days? Cracker Jacks used to come with little prizes and knick knacks, and now you just get not-so-fun “fun facts”.  Large, elaborate playsets are now cheaply painted hunks of plastic. But I’m limiting my scope to these three web shooters I pulled out of cereal boxes over time, from the Spider-Man (2002), Spider-Man 2 (2004), and Spider-Man Homecoming (2017) eras.

    So I was at the store the other day, and I see Cinnamon Toast Crunch has a Spider-Man ‘web’ shooter, that squirts water. Like a sucker, I bought two boxes (because Spider-Man has two web shooters, I’m sort of OCD like that). So I get home, I open the box, and…

    Well, let me get to that. I want to start with the good stuff. So, the first Raimi Spider-Man movie, this is what all the kids were getting in their cereal boxes.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    It’s a great design, fits right on the wrist, and when you do the web signal, the water comes out in spades! I love these things, I actually feel like Spider-Man when I’m wearing them!

    Next up we’ve got Spider-Man 2. Now this doesn’t shoot webs, but if you turn out the lights, it shines an awesome Spider Light on the wall! Which, actually, Peter has in the new movie, so… missed opportunity there. But this is even better because it’s got an adjustable strap! As you can see, I kind of wore it down, but I was a kid, and it was fun to shine the light. Hours of entertainment!

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Then there’s these. Let me continue my story: So I get home, I open the box, and… out come these soulless machinations of man! First of all, I figured out that there’s six different kinds, which sucked since I was trying to get a matching pair. Next, the little squirter holds about ¼ of the water the Spider-Man 1 ones did, barely getting off 1.5 squirts (And they have the nerve to put target practice markers on the back of the box!) And lastly, they go on backwards, which is not only counter-intuitive, but it takes away the thrill of actually ‘spinning a web’, and you have to press it with your other hand for water to come out! I will admit, however, they do look cool.

    So, if anything, I just feel sorry for the kids of today, since this is all they get to play with. I hope they find some joy in them, but in my opinion, these big cereal companies need more ingenuity, and less lazy designs! I write this out of love! For Spider-Man, and for the children!

  • Marvel’s Spider-Man: All-New Animated Show

    So Spidey’s been put through the wringer quite a few times on TV. Everyone has their favorites, people tend to lean towards either Spectacular Spider-Man or the 90’s series (it’s 90’s for me, but Spectacular is a close second!). Then there’s Ultimate Spider-Man. Now, Ultimate Spider-Man definitely has its episodes. The season 1 finale pitting Spider-Man against the Green Goblin, the Spider-Verse and the Return to the Spider-Verse, responsible for animated debuts of Miles and Spider-Gwen respectively. And for some reason, I really like the Iron Spider episode (real early season 1). But for the most part, I admit Ultimate was inferior to previous incarnations. And you all know why, so I won’t get into all that.

    But Ultimate Spider-Man is gone, thankfully with an actual (and full circle) ending, which is more than most cartoons get these days (*cough* Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, Tron, Thundercats, Young Ju- oh wait… never mind). Now they’ve got this new show, simply called Marvel’s Spider-Man, conveniently coming out around the same time as Homecoming. Now, I have to say, I like what I see so far. Here’s the clip:

    So apparently this is the first of six shorts telling Peter’s origin, similar to what they did with Secret Wars earlier this month. They name dropped a ton, so let’s dig in.

    • Harry, science nerd. Kind of defeats the purpose of his friendship with Peter because Peter always helped him with science, but I guess this new direction they’re taking has them connecting on a nerdy level, so I’m fine.

    • Smythe is a student, and his dad is a teacher at Midtown! Now, we all know Alistair went rogue because his dad died dishonored and with no respect on his name, which I think might be a little dark for the show, but maybe they’ll go the 90’s route and put him in a coma, forcing Alistair into some Spider-Slayer action!

    • Liz Allen. Hm. She had quite the role in Spectacular and even played a good supporting part in the 90’s series, but it looks as if they’re using her as the main girl here. You know, because of Homecoming. I’m not gonna make any assumptions, but I really miss the days of Spider-Man and Mary Jane (Dang Mephisto… dang One More Day… gosh dang Brand New Day!!!). Also the neck tie reminds me of Pepper from Iron Man: Armored Adventures, but that may or may not be related to the fact that I’ve started re-watching that show from the beginning…

    Now, I like the animation just fine, some people were complaining about it in the Scorpion clip (Found Here!) but I think it’s fine. Peter is nerdy, which is good. And the tone of the show seems perfect. I’m gonna wait on the other five parts to come out, but I’m already excited. I’m a little upset that we still don’t have a release date, but let’s hope it’s soon!

    So what are you guys thinking? Comment below, let’s talk! New Spider-Man show, yay or nay? Let me know!