Spider-Noir: Season One – Review
Sony has not had great luck with their Spiderverse movies. Part of this because they do not include Spider-Man. The Venom movies have done okay but most of the rest have bombed.
But then there is Spider-Noir… (Amazon affiliate link)
This is not a movie but an eight episode television series. The star is not Peter Parker as Spider-Man but Ben Reilly as the Spider.
This is a pulp take on Spider-Man set in the 1930s and it stars the most unlikely of Spider-Men: Nicolas Cage. Cage has a very mixed reputation as an actor and some people see him as a joke but he nails the character.
Ben Reilly is a bit of washed up private detective, but one with a secret. During the First World War, he received super powers. I will not spoil it but it is not quite like Peter Parker.
The Spider ends up facing a mob boss named Silvermane and number of other crooks with superpowers. But as Ben Reilly, he is far from the young and fit Peter Parker. He is older, out of shape, and spends much of time recovering from fights while smoking and drinking.
This series works because it is not trying to fit with an existing universe. It is its own thing. It is cheesy but in a way that adds to the charm rather than taking away from it. Nicolas Cage does a great jump of channelling his Humphrey Bogart.
Spider-Noir was one of the most enjoyable series I have watched in a long time. It is fun and it doesn’t take itself too seriously. It gets back to the idea of entertainment actually being entertaining.
I have no doubt that there will be a second season and I am already looking forward to it. Well done Sony, Spider-Noir is a hit!
You also might be interested in Spider-Man Noir: The Complete Collection (Amazon affiliate link)
