Review by Spencer McGuire

Moviegoers not familiar with every modicum of Peter Parker lore, fear not. “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” is not an experience crafted for viewers that have spent years stalking the comic book racks, digging into the various ‘verses, waiting for this day to come. Seriously, a Spider-Man comic has never touched my fingertips, and that’s not necessary at all to pick up what they’re putting down. His Uncle Ben dies, every single time, but that’s not really a spoiler. It’s also really not the point; if you’re interested in a celebration of superhero movies, with all the fun and weirdness and heartstring pulling that goes into that, this is your stop.

First of all, forget Peter Parker and meet Miles Morales, Afro-Latino New York middle-schooler thrown out of his element by changing schools and also, a radioactive spider bite. Viewers returning to the world of Spider-Man will recognize some of this as familiar, and will be aware that some of it is new to the screen. The premise of the film is that there are many versions of Spidey out there, each inhabiting their own universe with its own unique characteristics, some big and some small, a concept not at all new to comics but fresh to the superhero screen. In all of them, there’s a spider involved that puts that particular Spider-person on the path to being a superhero. In one of them, that superhero burns out, gets divorced, battles depression, gets sucked into Miles’ dimension and is forced to find a way home.

That particular Spider-person gets dragged into mentoring Miles and the silver screen gets a fresh version of the famous wall-crawler’s hero story. However, it’s easy to feel a little off-put by the sprinkling of additional Spider-people once there’s five or so of them to keep track of. If the story wasn’t so carefully centered on how Miles develops, it could easily have spun out into giving the viewer too much to juggle. Each Spider gets its own dash of unique art style, set against the already comic book style of Miles’ universe. We’re talking visible POW! and WHAM! effects when someone gets socked. If you dig a modern, artsy animation style, it works great.

One of the spiders is a talking, extra-cartoonish pig. Your mileage may vary on whether that works.

Those in the audience with a keen eye (or ear) will probably pick up on the abundance of details for the fans. The anime-esque Peni Parker draws from her appearance in “Edge of Spider-Geddon”, which itself draws on anime classic “Neon Genesis Evangelion.” Fans of popular stand-up comedy will catch John Mulaney as that cartoony talking pig. Comics followers will know where The Prowler is going right out of the gate, and seeing the Doc Ock reveal coming would be impressive (but I’m told it’s possible).

The widest draw to Spider-Verse, though, isn’t in spotting the details. Miles is a
(mostly) normal kid in an impossible situation. His hero’s journey takes him face-to-harsh-face with what it means to become a superhero of his universe. Not only that, he has to reconcile with family, just like the rest of us. What does it mean to have a police officer for a father when your gig is vigilante justice? What does it take to come to terms with sudden change, and the expectations that come with it? None of us have ever been in Morales’ shoes, and if I’m wrong on that please call me. I’ve never been bitten by a radioactive, dimension-glitching spider. And yet, it’s not hard to relate to his struggles. Nobody needs web-slingers to empathize with the struggle of keeping a secret from family, or coping with incredible stress. Somehow, even with a cast this large, the focus is kept on the character that matters most, and his story shines for it.

A cornerstone of a superhero movie is bringing together people of all sorts through a story of overcoming the odds and bettering the world. “Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse” reminds us that anybody can wear the suit, and it always fits, eventually.