The Spectacular Spider-Man
The 100% Rotten Tomatoes Spider-Man cartoon fans still rank above all others. Greg Weisman's Midtown High, the slow burn Sinister Six. 26 episodes, buy only, worth every cent.
Cast & Key People
▶
Our Review
Cast & Key People
▶
Our Review
The Spectacular Spider-Man (2008) is a animation and action series from The CW. Episodes run about 22 minutes. It premiered on March 8, 2008. Viewers rate it 8.4 out of 10. Critics sit at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. It is currently ended. It runs 2 seasons.
What The Spectacular Spider-Man Is About
The line of Super Villains determined to take down Spidey seems never ending. There’s Venom, Electro, Dr. Octopus, Sandman and Rhino – just to name a few. These criminals are almost more than he can handle and the stress would be enough to send a lesser Super Hero over the edge, but it’s all in a day’s work for The Spectacular Spider-Man.
What to Expect When You Watch
Episodes run about 22 minutes, which keeps the pace tight, spread across 2 seasons and it leans into its animation/action roots while leaving room for the quieter character beats.
Performance-wise the series leans on Josh Keaton, Lacey Chabert and Joshua LeBar to carry the emotional weight, with the rest of the ensemble filling out the world around them.
Cast and Creative Team
Josh Keaton, Lacey Chabert, Joshua LeBar, Alanna Ubach, Vanessa Marshall and James Arnold Taylor lead the cast.
Key roles include Josh Keaton as Peter Parker / Spider-Man; Lacey Chabert as Gwen Stacy; Joshua LeBar as Flash Thompson / Nick Bottom; Alanna Ubach as Liz Allan; Vanessa Marshall as Mary Jane Watson.
Why It Stands Out
Fans of animation, action and adventure have a clear reason to give this one a shot. It sits comfortably alongside The CW’s other originals, a 8.4/10 audience score puts it in steady company and it commits to its premise instead of hedging between tones.
Released in 2008 and carried by The CW with the series still ended, it lands hardest with animation and action viewers.
How The Spectacular Spider-Man Compares
If The Spectacular Spider-Man lands for you, the next stops are Avatar: The Last Airbender, Death Note and X-Men: The Animated Series, which share its animation/action lean.
Each of those sits at a different point on the same spectrum, so they make a natural follow-up once you finish the run here.
Where to Stream
The Spectacular Spider-Man comes from The CW. Check your preferred platform for current availability, since regional rights move around.
Disclosure: We may earn a commission if you sign up for a streaming service through links on this page. This helps support our independent reviews.
On the whole The Spectacular Spider-Man is the kind of series that rewards a patient watch, with Josh Keaton and Lacey Chabert doing the heaviest lifting, a tone that stays true to its animation/action roots, It has held up since 2008 and so if the premise sounds like your lane, the execution holds up.
The Bottom Line
The Spectacular Spider-Man is a safe bet for anyone already inside the animation and action lane, the audience score holds around 8.4/10 and so there is little risk in starting it tonight.
Verdict: 8.4/10. Watch it if you want animation/action you can settle into.
