Review | Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse | ETAN COMICS

So I went to see Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse last weekend.

Listen. When I tell you this movie was FIRE, it’s an understatement.

You know when you see something so good that it makes you question if you will ever create something that good? And at the same time, it makes you so happy to know it exists? That’s how I felt.

The theme for the movie was about the burdens of great expectations. How great expectations others have in us, the expectations the world puts on us can be stressful. How it makes us want to run away in the opposite direction. Fast. How it holds us hostage and stuck in a loop of I-don’t-know-what-to-do. Yet, despite it all, we can still learn to find ourselves and define where and how we fit in.

The movie starts out with the original Spider man, Peter Parker talking about the expectations others have of him as Spider-Man. He gets beat up a lot but always gets back up. Always ends up saving NY from all sorts of villains. He shows us how this gets exhausting at times, especially considering how it affects his personal life, i.e. a crumbling relationship with Mary Jane, his Aunt, etc…

Alongside we learn about a young man named Miles Morales.

Bright lad, good sense of humor, can’t sing to save his life but got a bit of a swag.

Miles gets accepted to a “Magnet” school outside of his neighborhood. His dad, who is also a police officer, emphasizes to Miles early on that his acceptance requires that he does well. That it could lead to a better life. Better opportunities. Somewhere out of their neighborhood. Where he won’t be stuck like his family. Great expectations set.

But Miles wasn’t into all that. He just wanted to go back to his old school. Back in his neighborhood where his friends are. Just listen to music, draw and hang out with his cool Uncle (Dad’s brother). He felt close to his Uncle. Unlike his Dad, he let him be. Even taking him to a secret spot where Miles can indulge in his graffiti work. Most importantly, he also taught him how to holla at the ladies (the shoulder touch + “Hey” with the deep voice). You’ll know what I mean when you see it.

That’s when the story gets interesting. Unlike school, where he can somewhat avoid his expectations by ditching on school work and classes, Miles is put in a situation where he cannot afford to avoid the expectations bestowed on him. What is that situation you ask? He is bitten by the radioactive spider that gives him superpowers (making him the new spider man of his dimension) and is personally asked by Peter Parker to save NY from destruction (at his death bed).

We follow him as he freaks out, denies the powers at first, gets confused and amazed at them, meets and makes all kinda friends from other dimensions, embraces and loses relationships with loved ones, and ultimately realizes that he has been focusing on the wrong thing then whole time. That it was never about meeting everyone else’s’ great expectations but rather about realizing your own potential and just doing your thing. Look, I know I fast forwarded the last part like crazy but trust me, its only cause I want you to go see it. And frankly, I don’t know if I could continue without giving major plot points away.

If the story itself doesn’t blow you away, I know for a fact that the animation production will. Marvel and SONY went all out on this movie. The blur effects, the pace, the different animations for each dimension, the music and my favorite part THE COMIC BOOK feel of the whole movie. There were literally dialogue boxes and thought captions intermixed with the animation. It was as if the comic book came alive. In fact, each time a new Spider-Man (or Woman) from another dimension got introduced, their comic book would flash on the screen and we (the audience) dive into it.

Ok, I think I’ve ranted enough.

Whoa Wait! One more thing.

The Stan Lee cameo and tribute in the movie – Just get ready to tear up. Or you know, bring onions so you have something to blame it on.

Okay. Now I’m done.

GO SEE THE MOVIE.

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Beserat Debebe

Beserat Debebe is the founder of ETAN COMICS and the writer/creator of HAWI, JEMBER, and ZUFAN. He was born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Maryland and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Indiana University. His works have been nominated for Best Graphic Novel Awards, and featured on BBC, OkayAfrica, ComicsBeat, and more!