Ultimate Spider-Man

Started by Tomato, March 09, 2016, 05:50:54 PM

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Tomato

So after reading a comment by Glitch Girl over in General Discussion concerning Ultimate Spider-Man, it reminded me of my own issues with the series as a whole. As I have made abundantly clear by now, I have been on a Spider-Man kick lately, and part of that has been my child-like fascination for the various realities from the Spider-Verse saga. A good reason for this is all the hype surrounding Spider-Gwen... I loved her design, I loved the concept, and the only reason I haven't actually read her book is because I'm lazy.

However, since I really have no interest in reading a post-OMD Spider-Man series that kills off like half the Spider-Men, I really didn't want to read Spider-Verse itself. But hey, I'm in luck, USM did a whole arc about Spider-Man going to other dimensions, and Miles was gonna be a main character this season! So, I caught up.

And Holy Ketchup on a Hot Dog, this show is BAD. As GG points out, the series is all but overtly sexist (which is really driven home in the world of Petra Parker, where it is nothing but cracks about how lame boys are, as though that makes it acceptable on our world) but at least last season had representation for female characters... White Tiger is all but written out, but they bring in Dagger (who admittedly didn't do very much), and the aforementioned Petra Parker. This latest season though pretty much focuses entirely on the "Web Warriors," a set of five different Spider-man variant for selling toys. Now, I suspect we might be getting another Spider in the mix soon, since the season is about the Sinister 6 and there are only 5 Spider-Men, but... yeah, the lack of ANY female representation this season is notable and depressing.

I gotta say though, as bad as that is, what's often more distracting is how blatantly this show exists just as a method of shilling toys and games. And I'm not just talking about how we have all the Spider-Man variants or the vehicles and suits that save the day for one episode and are immediately forgotten (anyone who's watched a show that makes revenue from toys is familiar with these phenomena) but entire arcs are devoted to the latest thing Marvel's slapped it's brand name on. Don't believe me? The four episode final arc of last season is called "Contest of Champions," and if you don't know what that is, pull out your phone, go to the app store, and search for it. The show follows the basic plot of the game, right down to the collector being your main ally and narrator for much of the cutscenes.

That's right. The final arc of season 3 is NOT about the Web Warriors, which is the tagline FOR THE SEASON, but about shilling for a GARBAGE MOBILE GAME.

Talavar

Yikes.  I very quickly realized this show was not for me when it first debuted, but apparently it's even worse than I thought.  Why can't Marvel have good animated shows?

BentonGrey

Quote from: Talavar on March 09, 2016, 07:21:46 PM
Yikes.  I very quickly realized this show was not for me when it first debuted, but apparently it's even worse than I thought.  Why can't Marvel have good animated shows?

They did, then they cancelled them to make way for these.  :(
God Bless
"If God came down upon me and gave me a wish again, I'd wish to be like Aquaman, 'cause Aquaman can take the pain..." -Ballad of Aquaman
Check out mymods and blog!
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JeyNyce

I tried to watch the first episode, but the moment they tried the anime-style jokes like Teen Titans, I dropped it.  I'm a big Spidey fan, but when they cancel Spectacular Spider-man for this junk.......UGH!
I don't call for tech support, I AM TECH SUPPORT!
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Talavar

Quote from: BentonGrey on March 09, 2016, 08:15:26 PM
Quote from: Talavar on March 09, 2016, 07:21:46 PM
Yikes.  I very quickly realized this show was not for me when it first debuted, but apparently it's even worse than I thought.  Why can't Marvel have good animated shows?

They did, then they cancelled them to make way for these.  :(

Sure, in retrospect Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes looks great compared to what they're putting out now, but at the time I would have rated it a solid B.  I can't think of anything that would really stand up to one of the good DC animated shows.

Tomato

Quote from: JeyNyce on March 09, 2016, 08:27:38 PM
I tried to watch the first episode, but the moment they tried the anime-style jokes like Teen Titans, I dropped it.  I'm a big Spidey fan, but when they cancel Spectacular Spider-man for this junk.......UGH!

See, I am ok with the anime style jokes... up to a point. Teen Titans never bothered me with how they did things, because those jokes fit within the over the top nature of the show, and flowed in and out of the narrative without things grinding to a halt.

Here though... Every single time they make one of the jokes, Spider-Man brings the narrative to a screeching halt just so he can narrate every single thought that comes in his head to the audience. There's even a point in the middle of the whole dimension hopping stuff where he stops to repeat the premise of the episode (That Goblin is taking samples of Spider-Man DNA from different realities) IN THE MIDDLE OF THE EPISODE. One second he's saying goodbye to one of the Alt. Spideys he had met in the first part of the episode, and then the next he's telling us that he's stopping the goblin from attacking Spider-Men. Like... I *know* that, I literally just WATCHED YOU SAVE ONE.

That said... as awful as this show is, there are bits I've enjoyed. Much as it is a boys club, I like the dynamic between the current main cast (which is currently Flash's Venom, Amadeus Cho's Iron Spider, Miles Morales as... Kid Archnid *slaps forehead*, Scarlet Spider, and Spider-Man) I just wish it was a bit more diverse on the ladies end.

BentonGrey

I'd really like to see Flash's Venom in a show, but not enough to watch that one.

Tal, EMH certainly had its faults, but it is still easily in the top five of Marvel shows.  Nonetheless, to compare it to the Timmverse is to compare it to the very best superhero shows of all time, so it isn't that bad that EMH isn't quite as good.
God Bless
"If God came down upon me and gave me a wish again, I'd wish to be like Aquaman, 'cause Aquaman can take the pain..." -Ballad of Aquaman
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Talavar

Quote from: BentonGrey on March 10, 2016, 12:32:13 AM
I'd really like to see Flash's Venom in a show, but not enough to watch that one.

Tal, EMH certainly had its faults, but it is still easily in the top five of Marvel shows.  Nonetheless, to compare it to the Timmverse is to compare it to the very best superhero shows of all time, so it isn't that bad that EMH isn't quite as good.

True enough.  But then DC had a second strong showing with Young Justice.  Where's Marvel's Young Justice?

catwhowalksbyhimself

Quote from: Talavar on March 10, 2016, 03:40:25 AM
Quote from: BentonGrey on March 10, 2016, 12:32:13 AM
I'd really like to see Flash's Venom in a show, but not enough to watch that one.

Tal, EMH certainly had its faults, but it is still easily in the top five of Marvel shows.  Nonetheless, to compare it to the Timmverse is to compare it to the very best superhero shows of all time, so it isn't that bad that EMH isn't quite as good.

True enough.  But then DC had a second strong showing with Young Justice.  Where's Marvel's Young Justice?

Until Marvel ends its stories are too confusing for kids policy, there won't be one.  And even Young Justice was canceled because it wasn't selling enough toys.
I am the cat that walks by himself, all ways are alike to me.

Tomato

Not to veer too far off topic here, but I'm not sure how much of that is the case. I think that CONTRIBUTED certainly, but I think the biggest hit the show too was from... well, the Green Lantern film. Remember, YJ was marketed alongside Green Lantern TAS as the new DC power hour, but after the film came out, that brand was so toxic that WB more or less cancelled the show right away. Between that and the absurd amount of merchandise on the GL film that was basically left to rot, GL cost the Mattel and toy stores a ton of money... and I think that whole mess took YJ down with it.

That said, I bought the blu ray and I've been watching the show on Netflix so... fingers crossed.

HarryTrotter

Well,the first season showed promise,but it got worst from there.The hastly put together episode about Inhumans was the worst.And they are never mentioned again.
Spidey and Wolverine switching bodies was one of the best episodes IMO.Which is saying something.I guess because thats actually from the comic.
''Even our origin stories have gone sour.''
Jon Farmer

BentonGrey

Fair point, Tal, and yeah, the fate of YJ is pretty tragic.  It's a crying shame it wasn't given more room to run.  I just rewatched it on Netflix, and it was quite good, though I still wished they had loosened up a bit.  Perhaps we would have seen more joy and less relentless darkness of tone if it had continued.  I've seen something about Netflix possibly bringing it back for a third season, but I don't know about that.

Cat is right, as apparently Marvel has decided that all children have the mental capacity of a severely impaired box turtle.
God Bless
"If God came down upon me and gave me a wish again, I'd wish to be like Aquaman, 'cause Aquaman can take the pain..." -Ballad of Aquaman
Check out mymods and blog!
https://bentongrey.wordpress.com/

Silver Shocker

#12
Yeah, I'm gonna to chime in on this myself.

Yes, I'm still watching the show. And as I happens I find it's improved quite a bit. This show's version of Spider-Verse was a hell of a lot better than the comic version, since it was about fun wacky adventures instead of depressing crap that did nothing but kill beloved characters. I genuinely enjoyed the Taskmasker subplot involving Cloak, Dagger and the others, I really like Amadeus Cho, and I give them credit for elevating Flash Thompson by fleshing out his character and having him become Agent Venom. I genuinely expected Agent Venom to just be an alternate universe version since I knew they were doing alternate universe stuff, but no, they let him be more than the 1-note bully character.

1. You guys left out a few female characters. Squirrel Girl was introduced and later got a larger role in season 3, being one of the lead characters in the episode "Burito Run", and Aunt May was a important character in the Contest of Champions arc, which also used characters from the other shows such as Black Widow and She-Hulk.

2. Contest of Champions is also an ongoing comic right now, and Grandmaster and Collector have BOTH appeared in the Guardians of the Galaxy cartoon (granted, that show's continuity with the other shows is so loose as to be non-existent, but still), so I don't think it's just tying into the mobile game. It's brand synergy, and Marvel's been doing it pretty much every where for the last few years (except where Fox is concerned, of course) see also Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. shoving Inhumans down our throats. And as for the complaint that that arc didn't feature the titular Web Warriors, I'd just like to point out that the midseason finale of JLU season 1 (the Wild West/Batman Beyond two parter) did not in fact feature the "Unlimited" JL roster and just featured 3 or 4 of the founding members. 
3.

QuoteThere's even a point in the middle of the whole dimension hopping stuff where he stops to repeat the premise of the episode (That Goblin is taking samples of Spider-Man DNA from different realities) IN THE MIDDLE OF THE EPISODE. One second he's saying goodbye to one of the Alt. Spideys he had met in the first part of the episode, and then the next he's telling us that he's stopping the goblin from attacking Spider-Men. Like... I *know* that, I literally just WATCHED YOU SAVE ONE.

I thought it was fairly obvious those episodes were written as half-episodes, like, say, Teen Titans Go. I seem to recall every one of those episodes was evenly split so the second story came in at the commercial break. I got the impression Marvel might have wanted to redistribute those episodes as shorts or the like.

4. Regarding Young Justice: yes, I've seen the push to have it brought back for a second season. It's admirable, but I kinda doubt anything will come out of it. I personally do not have time to rewatch Young Justice on Netflix multiple times on the off-chance DC will deliver the goods. And even if I did, it's the same old song and dance. Derrick J. Wyatt was telling people to go out and buy the DVDs when the show and cancelled and guess what? Didn't effing work. As it happens, I DID buy the DVDs, which was the only way I got to see the second half of the show, as Canada straight up didn't get season 2. And I loved it, I had no regrets buying an awesome show like that on DVD. What I don't appreciate was the manipulative guilt-trip tactics to try to drum up dvd sales of a dead show while they still had the chance. Guess what guys, if you paid for cable and watched those shows on tv, your obligation regarding those cartoons was fulfilled. Plus why would DC bring the show back anyway? They've already got Teen Titans Go, which is currently airing its third season, and the new Justice League action is following a similar format. Like Marvel they might follow up with a new Batman or Superman if the new movie is really successful, but right now more YJ seems like more of a gamble than DC would want to bother with.

5.

QuoteUntil Marvel ends its stories are too confusing for kids policy, there won't be one.  And even Young Justice was canceled because it wasn't selling enough toys.

Ok, look. I was right there rolling my eyes at that policy when they first launched Avengers Assemble, but going forward it simply isn't true. That policy was about strictly about continuity.  Both Ultimate Spider-Man and Avengers Assemble (along with Guardians) have extensive continuity at this point. Their seasons are almost entirely taken up by multi-episode story arcs, and returning characters are frequent.  Guardians even assumes audiences are up to speed on the movie itself. While the shows might be lacking in strong character development they're probably as connected as the other shows mentioned here.

6.

QuoteThe hastly put together episode about Inhumans was the worst.And they are never mentioned again.

Again, Guardians of the Galaxy.

7.

QuoteBut then DC had a second strong showing with Young Justice.  Where's Marvel's Young Justice?
Young Justice was years ago. I'd say it was Spectacular Spider-Man, which had the same showrunner (Greg Weisman). What's DC got now? Teen Titans Go, and that upcoming Justice League cartoon, and it had Beware the Batman, which was cancelled literally less than ten episodes in. I don't think Cartoon Network was or is giving DC any room to breathe regarding shows that aren't in the style of TTG. Marvel doesn't have that problem because their programming block is owned by Disney. Like with the movies, they can basically do whatever they want.

8. Speaking personally, I never even liked EMH as much as others; I get the impression it's been propped up as a result of its cancellation and AA. Don't get me wrong, it was good, but it never clicked for me the way other shows like JLU, Spec. Spidey and YJ did. I would say it was a little better than Wolverine and the X-Men.
"Now you know what you're worth? Then go out and get what you're worth, but you gotta be willing to take the hits. And not pointing fingers, saying you're not where you want to be because of him, or her, or anybody. Cowards do that, and THAT AIN'T YOU. YOU'RE BETTER THAN THAT!"
~Rocky Balboa

Glitch Girl

#13
As near as I can tell, the Marvel animation division is completely divorced from Disney Animation, which is a shame because the Disney side has been putting out some good product ("Star vs the Forces of Evil", "Gravity Falls") and Rebels has been a very smart show from day 1.

Unfortunately, Marvel Animation seems to be stuck in mass-production mindset, and the bigger the property, the worse it seems to be handled.  Right now Guardians of the Galaxy is probably their strongest series.  It's not perfect but at least it's far more watchable than Avengers and Spider-Man (and occasionally a little darker).   I've been enjoying it, despite the occasional wonky animation (the cost of cutting corners sadly) - the voice cast is great and the plots have been pretty good, and yes, there was an Inhumans  episode that was handled pretty well.

I know I am not the target audience for Ultimate Spider-Man, and I'm not expecting golden age of DCAU here, but damn... what I saw was painful to watch.  Admittedly I didn't last long enough to see the infamous burrito episode of US that I've been hearing about, so I can't comment on it, nor can I comment on much of mid season stuff after I gave up, but this season seems unusually "boys only" like season 1 of Avengers Assemble, when Black Widow would be missing from episodes for no given reason or even acknowledged to EXIST (I am reminded of a scene where there's a photo of the Avengers and she is not in it, nor was she even in that episode). 

The reason I haven't really vented much about the prior seasons of Ultimate Spider-Man, even though I wasn't fond of them, was they didn't really bother me as deeply as this current season does due to the representation issue. Earlier seasons had White Tiger, then there was Dagger and (from what I hear) Squirrel Girl, but this season? None on core team, none shown in SHIELD, none among the villains... that sends a message that if you like this and you're a girl, you are some kind of freak and should keep quiet about it.  Trust me, I've been there.

Dumb writing is annoying and can be heartbreaking if you really want to love a series.  This feels far more insidious, especially if it was done unconsciously.
-Glitch Girl

"Cynicism is not maturity, do not mistake the one for the other. If you truly cannot accept a story where someone does the right thing because it's the right thing to do, that says far more about who you are than these characters." - Greg Rucka

Talavar

Quote from: Silver Shocker on March 10, 2016, 03:31:18 PM
QuoteBut then DC had a second strong showing with Young Justice.  Where's Marvel's Young Justice?
Young Justice was years ago. I'd say it was Spectacular Spider-Man, which had the same showrunner (Greg Weisman). What's DC got now? Teen Titans Go, and that upcoming Justice League cartoon, and it had Beware the Batman, which was cancelled literally less than ten episodes in. I don't think Cartoon Network was or is giving DC any room to breathe regarding shows that aren't in the style of TTG. Marvel doesn't have that problem because their programming block is owned by Disney. Like with the movies, they can basically do whatever they want.

8. Speaking personally, I never even liked EMH as much as others; I get the impression it's been propped up as a result of its cancellation and AA. Don't get me wrong, it was good, but it never clicked for me the way other shows like JLU, Spec. Spidey and YJ did. I would say it was a little better than Wolverine and the X-Men.

Just quoting the end, because formatting got wonky.

Yes, at the moment, DC doesn't have any particularly good series at the moment, and has had crappy series as well.  I could never stand The Batman or Beware the Batman, never got into Brave and the Bold, and the Green Lantern CGI show was weak.  Their current crop of DTV movies are all over the place, quality-wise.  However, they've also had several excellent shows: Batman TAS, Batman Beyond, Superman TAS, Justice League/JLU, and Young Justice, along with a number of solid mid-tier shows.  Marvel's had Spectacular Spider-man, which I forgot about earlier, and Earth's Mightiest Heroes, which again, I only gave a solid B.  In 30 years, Marvel hasn't had a gold medal, an A+ cartoon series, or even one I'd give the silver to.  It's a disappointing long term trend.

Tomato

#15
Honestly SS, I got the impression it was more they mixed up which half episodes went to which episode, because they don't do it every time, or at least I only noticed it the once. And again, you failed to address the reason I brought up that example: The fact that everything has to stop every 2 seconds so Spider-Man can narrate to me. That was honestly one of the better examples, because at least that did serve to introduce the story for fans watching the episodes in chunks... when the whole momentum of a fight scene or some of the drama grinds to a screeching halt because Spider-Man wants to tell me something unimportant or something that I could have gleaned from watching the episode, I want to scream at the writers. Basic storytelling rule: Show, don't tell. Kids are not that dumb, they'll get it.

That said, I will admit that this last season is far better on that end. I don't know if I'm just numb to it, but I haven't been ripped out of the episodes like I often was in season 3.

I'll also concede a few points: Yes, I totally forgot Squirrel Girl, and shame on me. Even though we haven't had an episode centered around her (admittedly hard to do within the context of the show) she's awesome and I'm an idiot for forgetting her during my rant. And second... that the whole reason I came in and watched the Spider-Verse stuff in the first place was because I had no desire to read a book with a mountain of spider bodies (though having researched it, the fact that they VERY SPECIFICALLY killed Hostess Fruit Pie Spider-Man is hilarious) and this show allowed me to get the fun of a Spider-Verse without the depression.

Also, I do want to note that I am complaining about this stuff from the perspective of someone who is still watching it. I'll rant about the things that make this show a slog to watch, but I am genuinely interested to see what the deal is with Scarlet Spider, I like the drama with Miles Morales, and I want to see how they develop Rhino (for those not watching, Rhino is currently a member of Spider-Man's team, despite being listed as part of the Sinister Six. He's actually been part of Flash's whole arc as well.) The problem is definitely *not* the story, since the story is literally the only reason I am still watching.

catwhowalksbyhimself

Brave and the Bold was one of my all time favorites, but you have to fully embrace the wackiness of the Silver Age to enjoy it.
I am the cat that walks by himself, all ways are alike to me.

Silver Shocker

#17
I should mention that because Canada gets the cartoons about half a year late, I haven't seen the current season of USM and probably won't for a long time, so please refrain from posting significant spoilers without a spoiler warning (not that there seem to be any in this thread yet)

Quote from: Tomato on March 10, 2016, 04:49:17 PM
And again, you failed to address the reason I brought up that example: The fact that everything has to stop every 2 seconds so Spider-Man can narrate to me. That was honestly one of the better examples, because at least that did serve to introduce the story for fans watching the episodes in chunks... when the whole momentum of a fight scene or some of the drama grinds to a screeching halt because Spider-Man wants to tell me something unimportant or something that I could have gleaned from watching the episode, I want to scream at the writers. Basic storytelling rule: Show, don't tell. Kids are not that dumb, they'll get it.

That said, I will admit that this last season is far better on that end. I don't know if I'm just numb to it, but I haven't been ripped out of the episodes like I often was in season 3.

To be honest, I didn't address Spidey's annoying little cutaways because I can't really defend them. They're rarely if ever funny, often annoying, and yes, they do break up the action/story. I honestly don't know if the show's gotten "better" about that or I just got used to it.

QuoteYes, at the moment, DC doesn't have any particularly good series at the moment, and has had crappy series as well.  I could never stand The Batman or Beware the Batman, never got into Brave and the Bold, and the Green Lantern CGI show was weak.  Their current crop of DTV movies are all over the place, quality-wise.  However, they've also had several excellent shows: Batman TAS, Batman Beyond, Superman TAS, Justice League/JLU, and Young Justice, along with a number of solid mid-tier shows.  Marvel's had Spectacular Spider-man, which I forgot about earlier, and Earth's Mightiest Heroes, which again, I only gave a solid B.  In 30 years, Marvel hasn't had a gold medal, an A+ cartoon series, or even one I'd give the silver to.  It's a disappointing long term trend.

I was mostly talking about the current crop of Marvel and DC shows. Personally, I've always loved the 90's Spider-Man cartoon, that was one of my childhood favorites, but I know not everyone feels the same way. That's a good point about the straight to DVD movies, I forgot about those. DC's current output is very hit or miss (I've complained about them here myself), but they've had good ones in the past, and they always did better than Marvel at that. Marvel seems to have given up with the straight to DVD movies and just made tv specials such as Lego and the Frost Fight special.

Personally I found Green Lantern got really damn good in the second season. Mind you, it was more connected by that point and I watched it on Netflix so it might have worked better that way.
"Now you know what you're worth? Then go out and get what you're worth, but you gotta be willing to take the hits. And not pointing fingers, saying you're not where you want to be because of him, or her, or anybody. Cowards do that, and THAT AIN'T YOU. YOU'RE BETTER THAN THAT!"
~Rocky Balboa

Tomato

np, I'll be sure to refrain from anything significant. Not that there's much to tell... we're still just doing setup for the new status quo. I will say (for those like GG who are basing stuff on the posters), that whatever the promotional material might show... I don't think that's what's actually the case 100%. There are already changes to the lineup that don't match the posters and promotional material that came out before the season.

Tomato

So I have continued watching USM... which has not been easy TBH. The sinister six arc resolved in decently epic fashion, but they followed it up with this weeeeird Carnage 3 parter... which was just awful. Now, Carnage is hit or miss to begin with, ESPECIALLY on a TV show meant for kids (so no murder), but... wow. It doesn't help that it only seems to exist for one purpose:

Spoiler
Having Harry and MJ find out Peter's secret identity

Which is annoying because the final episode of the arc is dedicated to one of them in particular, who has been basically absent for two seasons. The whole thing just feels like an afterthought, especially since we go from that arc right into Ultimate Spider-Verse 2.0.

Speaking of which... this one is much better so far. Admittedly, it helps that the big bad isn't just Green Goblin constantly showing up (Pro Tip:it really shatters the credibility of your villain when you have him beaten up loony toon style in Spider-Ham world). The villain this time is far more interesting, mostly because we don't know who he is and we don't see him too much.

Spoiler
That having been said, I was so frustrated with the first episode of the arc. Madame Webb (the modern one) told Spider-Man at the start of the episode "the light will cure them" and then they go to Vampire world, find that the maguffin they're after creates sunlight, and Spider-Man's all like "No, we can't use sunlight to kill the vampires, they were good people once" and fights Blood Spider over it... And I'm banging my head against the wall because the lady who you KNOW sees the future JUST told you the light CURES the vampires. Stupid stupid Spider-man.

Cyber Burn

I've tried watching this with my Son, but more often than not, I really want to just gauge my eyes out. I'm not finding the "Humor" funny, the Characters aren't growing on me, and to be honest, I think there's only been maybe 2 or 3 episodes that I've really enjoyed:

Spoiler
And those were strictly because of the Villains that I never thought I would see on TV, Arcade, and Taskmaster.


To be honest, I've actually been enjoying "Avengers Assemble" more than I thought I would in comparison:

Spoiler
But again, that's also due to Characters that I thought I would never see on TV, the Squadron Supreme, and the Thunderbolts.

Tomato

#21
Ultimate Spider-Man is the ultimate guilty pleasure for me... On the one hand, I do like a lot of the plot developments which season 4 has been really good about. Even the Carnage arc was actually not as awful as I indicated... until the final episode (The cliffhanger ending in episode one was actually pretty epic). On the other hand... it's often painful to sit through individual episodes. I mentioned a specific example of writing that irked me in one of the spoiler tags, but there's stuff just like it in almost every episode.

Honestly, I think what gets me coming back week after week enduring everything is the little kid inside me that gets excited to see Pirate Spider-Man and Cowboy Spider-Man, and Scarlet Spider, and Agent Venom, and dozens of other Spider variants. And at the same time, I do genuinely want to see elements of the story unfold... Ex. Spider-Gwen. We know she's going to be in an upcoming episode(DXD has been promoting her), but it's an odd decision within the context of the show. See, part of the pathos for the character is the fact that she failed to save Peter in much the same way he failed to save her in the 616 universe. But as far as I know, Gwen doesn't even EXIST in the USM show. So if they do the "failed to save Peter" pathos, it'll be without a similar reaction on Peter's end... which would be fine, except we already have that interaction with Miles. So... yeah, I'm interested to see what they do with it.

Plus, I honestly don't know what the deal is with the villain. So there's that too.

Edit: So I just found out something by accident from later in the season that might justify the Carnage arc. Still forced, but if some good comes out of it... I'm less frustrated with how it ended.

Tomato

Finally watched the new episode of USM, which featured the Noir universe (and, since it's a Spider-Man show, that means Spider-Man Noir), Joe Fixit (Hulk), Hammerhead, and a modern-ish Spidey-villain I won't mention outside spoiler tags even though s/he's revealed in the first couple minutes. Overall, I actually do like it... but hrm. HRM.

Spoiler
So on the positive, credit where it's due... As soon as Fixit told the story of MJ's sacrifice, I fully expected it to be undone IMMEDIATELY. But nope, she's still dead. And with another Uncle Ben being alive in the last episode and MJ dying in this one, I feel like it's all leading into something bigger. I'll have to wait and see, but props to them if it's setup for something.

On the downside though... that ending. What, what, whaaaaaat!?!

So they beat up Mr. Negative (the villain of the episode I mentioned) and shatter his fragment of the "Siege Perilous" (the macguffin they've been chasing through the dimensions), which somehow changes THE ENTIRE PLANET from grayscale to full color. It's not like the grayscale was caused by the fragment either... we first saw the Noir world last season, and the SP was fractured in this one. And even if the SP was somehow responsible, the grayscale only affected Spider-Man while he was in that world: he was right back to full color after he left, meaning the effect shouldn't last after you leave. But Noir Spider-man fought alongside all the other Spider-men (including 2099, who did NOT retain the 3D of his world) and he was still in all gray during that fight. I know this because I found technicolor pictures of Noir SM, presumably from this episode, and was looking for references for it. And yet, he also changes from Black and White after the defeat of Mr. Negative.

To quote Batman Forever... it just raises too many questions.

thalaw2

Quote from: catwhowalksbyhimself on March 10, 2016, 08:53:32 PM
Brave and the Bold was one of my all time favorites, but you have to fully embrace the wackiness of the Silver Age to enjoy it.

Yes.  Brave and the Bold always had my sides aching.  Great show.
革命不会被电视转播

Tomato

My feelings about Brave and Bold are fairly well documented... I've softened to it in the years since it's been cancelled, but there's some things about it I still have major issues with (I'm a HUGE mirror mirror fan, and the recolored "evil" Justice League still annoys me. It was lazy, especially for the season finale.) that keep me from embracing it in the same way I have a lot of other cartoon series.

Spoiler
Enjoyed the finale of the arc, even if I thought it was a bit rushed. I was super intrigued about how they were going to do Spider-Gwen without her just being a rehash of Miles, but they made her from Miles' world AND a former friend of Peter, which I thought was brilliant. It tied her to Miles as well as to Peter, and her teaming up with Aunt May was a nice nod to the Ultimate books.

Not so brilliant was Wolf Spider, the "Only Evil Spider-Man." The resolution was kinda lame and rushed.

Last week's episode was garbage. Halloween episode where they use "the power of imagination" to beat Baron Mordu. It's awful and you should skip it. Haven't yet watched this week's, working on that now.

Also: The series has been cancelled, in favor of ANOTHER Spider-Man show coming in 2017

I gotta say, I'm kinda disappointed. Granted, the series is not great (As I've stated, I have a horrible love-hate relationship with the show) but the nature of it allowed for some of the more modern comic iterations to be adapted (Agent Venom, Anti-Venom, Mr. Negative, Miles Morales, Spider-Gwen, Spider-Man Noir, etc) and I was looking forward to the possibility of some other ideas being explored rather than once again having to rehash origins for Spider-Man and his rogues gallery.

Talavar

It's too bad for Ultimate's fans, but I for one hope this next Spider-man cartoon turns out a little better. 

Silver Shocker

#26
Yeah, I'm not crazy about them cancelling a Spidey show and then immediately starting all over again, for the second time in a row, but I'm trying to be a little open minded, and at least I understand that it's to tie into Homecoming.

On the topic of Ultimate Spider-Man, while I'm currently watching the early episodes of this season that are airing in Canada right now, I did just see a promo for the end of the season.

Possible spoiler warning, since I don't know what the context will be/is in the actual show.

Spoiler
Doc Ock has another new design, and this time it appears to be based on the design of the 90's animated series. Pretty cool. I always liked that design, it's probably one of my favorite designs for Doc Ock. It'll be weird if it's still Tom Kenny's voice coming out of that Doc Ock though [EDIT: Though come to think of it, I just remembered that he also voices him in Marvel Heroes, so I guess I've basically heard it before].  At the beginning of the season, they integrated Doc Ock's Brand-New Day/Big Time/Ends of the Earth design into the narrative (very poorly, IMO), so I'm not sure how this new one fits in.
"Now you know what you're worth? Then go out and get what you're worth, but you gotta be willing to take the hits. And not pointing fingers, saying you're not where you want to be because of him, or her, or anybody. Cowards do that, and THAT AIN'T YOU. YOU'RE BETTER THAN THAT!"
~Rocky Balboa

Tomato

Speaking purely to the Ends of Earth Doc Ock design

Spoiler
Apparently that was just a Hydra thing, because in the last episode he's back to the design used in episodes before the Hydra thing... the whole thing was nanites, I guess? You're right, it was stupid. I looked up the clip though, and OMG I wish that was the design in the comics right now.

Tomato

So the new Doc Ock costume from the trailer has appeared in the series and... yeah, I really do like it. The explanation for it is, much like the show, equal parts cool and stupid.

Spoiler
The change is caused by the same nanites that changed him to the EotE design, but the explanation is that Modok/Hydra had futzed with them which is why they originally made him even uglier and more crippled than he had been. On the one hand, I like that they built on an established method of changing appearance AND that it's tied into the antagonism between Ock and Hydra, but on the other... Magical nanites are a trope that's been beaten into the ground by comics and TV at the point.

The rest of the last few episodes have been... eh. Again, this series seems to love giving us stupid stuff alongside really cool stuff.

Spoiler
On the one hand, this last arc gives us a Mary Jane Spider-Woman, which is really cool, and it also tied a nice bow around the mystery of Scarlet Spider, making him a the prototype version of the "Spider-Slayers," evil synthesized Spider-Men with additional powers and abilities, as well as some cool designs to boot.

That being said... the episodes were not great. "Kaine" especially was a major letdown, as he comes off as more ridiculous than the ACTUAL Ultimate Spider-Man version of the character. It's a shame because we got hints of different personalities in the 3 Spider-Slayers (as well as, again, really solid designs for characters that were only created for this arc), but they end up just being more fodder for Kaine, who was, again, super freaking lame.

Silver Shocker

I'm up to Graduation Day pt 1, the final arc of the show. Canada, for some stupid reason, skipped the Return to Spider-Verse arc, but fortunately, as near as I can tell, it doesn't seem to have any significant tie to the overall arc.

One note about the Spider-Slayers: their designs are actually taken from Dan Slott's Spider-Man run circa the "Big Time" era.
"Now you know what you're worth? Then go out and get what you're worth, but you gotta be willing to take the hits. And not pointing fingers, saying you're not where you want to be because of him, or her, or anybody. Cowards do that, and THAT AIN'T YOU. YOU'RE BETTER THAN THAT!"
~Rocky Balboa