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1962 saw the debut of one of the most recognizable and beloved superheroes of all time, The Amazing Spider-Man. Instantly finding critical and commercial success, it was likely no surprise to anyone that the hero would soon find himself adapted to animation.
From 1967 to the modern day, Spider-Man has starred in numerous animated shows of arguably varying quality. These shows can be viewed as wonderful time capsules to the era they came from and offer some unique interpretations of the wall-crawling hero. Thanks to IMDb, it’s possible to see the overall audience scores for these series’ and determine which ones are especially worthy of your time.
10 Marvel’s Spider-Man Took Inspiration From The MCU (6.1)
One of the most recent animated versions of Spider-Man kicked off in 2017, the same year as the feature film Spider-Man: Homecoming. This new series would take some obvious inspirations from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and ran for 3 seasons on Disney XD until 2020.
This series received very mixed responses from viewers and so far sits at the bottom of most fans’ lists. Many feel that the show did improve over time and its third season was titled Maximum Venom and featured the symbiotic villain in a prominent role.
9 Spider-Man Unlimited Was A Daring New Direction (6.4)
1999s Spider-Man Unlimited served as a pseudo-sequel to the 1994 animated series and featured a wildly different premise to any other Spider-related cartoon. The show would see the web-slinger being transported to a strange new world and team with resistance fighters against a threat named the High Evolutionary.
Dangerous enemies named the Beastials were a significant threat as well as Venom and Carnage, but the show also included heroic versions of the Green Goblin and Vulture. Spidey would rock a brand new suit for the series complete with built-in web-shooters and the ability to turn invisible. It was swiftly canceled after airing only a few episodes and ended on a cliffhanger with episode 13.
8 Spidey And His Amazing Friends Is The Latest Series (6.6)
Premiering on Disney Junior in August 2021, Spidey And His Amazing Friends takes a cuter, more kid-orientated look at the hero and his allies. It also shares a strikingly similar name to another entry on this list, which can of course be put down to a fun homage.
The series uses CGI rather than traditional animation and showcases younger versions of its core characters, with Peter Parker working with Ghost-Spider (Gwen Stacy) and Spin (Miles Morales) against threats such as the Rhino, Doctor Octopus, and the Green Goblin.
7 1981’s Spider-Man Wasn’t The Only Spidey Show That Year (7)
In 1981, kids were treated to 2 different Spidey cartoons, with the first simply being titled Spider-Man and airing on the Syndication network. The show stuck fairly closely to the comics of the time, mimicking much of the art style and characterization. It didn’t do much to reinvent the wheel and made a strong impression on fans of the day.
Classic Spidey villains of the era would make appearances along with the expected supporting cast such as Aunt May and JJ Jameson. The series also made use of the wider Marvel universe, including other heroes like Captain America and the X-Men villain Magneto.
6 Spider-Man: The New Animated Series Went For CGI (7)
2003s new Spider-Man series was hot off the heels of Sam Raimi’s 2002 blockbuster film. Unlike the other entries on this list, the show was created entirely with CGI which gave it a very unique look (until the latest series used the same approach) and style. It loosely followed the continuity of the 2002 film and even featured an interesting connection to the 2003 Daredevil movie.
Michael Clarke Duncan, who portrayed the Kingpin of Crime in the ill-received project, would return to voice the character in this series, and this version was modeled after his appearance also. Musician and film director Rob Zombie would also lend his voice to the role of Curt Connors, AKA the Lizard. The series lasted only 1 season, consisting of 13 episodes on MTV.
5 Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends Featured A Unique Team-Up (7.2)
The second Spider-Man series to hit the air in 1981, Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends included the heroes Iceman and Firestar who joined the webhead. The Spider-Friends battled various villains from the Marvel universe and lasted for 3 seasons on NBC.
The team-up aspect of the series has helped it remain a classic in many fan’s minds, and was the debut of the hero Firestar who has since appeared in the comics. It would also feature the first animated appearance of Wolverine, who sported an Australian accent.
4 Ultimate Spider-Man Leaned Heavily Into Humour (7.2)
Taking huge inspiration from the 2000 comic series of the same name and the MCU, Ultimate Spider-Man adopted a more humorous approach than previous shows. Frequent cut-away gags and visual comedy helped give the series a different flavor over what came before.
Tons of superhero cameos populated the series and MCU favorite Clark Gregg returned to voice Agent Phil Coulson as Spidey worked with SHIELD. The show lasted 4 seasons on Disney XD, running from 2012 to 2017, and was canceled in favor of Marvel’s Spider-Man.
3 The 60s Spider-Man Cartoon Has Become Iconic (7.4)
The show that launched a thousand memes originated in an era well before the internet. The first animated series based on the web-slinger, Spider-Man hit TV screens in 1967. This series would introduce the classic theme song with the lyrics “Spider-Man, Spider-Man, does whatever a spider can.”
Airing on ABC until 1970, the show focused on a teenage Parker and the typical struggles he faced in the comics at the time. After initially using the usual rogue’s gallery, the second and third seasons almost completely dropped them in favor of generic-looking villains and monsters. This cost-cutting measure allowed for the reuse of stock footage from another series, Rocket Robin Hood.
2 The Spectacular Spider-Man Was Axed Before Its Time (8.2)
Considered by many to be up there with the best animated Spider-Man shows, The Spectacular Spider-Man lasted 2 seasons across the CW and then Disney XD before its cancellation. The fact that the show ended when it did has enraged fans for years and is still a sore spot to this day.
Regarded as having fantastic animation, writing, and plot structure, the show presented a modern take on the webhead after the final part of the Sam Raimi film trilogy. The show took care to establish its side characters and villains and let their stories progress naturally over time. Unfortunately, many of those story threads would be left unresolved.
1 The 90s Spider-Man Animated Series Is A Classic (8.4)
Superhero animation was at an all-time high in the 1990s and arguably has never been topped since with the likes of Batman: The Animated Series and X-Men wowing audiences and even winning awards. Joining these much-loved shows was Spider-Man, debuting in 1994 and lasting 5 seasons on Fox Kids Network.
The series had it all, there was action, mystery, drama, romance, and even some elements of horror. Classic and modern villains were represented wonderfully, the supporting cast all added something to proceedings, and Parker himself received one of his all-time best on-screen representations. A fan-favorite for good reason to this day.
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