by G. E. Uke, Reporter

Comic book aficionados will tell you that there are a bajillion different “kinds” of comics, but that when it comes to cinema only one sort has the public recognition to justify a motion picture. Those are the comics we “know”. People know Bruce Wayne is Batman. They know Clark Kent is Superman. They know Peter Parker is Spider-Man. But if you look a little closer, it is not always so. 

In the comic world, writers are constantly trying to break free of these archetypes and spin new stories. They create new heroes, pass the torch, etc. And while some of these stories are really quite good, everyone still “knows” that Diana Prince is Wonder Woman. If you mention Yara Flor, most will look at you funny. But what ABOUT those weird fringe comics? All the ones with off-kilter stories and wacky fun artistic styles? Those ones that don’t get any love from Hollywood? They don’t justify the expense. 

Until now. 

Across the Spider-Verse drags this assumption right out into the street and clubs it to death like a baby seal. And we cheer because they make it look good. The biggest problem reviewing this movie, for me, was that it did so much in such a new and interesting fashion that it caused a sort of decision paralysis. I could rant for endless pages about all the fine little details worthy of mention and praise. But here are the highlights: 

Across the Spider-Verse picks up where the last movie left off, and it is very much a continuation film. If you haven’t seen the previous one, go watch it first. The recap is flashy, slick, and does a good job of getting viewers into the action right away. From here we see some important themes emerge: 

First, this movie is artistic. There are several comic series covering the different Spider-Verse characters, and each has its own unique funky art style. Some are SO colorful and impressionistic that the worlds they are set in make no attempt at realism at all. The producers decided to embrace this fact, creating a dimensional mashup where characters with dramatically different looks and feels interact, and it’s like oil in water. Despite their harsh differences in appearance and personality, all successfully embody the goodness and depth for which Spider-Heroes are known. And this deserves applause. 

Second, this movie is fast, loud, and dazzlingly colorful. It is jarring and extremely “meta”, and it WILL melt your brain. Most of the action sequences are so rapid and bombastic that watching them is like being on a roller coaster on LSD, and many of the quips and jokes hit you so fast that you miss them if you blink. Some people are probably irritated by this, but I feel that it is faithful to the tone of Spider-Man. Epileptic people should not watch Across the Spider-Verse at the theater. There, I said it.

Third, this movie is emotional. The action is liberally cut with slower scenes devoted to character development and plot, and these are excellently done. Each Spider-Verse character is crafted with care and acts true to their comic origins, creating realistic (and often smartalecky) exchanges that are (mostly) amusing to watch. The villain manages to blend frightening and corny in a manner that is also refreshing to watch, and his voice and motives are hilarious.

There are lots of voice actors in this movie, and they all did a fine job, but I’m only going to give serious shoutouts to three. For voice acting the shining star ofAcross the Spider-Verse was Hailee Steinfeld (Kate Bishop from Hawkeye) in her heartfelt portrayal of Gwen Stacy (Spider-Woman). The emotional turmoil and incredible inner dialogue of this character took center stage and set the tone of the entire movie. If Into the Spider-Verse was a becoming story about Miles Morales, Across the Spider-Verse was mainly about Gwen Stacy. This is not to say that Shameik Moore (Wu-Tang: An American Saga) doesn’t do a fine job of portraying Miles Morales in his own emotional journey as well. In the last movie Miles found himself, so in this movie he was tested by tough choices. My final shoutout goes to Jason Schwartzman (Gideon Graves from Scott Pilgrim) as the villain. His attitude and persona were so perfect that I found myself strangely charmed. 

Rating:
ComicsOnline gives Across the Spider-Verse 5 out of 5 Spider-Heroes. This is the first time I’ve given any movie this rating, and I do it because…it was bold. It took chances, being as intense and colorful and deep and complex as it was. If it had done that badly it would have stumbled, but instead it did it well and flew. It was smart, and it had soul. That should be rewarded. 

We need more of that in the cinema today. Honestly , I feel like Across the Spider-Verse improved the emotional intelligence of the entire theater. 

Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justin Thompson, and Phil Lord….nicely done. 

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