Sony Pictures
MSRP: $25.95
Stars: Josh Keaton, Lacey Chabert, James Arnold Taylor, Deborah Strang
Release date: July 28, 2009

I was skeptical about The Spectacular Spider-Man after seeing stills of its large-eyed caricature-like characters. Seeing those characters (especially Spidey) in action, though, changed my mind. No previous series, in my opinion, delivers the feeling of swinging through New York City as well.

While the series is set in the now, it pulls off an old-school vibe. We see an excited 16-year-old Peter Parker learning the responsibility that comes with his power. We get rich backstories of Spidey’s nemeses (The Vulture, The Lizard, Electro, Rhino, Sandman, Eddie Brock) before they develop their powers or their grudges.

The two-disc set includes all 13 episodes and two behind-the-scenes featurettes.

The first season aired on The CW, the second on Disney XD, but in Disney’s recent acquisition of Marvel, Sony relinquished all television rights to Spider-man, and if Disney XD doesn’t want additional episodes it’s unlikely the series will be shopped elsewhere.