Spider-Noir is an upcoming superhero television series by Prime Video and the first live-action show to feature a version of Spider-Man. It is the brainchild of showrunner Oren Uziel and Into the Spider-Verse writers Chris Miller & Phil Lord. While the live-action series features the return of Nicholas Cage, this series is 100% seperate from the Into the Spider-Verse version of the character. From the jump, Cage’s opening monologue makes this clear, as it features the Ben Rilley version of Spider-Man, or “The Spider”. As well as a multitude of classic Spider-Man villains, but set in an alternate 1930’s version of New York City during the Great Depression.
Unlike other private-eye shows like Netflix’s Jessica Jones or most recently RJ Decker, this series leans heavily on the classic PI films of the 1930s. While the series lets you watch in full color, it must be watched in classic black & white. The color saturation in this series and the filmmaking direction were tailored for this type of viewing. What is noticeable off the bat is the camera angles director Harry Bradbeer uses to convey its 1930s roots. Low-angle shots of New York City buildings from the street and extreme close-ups of faces are used throughout the series. The most impressive addition to the series is the almost-drawn New York skyline in the background of the live-action buildings, which pays homage to classic films like 1927’s Metropolis.
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The show follows The Spider’s retirement from the streets of NYC after his wife’s death and the rise of the mob. The series revolves around an Irish mobster named Silvermane as he tries to recruit several superpowered beings to his employ in the vein of Al Capone. It’s entirely possible Marvel Studios didn’t allow Amazon to use a version of The Kingpin because of his critical acclaim in the Daredevil series, despite the series being set in an alternate 1930s universe. Ben Rilley is hired as a private investigator to follow cheating spouses, but soon he is wrapped up in a conspiracy of murders and missing individuals at the hands of the mob. We also get to see alternate versions of classic Spider-Man villains from 1930, such as The Sandman, Tombstone, Molten Man, and Electro. However, the most impressive alternate character is Cat Hardy as Black Cat. She, of course, like in any 1930’s movie, is first found in a classic jazz club, as shown in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
Cage’s wacky performance is the stand-out, even if it’s not as serious as his version in Into the Spider-Verse. He almost channels Jimmy Stewart’s voice and mannerisms from 1946’s It’s a Wonderful Life. However, while it’s always fun to see these alternate realities with throwbacks to classic Spider-Man tropes. The biggest change the show makes is that Ben Rilley’s dying wife delivers the classic speech, “With great power comes great responsibility.” In this version, Rilley falls into despair and gives up on his mantle of The Spider following her death instead of trudging on as that friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. This leads to a more mature take on the character despite Cage’s performance and perfectly timed dry humor.
3.5 out of 5.0 stars
All-in-all: Spider-Noir is a fantastic superhero TV series if you’re looking for a classic Marvel hero without any need to connect it to a wider universe. This is an extremely self-contained story set in an alternate universe. That allows Cage and the creators of the show to do whatever they want with the treasure trove of Spider-Man easter eggs and rogues’ gallery. If you have a love for classic mobster films from the black & white era of filmmaking, then you will really enjoy this series and the little callbacks that a typical Marvel fan won’t even notice. However, even Spider-Man fans will enjoy it for its fun take on the character.
