|
Click here to return to the main site. DVD Review
Volume 4 of Spider-Man 5000 sees the release of the final seven episodes of this animated series from the 1980s. The total running time is 2 hours 33 minutes over a single disc. In The Web of Nephillia, a woman manages to obtain a sample of Spider-Man's blood and mix it into a serum with a powerful spider to turn her scientist husband into a Man Spider for her own selfish objectives; in Countdown to Doom, Doctor Doom (again!) uses an orbiting laser to trigger volcanic eruptions and earthquakes, in order to move the Earth away from the sun; in Arsenic and Aunt May, the Chameleon uses hypnotising gas in an attempt to have Aunt May kill Spider-Man; in The Vulture has Landed, the Vulture steals plans for an invisibility paint to cover his theft of priceless stones; in Wrath of the Sub-Mariner, Prince Namor's young cousin falls ill from pollutants in the water, so he teams with Spider-Man to take on the culprits, the Kingpin, Hammerhead and Silvermane; in The Return of Kingpin, Spider-Man is approached by an agent, but is ultimately used as a distraction for robberies by the Kingpin; and in Under the Wizard's Spell, the benevolent Medusa is controlled by an electrical collar fitted by the Wizard to turn her to crime. In one episode there are some minor picture shaking issues in a couple of scenes, but on the whole this has been an enjoyable series. Although Doctor Doom has perhaps been over-used, the stories are close in content and style to the older comics (indeed, the animation is adapted from the newspaper sketches of comics legend John Romita Sr.), and a definite progression from the Original Spider-Man series of the 1960s. The pinnacle of the Marvel Spider-man shows was the 1990s series, which I would highly recommend. Spider-Man was perhaps the first superhero to come with baggage, which is undoubtedly what makes him appeal to so many people. When will Marvel's well of animation run dry? Never, I hope. 7 Ty Power Buy this item online
|
|---|
