The best Spider-Man cartoon remains “The Spectacular Spider-Man,” and a big reason it has that standing is Josh Keaton’s lead performance. If there’s any actor who’s gotten the best handle on Spider-Man’s humor, it’s Keaton.
Some recent Spider-Man movies and TV, including the “Home” films and “Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man,” make Peter too sheepish. Even when he jokes, it doesn’t feel like he’s trying to get under the bad guys’ skin. Keaton, though, makes Spider-Man’s snark cutting, sassy, and confident. The jokes aren’t just lazy “well, that happened” humor from a stumbling teenager, they’re relentless and mean.
Peter is of course a good guy, but part of the Spider-Man persona has always been a picked-on teen reveling in being the one who has power — except he’s “bullying” people that deserve it! Watching the action scenes of “Spectacular Spider-Man,” you really get why all the bad guys find Spider-Man so insufferable, for the same reason we find him so fun to watch.
The very best “Spectacular Spider-Man” episodes are mostly ones featuring the Green Goblin (Steve Blum). He elevates the show to next level because he’s the one opponent who can match Spidey’s quips blow-for-blow, giving Keaton a perfect scene partner. Goblin’s debut episode, “Catalysts,” is basically an extended sequence of Spider-Man and Goblin throwing bombs, webs and insults at each other, and it’s endlessly entertaining.
Now, Keaton’s Spider-Man performance isn’t all jokes. “Spectacular Spider-Man” stayed quite true to the “Parker Luck” ethos, where nothing ever goes right and Peter chooses responsibility over satisfaction. During Peter’s moments of rage, such as when possessed by the Venom symbiote, or when he learns Norman Osborn is the Goblin, or when interrogating the Tinkerer to find a kidnapped Gwen Stacy, he lets out scary cold anger.
“Spectacular Spider-Man” unfortunately ended after two seasons due to a shifting arrangement between Sony and Marvel, but Keaton remains passionate about the series and playing Spider-Man. In series creator Greg Weisman’s “Young Justice,” he cast Keaton to play the assassin Black Spider (basically an evil Spider-Man). On his own time, Keaton has also read out Spider-Man memes and voice acted in a fan-made film adapting “Spider-Man: Blue.”
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