I've talked about the "Ultimate Spider-Man" cartoon in passing in other blog posts, usually in a negative way. For the first two seasons, it was very childish with a very incompetent Spider-Man that isn't as smart as the character's supposed to be. He once stole something from SHIELD without knowing what it is to use in a science fair, tried to use taser webbing on Electro (the idiocy of that action speaks for itself), and couldn't even beat the Sinister Six without help from his friends. And don't even get me started on the Family Guy style cutaway gags with chibi versions of characters and fourth wall breaking elements that are more suited for Deadpool (there was an episode that starred Deadpool though and it was awesome). What really pissed fans off with this series was that it wants you to take it seriously but throws in so much ridiculousness that it couldn't be. By the episode "Back in Black", I decreed it as the worst thing to happen to Spider-Man since "One More Day". However, I continued to watch in hopes that it could improve. And while it did with some episodes, there were still some stupid ones like the one where he moved to Boston and got his own Spider-Cave. Please don't ask; I killed enough brain cells watching that, so I don't need to lose more trying to explain it. Some supporters of the show say it's more directed at kids, but as I've said in my Power Rangers retrospective, kids shows CAN appeal to older audiences and that's what makes those the most successful. It's why the preceding "Spectacular Spider-Man" show is more widely acclaimed than "Ultimate."
However, when the third season started, it was easy to see that Marvel listened to fan complaints. The show definitely cut back on the cutaway gags and Spider-Man has greatly matured and improved since the first episode, even acting as a mentor to newer, younger heroes. It still doesn't hold a candle to "Spectacular" or even the 90's series and still forgoes looking into Peter Parker's social life in favor of superhero team-ups, but it has definitely gotten better.
As part of the promotion of season three, a teaser was released showing the main Spidey surrounded by alternate versions (pictured above). It would later turn out to be for the four part story, "The Spider-Verse", which was the show's version of the recent comic story of the same name (and to extension the Shattered Dimensions video game). I wasn't planning on writing a review on it, but after watching it, I found I had a lot to say about what could be considered a mini-movie. So let's jump in.
With the Goblin on the run after escaping his prison at the end of the previous "New Warriors" story arc, Spider-Man goes in search of him starting with one of his old hideouts. He finds the Goblin with Electro, who wants him to power the artifact known as the Siege Perilous so he can travel to alternate dimensions to find different versions of Spider-Man. Electro refuses, but not taking no for an answer, the Goblin sucks Electro into the gem and forces him to open inter-dimensional portals. Goblin opens and enters a portal with Spidey following after.
As we go through this, I'm going to do it by segment/universe with my thoughts on it. Let me do say though that the common theme for each segment is that the Spider-People are doubting themselves and has some version of J. Jonah Jameson being his usual dicky self and ranting about Spider-Man.
2099: This is a real highlight of not just this crossover, but for the series as a whole. When regular Spidey jumps to the alternate future, the animation goes from traditional 2D to CGI animation similar to the 2003 MTV series starring Neil Patrick Harris. It was a nice change of pace and kind of makes me want to have a new Spider-Man series in that style. It was pretty slick, especially with the design of the Goblin. That's all the good I can really say for this segment though. While it's cool to see Miguel O'Hara for the first time on TV, he doesn't really set himself apart from the others; not to mention I wasn't a fan of his voice here. It does end on a high note though with Peter and Miguel stopping a large antennae from falling to the streets.
SPIDER-GIRL: When it came to the Spider-Girl that would appear on the show, there was speculation to how she'd be done. While it would have been nice to see May Parker, Peter and Mary Jane's daughter from an alternate future, it turned out to be the other likely route and be a Peter Parker from a gender-swapped universe called Petra Parker. Because you know, apparently showing Spider-Man married and have a kid makes him unrelatable for some reason (Quesada logic). When it came to the actual segment itself, I honestly kind of found it sexist and childish. When Spider-Man falls through the portal, he runs out of webbing and ends up being saved by Spider-Girl, who then berates him for "cosplaying" and saying "a boy can't be Spider-Girl." Eventually, Peter's able to convince her of who he is and they team-up to battle the Goblins of their worlds, one of whom is known as Norma Osborn. Here's what I don't get though: I can buy that it's an alternate world where women are more in charge and I assume men are treated unfairly (probably making less money), but based on Spider-Girl's comments, it seems that men haven't done much compared to women in terms of being treated equally. Though I could be wrong and maybe Spider-Girl's like how Peter was at the start of the series and is just immature, but even then, Peter didn't berate White Tiger for being a girl when they first met. I feel I should point out though that if women are considered the stronger gender in this universe, then shouldn't Petra really call herself Spider-Woman instead of girl? It's not like Peter decided to call himself Spider-Boy, and he and Petra should be about the same age. At least the recently created alternate version of Gwen Stacy with spider powers calls herself Spider-Woman. Please note I don't intend any of these comments to be sexist; only an attempt to analyze the segment. Honestly though, it would have been more interesting if they used the May Parker version, seeing not only him possibly having a daughter, but that he and Mary Jane are married.
NOIR: When we meet the Noir Spidey of this segment, I didn't quite like how he was done. Compared to the comics version, he was very hardened and has pushed all his loved ones away. But then I realized, this version of Spider-Man Noir has probably been doing this for much longer than his comics counterpart, so it makes sense for him to be so down in the dumps about his crusade. It's like Batman, as the Noir version of Spidey is constantly compared to. What also stands out during this segment is that we meet the Noir version of Mary Jane, and there are hints to her and Spider-Man having a relationship, the first instance of such since the show began. Even if it isn't the main versions of Peter and MJ, it's nice to see at least some hint of the romance the characters have shared.
SPIDER-HAM: While I've known of Spider-Ham, I've never really had interest in the character. I can't really say much, but what really stands out about this segment is the animation style. With the cartoon animal motif, there's a lot of slapstick comedy, very reminiscent of classic Looney Tunes, and it's actually very well done. It's also worth mentioning that unlike the previous Spideys met so far, Peter doesn't have a brawl with Porker, or the other Spider-Men from this point on. That made me glad, because it would have been tiring to see every Spider-Person be at odds with Peter.
SPYDER-KNIGHT: A new creation for the crossover, we meet a version of the wall crawler living in Medieval times. Honestly, I'm not a huge fan of medieval lore so I can't really say much about this segment. But I do applaud them for doing something new, and I'd have to say it is pretty well done.
MILES MORALES: This was my personal favorite segment. When Peter arrives, he thinks he's back in his world, but then finds the Goblin fighting another Spider-Man. Eventually, that world's Goblin arrives and attacks his doppelganger. Considering that the main version of Goblin on the show is a mix of the gadget based 616 Goblin and the mutated version of the Ultimate Goblin, the alternate Goblin here is full-on mutated, looking like a demon and even has the fire powers; he even has gargoyle like wings, but I wasn't a fan of that addition. While the Goblins battle, Peter gets the other Spidey to safety, where he discovers that this Spider-Man is a thirteen year old named Miles Morales. The interaction between the two is great and very reminiscent of their meeting in the "Spider-Men" crossover of the comics. You can tell the scene is written by Brian Michael Bendis because it definitely sounds like a conversation he would write. Eventually Miles tells Peter that this world's version of him had died saving the city. While Miles had his powers before that, he feels guilty, believing that had he done something, Peter may have been saved, and doubts that he can live up the legacy Peter left. Eventually the battling Goblins find their way to the Spider-Men. As Peter's Goblin makes his escape, Peter and Miles have a pretty good battle against that world's Goblin, working well together, making me think of the recent Ultimate Comics "Revival" story where Peter mysteriously comes back from the dead and works with Miles to beat the Goblin. As Peter follows his Goblin again, he gives Miles his blessing and tells him to not worry about being a "Peter Parker Spider-Man" and be a "Miles Morales Spider-Man." As someone that's followed Miles' comic adventures, it was nice to see him being put into the spotlight, and hopefully it gets people interested in the character and see how he's made the role of Spider-Man his own and that we see more of the character outside of the comics. If there's one thing about this segment I didn't like, it's that unlike after Peter's death in the Ultimate Comics, the Jameson of Miles' world is still anti-Spider-Man. I'm gonna chalk that up to the possible fact that like on the show's main universe, he and Peter didn't have a relationship.
Following that, Peter finds himself back in his universe and tracks the Goblin back down. Not only has the Goblin used the blood he stole from the Spider-People to transform himself into the Spider-Goblin, but he's also pieced together that Peter is Spider-Man. With the Spider-Goblin too much to handle, Peter is able to get the Siege Perilous with Electro still trapped inside, and uses it to bring reinforcements in the form of the Spider-People he met through the previous episodes. They all have some pretty good interaction with one another, especially with the others having a hard time taking Spider-Ham seriously. The Spider-Goblin is still too much for them, but they're eventually able to use Electro's powers to fry out the serum the Goblin used, and he transforms back into Norman Osborn, in addition to suffering amnesia, in turn forgetting Spider-Man's identity. But Electro is able to escape the gem and use the Siege Perilous to his own use, placing the whole city at risk of destruction. They're able to take Electro down, and the Siege Perilous has enough juice in it to send the other Spider-People home. Before departing, they all thank Peter for giving them confidence they were all looking for to continue fighting crime. It's very reminiscent of the farewells the four Spider-Men had at the end of "Shattered Dimensions", in a way that shows how much of a part Spider-Man plays not only in one world, but across the multiverse.
Here's how I would rank Peter's dimension visits from best to worst:
1. Miles Morales
2. Noir
3. 2099
4. Spider-Ham
5. Spider-Girl
6. Spyder-Knight
So overall, I thought this was a pretty good story arc. While it could have been better in some areas, it's definitely a high point in the series' run so far, and shows how far it's come since the first episode. Plus, I'm a sucker for alternate versions of Spider-Man and when they interact with each other. So even if you're still not a fan of the show, I'd recommend any Spidey fan to check it out, especially if you enjoyed "Shattered Dimensions". Even if it's not exactly an original idea, it still pays a good tribute to the character and the different ways he's been seen through the years.
SCORE: 7.5/10
