SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
SLJ Blog Network +
  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About/Contact
  • Previews
  • Reviews
  • Manga
  • All Ages
  • Young Adult
  • Interviews
  • News

April 5, 2012 by Mike Pawuk

Cartooning Around: Ultimate Spider-Man on Marvel Universe/Disney XD

April 5, 2012 by Mike Pawuk   2 comments

With this summer shaping up to be another fantastic time for comic book fans—with feature films including The Avengers (May 4th), Amazing Spider-Man (July 3), and Dark Knight Rises (July 20)—kids especially are getting treated to a double whammy of DC and Marvel Comics presence on television as well, with DC Comics’ DC Nation programming on the Cartoon Network cable channel and Marvel Comics’ Marvel Universe programming on Disney XD channel.

Sure, we’ve had animated series with tie-ins to well-known DC and Marvel Comics properties before, but this is the first time there has been a clear-cut focus on the companies themselves and their properties, and the results are fairly positive. The Marvel Universe line-up is highlighted by two animated series: the brand-new Ultimate Spider-Man show as well as the return of The Avengers: Earth Mightiest Heroes. Today we’re going to look into Disney’s Marvel Universe Ultimate Spider-Man animated series, which premiered this past Sunday, April.

SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Ultimate Spider-Man
Season 1, Episodes 1 and 2
Aired date: April 1, 2012
Written by Paul Dini

Ultimate Spider-Man logo
Ultimate Spider-Man is the latest animated Spider-Man series. Before this, there was the highly-regarded Spectacular Spider-Man series that aired from 2008-2009, but the series was prematurely cancelled shortly after Disney’s acquisition of Marvel Comics. The new Ultimate Spider-Man animated series is loosely based on the comic book series of the same name. As a word of note, this series does NOT feature Miles Morales, the new Spider-Man in the ongoing monthly comic book, but good old Peter Parker.

The premise of the new Ultimate Spider-Man series from the premiere episode is that Peter Parker is 16 years old and still in high school. It has been one year since Peter was bitten by a radioactive spider and became the hero known as Spider-Man. He attends high school alongside his longtime friend Mary Jane Watson, who longs for a career working for the Daily Bugle as a reporter. Peter is still being bullied by the football jock Flash Thompson, who mainly so far just enjoys stuffing “puny” Parker into lockers, and he has a good friend in Harry Osborn, the son of billionaire Norman Osborn. Peter still lives with his Aunt May, who is still mourning the loss of Ben Parker, Peter’s uncle, and Peter is still hounded in the press by J. Jonah Jameson, who still thinks Spider-Man is a menace to New York City. The series is squarely based on the daily life of being a high school student, albeit with super-powers.

After a disastrous battle against the villain called The Trapster, which results in a lot of collateral damage near the battle, Spider-Man is visited by Nick Fury, the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. (the acronym stands for Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division), who wishes to have Spider-Man join the agency and be trained to be a hero in league with Captain America and Iron Man. As Fury puts it, “I want S.H.I.E.L.D. to train you to be a better Spider-Man. The Ultimate Spider-Man.”

Meanwhile, what would a super-hero show be without the villains working in the shadows? Norman Osborn is behind a plot to replicate Spider-Man’s powers in order to mass-produce an army of super-soldiers to the highest bidder, with the aid of Dr. Octopus. Osborn has hired the Trapster and the remaining members of the Frightful Four (The Wizard, Klaw, and Thundra) to capture Spider-Man.

After a short battle against the three remaining members of the Frightful Four at his own high school, in which Harry Osborn is injured, Peter decides to accept Nick Fury’s offer and signs up as an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. There he has the latest technology at his disposal, including a top-of-the-line web shooter and a Spider-Bike that can transport him faster across town in an emergency than his web-shooters and can also climb on any surface. Spider-Man finds himself one of a new team of rookie heroes who need guidance as well: Power Man (Luke Cage), Nova (Sam Alexander), and White Tiger (Ava Ayala). Nick Fury hopes that one day the team will be as well-honed as the Avengers and wants Spider-Man to help shape to show them the ropes. After defeating the Frightful Four once again, Peter discovers that other remaining members of the team are now also attending Peter’s high school alongside him and there’s a new acting principal at the school who in reality is S.H.I.E.L.D Agent Phil Coulson, who supervises the heroes.

The executive producer of the show is Brian Michael Bendis, who is no slouch on working with Spider-Man, as well as fan-favorite Paul Dini, who has been one of the creative forces behind the original Batman: The Animated Series from the 1990s and has worked with comic books and animation for decades. Paul Dini wrote the script for the first two episodes as well.

SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

The voice cast has done a great job. Drake Bell, who voices Peter Parker/Spider-Man, does a decent job that’s full of humor. J. Jonah Jameson is voiced by J.K. Simmons, who played Jameson in the three Spider-Man films, and Clark Gregg, who does the voice of Agent/Principal Phil Coulson, is a nice touch as well since he plays the same character in all of the live-action Marvel movies tying into the Avengers films, including Iron Man, Iron Man II, Thor, and The Avengers. Stan Lee, Spider-Man’s, co-creator also makes a fun appearance as the high school janitor.

The series has a good mix of humor and action, which may come as a surprise to some, but it’s a welcome and light-hearted change. Those familar with the Teen Titans animated series will note a lot of similar anime-inspired chibi character moments that happen on the side, as well as an almost frenetic pace of humor dashed in with a straight storyline.

I liked how Aunt May is much younger in the show than the very old and fragile person she is depicted as in the comics, and how she is very much inspired by the Ultimate Spider-Man comic book series. It’s a refreshing change of pace. Some might not like the de-aging of some of the heroes like Luke Cage and Danny Rand, but I’m looking forward to seeing the heroes all work together as a team. I haven’t seen a team Spider-Man show since the 1980s series Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, which featured Spider-Man teaming up with Iceman and Firestar each week. I’m a little leery of the introduction of some of the gadgets on the show, such as the Spider-Bike—which was mostly used for humor in the second episode—but I’ll reserve my opinion until I have seen a few more episodes.

It may not be for everyone, but watching Ultimate Spider-Man alongside my 7-year-old son and hearing him laugh made me appreciate the fact that the right mix of humor and adventure (such as Avatar: the Last Airbender) can make for some very engaging storytelling that doesn’t detract from the main plot. I’m really curious to see where the show goes on from here, but for now I’m hooked.

Thwip! Thwip!

Filed under: News, Reviews

SHARE:

Read or Leave Comments
AvengerscomicsDisneyMarvelSpider-ManUltimate Spider-Man

About Mike Pawuk

Mike Pawuk has been a teen services public librarian for the Cuyahoga County Public Library for over 15 years. A lifelong fan of comic books and graphic novels, he was chair for the 2002 YALSA all-day preconference on graphic novels, served as a judge for the Will Eisner Awards in 2009, as well as helped to create the Great Graphic Novels for Teens selection committee for YALSA. He is the author of Graphic Novels: A Genre Guide to Comic Books, Manga, and More, and co-author of the follow-up book Graphic Book II both published by Libraries Unlimited/ABC-CLIO Publishing.

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

May 2019

2019 Eisner Nominations

by Mike Pawuk

January 2013

Links: The Phoenix Debuts

by Mike Pawuk

February 2023

The Archie Encyclopedia | Review

by Mike Pawuk

January 2023

2023 ALA Youth Media Awards

by Mike Pawuk

January 2023

Monkey Prince Vol. 1: Enter the Monkey | Review

by Mike Pawuk

ADVERTISEMENT

SLJ Blog Network

100 Scope Notes

Surprise! Announcing CABOOSE

by Travis Jonker

A Fuse #8 Production

Jump Into this Guest Post by Shadra Strickland About Her Latest Book: Jump In!

by Betsy Bird

Good Comics for Kids

The Archie Encyclopedia | Review

by J. Caleb Mozzocco

Heavy Medal

What’s Coming in 2023, A Feedback Poll, and Goodbye for Now…

by Steven Engelfried

Teen Librarian Toolbox

TLT Post: WRITING FOR YOURSELF FIRST, a guest post by author M. K. Lobb

by Karen Jensen, MLS

The Classroom Bookshelf

The Classroom Bookshelf is Moving

by Erika Thulin Dawes

The Yarn

A Book 25 Years in the Making: Marla Frazee Visits The Yarn

by Travis Jonker

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Articles on SLJ

Jen Wang Draws from Reality

Graphic Novels Extend Their Frontiers

SPONSORED

Svetlana Chmakova Returns to a Magical World in ‘The Weirn Books’

A Woman’s Place Is in a Graphic Novel: Outstanding Works for Young Readers Center Women in History

A Starter Manga Set: 15 Titles for Children and Tweens

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. case7 says

    April 6, 2012 at 7:45 am

    they need to make an episode where peter sees the man that killed uncle ben and is robbing a woman. he recognizes him and almost beats him to death before the other heros stop him. then it is an emotional episode from there. I think it would really set the story for spiderman cuase he isn’t just the crack joke super hero but he’s the hero who started this out of guilt and as a way to forgive himself. Becuase with great power there must also come greater responsibility. Stan lee or if anyone of the producers see this give my idea some thought or just take a look at it. Love the show so far

  2. xvideos says

    April 19, 2012 at 2:06 pm

    Youre so cool! I dont suppose Ive read something like this before. So nice to search out somebody with some unique ideas on this subject. realy thank you for starting this up. this website is something that’s wanted on the net, somebody with a bit originality. useful job for bringing one thing new to the web!

ADVERTISEMENT

Archives

Follow This Blog

Enter your email address below to receive notifications of new blog posts by email.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

Primary Sidebar

  • News & Features
  • Reviews+
  • Technology
  • School Libraries
  • Public Libraries
  • Age Level
  • Ideas
  • Blogs
  • Classroom
  • Diversity
  • People
  • Job Zone

Reviews+

  • Book Lists
  • Best Books
  • Media
  • Reference
  • Series Made Simple
  • Tech
  • Review for SLJ
  • Review Submissions

SLJ Blog Network

  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal
  • Neverending Search
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn

Resources

  • 2022 Youth Media Awards
  • The Newbery at 100: SLJ Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Award
  • Special Report | School Libraries 2021
  • Summer Reading 2021
  • Series Made Simple Spring 2021
  • SLJ Diverse Books Survey
  • Summer Programming Survey
  • Research
  • White Papers / Case Studies
  • School Librarian of the Year
  • Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Awards
  • Librarian/Teacher Collaboration Award

Events & PD

  • In-Person Events
  • Online Courses
  • Virtual Events
  • Webcasts
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Media Inquiries
  • Newsletter Sign Up
  • Content Submissions
  • Data Privacy
  • Terms of Use
  • Terms of Sale
  • FAQs
  • Diversity Policy
  • Careers at MSI


COPYRIGHT © 2023


COPYRIGHT © 2023