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Peter Parker (Hudson Thames) swings back into viewers’ hearts with Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, the newest animated series from Marvel Television on Disney+. Although the story doesn’t fit within the MCU Sacred Timeline, it functions similarly to a What If…? scenario involving Spider-Man, depicting an all-new origin for the fan-favorite hero.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man features a distinct animation style that may not be for everyone, but the artistic designs from Character Designer and comic book artist Leo Romero are breathtaking. The illustrations feel like familiar retro versions of the characters and foster Saturday morning cartoon nostalgia.
While the animation style may be polarizing, there’s no denying the unique twist on the MCU Spider-Man‘s story is captivating and accurate to the roots of the character. Although Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man doesn’t quite stack up to 2024’s X-Men ’97 in terms of shock value and storytelling, it’s still a high-quality series that sets up an exciting future for Spider-Man stories in animation.
‘Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man’ Introduces an Original Group of Friends for Peter Parker
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man features a plethora of familiar characters from Peter Parker’s lore, but it’s the previously unexplored additions to his friend group that provide a spark to the series. Pearl Pangan (Cathy Ang) and Nico Minoru (Grace Song) are exciting inclusions in the series, as both have their own vast comic book histories. Nico Minoru is a member of The Runaways and is heavily featured in Marvel’s Midnight Suns video game, while Pearl Pangan, aka Wave, makes her television debut after appearing in the hit game Marvel Snap in 2022.
Although their insertion into Spidey’s story is welcome, Lonnie Lincoln (Eugene Byrd) steals the show. The character known as Tombstone is typically portrayed much older than Peter Parker, often associated with Robbie Robertson of the Daily Bugle, but Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man shakes things up; his story is the most exciting and emotionally charged part of the series, outside of Spider-Man’s own personal arc.
Norman Osborn Changes the Dynamic of the Marvel Universe
The biggest change to Peter’s journey in Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, in comparison to his MCU counterpart, is the addition of Norman Osborn as his mentor. Spider-Man fans know not to trust Norman, but his impact on Peter’s story creates a fun twist while staying true to who Spider-Man is at heart. Norman’s imposing nature is amplified by the incredible Colman Domingo, who delivers an impeccable performance as the elder Osborn. When he is meant to be menacing, he’s terrifying. However, Colman’s performance as Norman is also remarkably disarming when viewers first meet him.
Although Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man was reportedly originally planned to be set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe early in the creative process, the addition of Norman Osborn as a mentor is the most significant change to Peter’s origin from Captain America: Civil War. At times one might wonder if an Easter egg is simply a reference to the MCU or something that remained before the drastic production changes regarding canon.
One of the key aspects of Peter Parker’s lore that is left out of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is his relationship with Harry Osborn (Zeno Robinson). The duo is back together throughout Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, and it’s a welcome reunion. The two have great chemistry, and Zeno Robinson is an excellent Harry Osborn. Robinson provides a similarly upbeat and energetic performance to the role that he did as Gamma 2 in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero while continuing to prove he has the depth for earnest, emotional moments as well.
‘Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man’ Sets Up an Exciting Future for the Character
While the 10 episodes of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man make for an enjoyable season of television, it’s what the story sets up for the future that is more exciting than the season itself. So far, the series has been very origin-focused, but the teases for Spider-Man and his companions in future seasons will ensure viewers are clamoring for more, especially with two more seasons already green-lit by Marvel Studios.
The story throughout the first season is very familiar, with Peter’s journey being similar to his MCU origin, but with the addition of brand new characters. However, as the first 10 episodes of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man come to a conclusion, shocking revelations unveil exciting future implications for Spidey and his friends that are far more thrilling than their first adventure.
Overall, while the setups were more thrilling than the story for the first season, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is still an enjoyable, family-friendly series on Disney+. It doesn’t quite compare to the prowess of X-Men ’97, but it shouldn’t, since the latter had dozens of episodes worth of backstory already told. Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is a must-watch for MCU and Spidey fans alike.
'Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man' Review
4/5 Total Score
The Good
- The addition of new characters like Lonnie Lincoln, Nico Minoru, and Pearl Pangan to Spider-Man's story is a welcome change.
- With all the differences to Spider-Man's origin, the story still feels true to the character.
- Colman Domingo is an incredible Norman Osborn.
- Set ups for a potential second season tease thrilling future adventures.
The Bad
- The teases and side stories are often more exciting than the main A plot.
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