Todd Jensen writes...

My review of the latest "Spectacular Spider-Man".

Another enjoyable episode. Parts that especially stood out to me:

We see more of the consequences of the Lizard story (and now Eddie Brock's got even more reason to be angry with Peter - and this time with Spidey as well).

Although I'd heard that Chameleon would be showing up in this episode, I was still surprised when he pulled off the Dr. Connors disguise. And then when he shed the Norman Osborn disguise, as well.

J. Jonah Jameson in great form as usual. Telling Peter to get out of his office in seventeen words, shouting "Spiderman's not a fraud!" and then feeling amazed that he just said that, and printing the retraction - on page 42, in a small font!

Even though I knew from last week's episode that Harry Osborn had been sent away, I was still surprised to see Mary Jane replacing him in the opening credits. (Though, knowing your enjoyment of making changes as the story progresses, I shouldn't have been.)

The influence of the alien symbiote on Spidey was well-done, especially his justifications for keeping it. (The kind of justifications that wind up getting used for paving material on a certain road.) I'm looking forward to seeing where things go from here.

Fresh embarrassment for Peter - now seeing his alter ego being defended by Flash Thompson!

And we get a reference to the upside-down kiss (I've never seen any of the Spiderman movies, but I've still heard of it; it's one of those things you have to be aware of unless you become a hermit).

Another fine job, as ever.

Anonymous writes...

*SPOILERS*

I enjoyed it. Venom, being one of my favorite spidey villains, made a strong entry into the series here, as it slowly absorbed Spiderman, turning him into a badass. Really looking forward to more Venom action.

Nice moment at the end with Black Cat. Definite echos of a certain infamous alleyway scene from the 2002 film. Thanks for that throwback, Greg.

Chameleon also made a strong showing, with his frequent impersonations (Dr. Connors, Spidey, Norman) that make it obvious where he got his name from. Kudos.

So Mason makes his first appearance. Forgive me for asking (I'm not AS MUCH of a Spider-man fan as other people here seem to be.) but who was the dark-haired guy working with Chameleon? His name escapes me. :(

Is this the season finale? There was no promo for the next episode. If it was, thanks for a great first season. If not, I still can't wait for more.

So, either way, great job on this episode and the series in particular.

End review.

See you at the Gathering next month.

Greg Bishansky writes...

"Persona"
... And so it begins, the Venom arc. I'll admit right off the bat, this is not a story arc I've been looking forward to. But, I'll save my ramble on Venom and everything that I think is wrong with him as a character and a concept for my review of the season finale, when Venom actually appears.

Peter is such a geek, alien life is discovered and no one seems to care. Not Aunt May, but she's got other things on her mind. Good to see him and Eddie on speaking terms again, but honestly, can you blame Martha Connors for not wanting him there? I can't.

Nice change to the title sequence. Harry's out and Mary Jane is in. That's funny considering that she did not even appear in the episode itself.

And here we have our favorite feline, the Black Cat. Tricia Helfer did an awesome, purrfect job with that character. Oh. My. God. What have I done? Did I just type "purrfect?" Yes, I did. I hate myself for doing that, as I genuinely think puns are the lowest, least funny form of humor there is. But, I can't help myself here, because Cat was indeed purrfect. Argh, I'm doing it again!

The Black Cat has always been one of my favorite characters in the Spider-Mythos. So, I've been anticipating her almost as much as I was anticipating the Green Goblin. I think she was done purrfectly here (Ugh, I'm still doing it?), from her moves to her lines.

Speaking of those lines...

"My kitty sense is purring."
"Try not to get your goop in my hair." .... and I thought Mary Jane and Rand's line about being randy was pushing S&P. How did that get on the air?

Yes, I like Black Cat better than Catwoman and I always have. There, I said it.

Loved Steve Blum as the Chameleon. It's also refreshing to see a more old school take on him, as opposed to him just being a standard, Mystique-like shape shifter. I suppose he could eventually become one, but I'm glad he's not starting out that way. "So, which captain of industry are you going to masquerade as this time?" ... hmm, I know I should be focusing on this episode, so, I'll just do that. La di dah. Oh, what the hell, I can't resist... when he shows up at the party later as Norman Osborn, my mind went back to last week's episode where for a brief time the Green Goblin and "Norman Osborn" were face to face and I shouted "I KNEW IT!" so loud, I think I woke up the neighbors. The Goblin mystery is definitely not over... but, enough of that, I've now indulged myself. Back to "Persona."

Eddie Brock now hates both Peter and Spider-Man. Too birds, one stone. So far, this has been the best depiction of Eddie Brock I have seen yet, but... I am still apprehensive about the whole Venom story. As I've said before, Venom is a character I've never liked. I'm going to give the character and concept another chance in this universe, but I am remaining skeptical.

Chameleon disguised as Spider-Man cracked me up with his faux Spider-Wit. "My amazing insect sense is tingling." And I loved how Jameson just knew that the real Spidey was real, yet was still slandering him. Daran Norris is great.

And now we meet Mayor Waters. Okay, first thing I want to know is, was she in the comics? I don't recall her, and Marvel always preferred to depict the real Mayor of New York (Giuliani appeared as mayor several times in the 90s comics). She also reminds me of Senator Hillary Clinton, and with that, I'll refrain from going any further. Best not to bring politics into this review.

I liked seeing Quentin Beck and Phineas Mason as the Chameleon Goon Squad. Looking forward to them popping up again. Beck looks kine of like Moe. Wait... Bowl Cut Beck. Balding Mason and no hair Chameleon... no, too easy. ;)

The symbiote itself was well done. I like how it subtly took over Peter's costume, and seems to be playing evil Jiminy Cricket on his shoulder. Peter is going to go dark, and I'm hoping for some wacky malicious hijincks and no dancing and strutting in the streets.

Finally, the infamous upside down kiss between Spidey and Black Cat. Purrfect... I promise you, and I promise myself, I will never do that again.

ColdFusion writes...

Just watched "Persona" and I have to say, I'm ecstatic about there being such an intelligently-done show on a channel block that calls itself "for kids" @_@
The attention to detail was perfect. They actually showed all of Chameleon's tricks instead of being lazy and letting us assume he can fake things... Showed several instances where he had to 'prove' he was the real deal.. people suspected his height.. and best of all, when his goon pressed a button on his watch, he actually had to DO something with that button to make his boat arrive.. he slid it to the left a bit. That right there is what TV for any demographic is sorely lacking right now. I actually have faith that maybe entertainment is de-retardifying as we speak :D
Keep up the excellent work.

Anonymous writes...

will there be a new gargoyles dvd

gargoylemaster writes...

in the episode the stone city when demona thinks of her past and she had a diferent clan. where did she find them and what happen to the rest of their clan. THANKS
HUGE FAN!

alex31 writes...

is eliza like a surrogate mother to the trio?

Enterprise writes...

I know you been asked this before but dose disney have a say so or the rights in weather a film could be made out of this spectaculer series

Shadow Wing writes...

Okay, I just picked up Bad Guys 2 yesterday. Loved what you've done so far, and I just have a couple comments (holding back the flood for when the whole six issues are out):

1) You weren't the first person to make the Tengu-Gargoyle connection.

2) LOVED the inside joke on the post-it on the cover. Was that your idea or Guler's? Also, I could only read the second line...what did the first say?

P.B.D. writes...

Is there a chance Norman staged the whole green goblin is Harry thing to throw people off his trail?

P.B.D. writes...

Why did you go more with the movie symbionite suit instaed of the classic look?

Dirk writes...

1. Since Harry was the First Green Goblin in the new cartoon, does that mean that Norman Osborn will never become the Green Goblin?

2. Will the Hob Goblin, Scorpion, Mysterio and other villains appear in the series?

3. Will Carnage eventually appear in this series (like Season 4 or 5 if the show stays succesfull)? Or is he too violent/scary to put in this cartoon.

Nabil writes...

Hey Greg,
you guys are doing a fantastic job on the series i really love it, every bit and piece of it i have couple questions though:

1- Do you have any idea on when the first dvd will be released and will it have a bluray edition as well?
2- is there any chance that tombstone is not really the big man, but as foswell put it "some other guy pulling the strings from behind" especially that tombstone never refer to himself as the big man?
3- there surely a lot of mystery surrounding goblin's identity even though we are to believe it is harr after the unmasking in last episode, when will we have a definitve answer on who the goblin was/is? (season 3 ?)
4- are there any plans for a series of comics or video games based on the spectacular spidey series?

Keep up the good work and thanx a bunch for all your efforts

Chip writes...

I was wondering...in "MIA" when Leo and Una noticed Goliath outside Into the Mystic didn't it strike them as odd that Goliath hadn't aged a day since they saw him in 1940? It seems like the kind of thing that I would notice...then again I'm not a gargoyle.

dph writes...

Previously in Ask Greg - http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?qid=10471 ,

dph writes...

Thank you for your previous response to my question about Ophelia. IYou have stated that the ability of a female gargoyles and female gargoyle beasts to become pregnant is tied to Earth's natural cycles. Are the abilities of female gargoyles and female gargoyle beasts to lay eggs also tied to Earth's natural cycles?
Greg responds...

Uh... probably.

Without getting to graphic, if a female gargoyle was artificially inseminated with the proper cells on the right day of the year but not in the right year, would her body start forming an egg so she could possibly lay an egg in an odd year?

jon writes...

What is my real name?

Arcturus writes...

First of all, I just want to say that the Spectacular Spider-Man is perhaps the best Spider-Man television series in a long time! The writing, the animation, the voice work and the plot lines are all excellent! I also like how the episodes flow together. I can certainly see all the dedication throughout the series, keep up the good work! I do have a few questions, where has Eddie Brock been? What has he been up too? I believe the last we seen of him was in Catalysts. I understand that the symbiote saga is underway, and Eddie Brock is an essential part of the arc, are we going to see what drives him into wanting to smash Spider-Man/Peter Parker? I simply ask because Venom is my favorite Spider-Man villain.

Anonymous writes...

I've always been wondering, is the illuminati of great interest to you? Did you ever have to explain or get those references approved by Disney? Not that it's bad, it just seems to be pretty deep for a y7 cartoon.

Anonymous writes...

what is the purpose of a gargoyle

Algernon writes...

I've searched the archives and I don't think this has been addressed but it's something I've been wondering about for a while.

1) Did Derek ever listen to that tape of Fox's confession that Elisa gave him in "Her Brother's Keeper"?

2) If yes, what did he make of it?

Ashley writes...

I was a big fan of Tony Dracon throughout the series. If it had continued, were there any plans to bring him back for a few more episodes?

Todd Jensen writes...

My review/report on the latest episode of "The Spectacular Spider-Man", if a day late.

Obviously, the big question about this episode is: Is Harry really the Green Goblin, or has he been framed? Bishansky's already said a lot about that, so I won't say anything more (except that I also think that Harry *is* being set up).

What more appropriate time for the Goblin to show up than Halloween? I enjoyed Spidey's parody of "Twas the Night Before Christmas", especially his not-too-successful effort at the rhymes. And talk about daring! Peter actually making Spider-Man his Halloween costume. Shades of the gargoyles' own two Halloween parties ("Eye of the Beholder" and the Double Date story in the comic).

And not only does Flash Thompson wind up dressing as a cheerleader, but so do all his football buddies. I hadn't expected that latter part.

Tombstone's as imposing as ever (I can see why Hammerhead respects him). And I got a kick out of Goblin's "deja vu" remark to Spidey.

Great to see more of J. Jonah Jameson's human side, as he waits anxiously for news about the shuttle landing. Which itself looks like it'll have its own big consequences: now Venom's in town. Things are going to get even more lively in the Big Apple now....

Rose92 writes...

I hope there's going to be a live-action movie of Gargoyles, question for you, Greg. Are you a director or something?

Anonymous writes...

Is Vinnie's last name Grigori or Gregarino?

Greg Weisguy writes...

Harry looking like the Green Goblin when seen through the vial of globulin green was a nice touch.

Clones have a bit of a stigma attached to them among Spider-Man fans, but you've shown you can execute the concept well in Gargoyles and Buzz Lightyear. How do you feel about the issue? Can clones work in a (relatively) grounded property like Spider-Man?

Harvester of Eyes writes...

Thoughts on the Spectacular Spider-Man episode "The Uncertainty Principle."

Wow. So many good scenes in this episode. I'll do my best to keep my thoughts following some sort of coherent pattern.

First off, I'm very impressed with the Green Goblin so far. I was a little stunned to learn Steve Blum was doing his voice (my reaction was probably the same as my reaction way back when I first learned Mark Hammill voiced the Joker), but it fits the character well. I love all his gadgets, and I'm glad to see that he has the charged gloves again (something I missed from the movie). I also love the sound effects his pumpkin bomb explosions make. Like sick, mutilated laughter, which is very appropriate.

I also love the way that his mind works. Blackmailing Tombstone was never his intent. He was simply trying to get his two main enemies into the same room to eliminate them.

"Anyone else getting deja vu? Oh well, let's run with it!" Great watching Spidey and the Goblin interact.

It's kind of funny how the Goblin keeps making Spider-Man and Tombstone work together. And wow... Tombstone took three blades in the back. Makes me wonder what exactly he had done to himself. Also thought it was interesting the way Spider-Man saved himself from going splat. Reminds me of an old episode of the first cartoon where he fought the Sandman, but what he did in this series is much cooler.

As far as the ending is concerned, I loved the confrontation between Harry and his father. Norman raised a good point. Tombstone probably wouldn't have let Harry live if the Goblin's identity were revealed, but I can't help but wonder if anything else was going through his mind. Norman is a ruthless man who never apologizes. And as far as unmasking the Goblin is concerned, I'm convinced there's another angle, but I'll avoid delving into "ideas masquerading as questions," and won't get into specifics.

Still, it was a good character moment for Norman. We also got a nice character moment from Jonah. It's fun seeing hard men have moments of softness. I particularly liked how Jonah's actions bit him on the rear, forcing him to swallow his pride again (the first time being in the episode "Catalysts," when he was forced to give Spider-Man credit for stopping the Goblin). I like his voice a lot better than in the 90s cartoon. Ed Asner was good, but he wasn't a perfect fit. I like what Daran Norris does with it.

It was also nice to see a cameo from the Black Cat. Wonder if she'll be popping up again.

Greg Bishansky writes...

"The Uncertainty Principle"
*** SPECTACULAR SPOILERS ***

I loved this episode.

Very good title, as curve balls continue to be thrown at the audience. The mystery of the Green Goblin's identity is far from over. Well, after re-watching "Catalysts" and "Reaction" over again before watching this I am more convinced than ever that Harry is not the Green Goblin. Either he's been brainwashed or Norman has the Chameleon (who is showing up in the next episode) standing in for him as an alibi. But I'll get to that later.

Nice to finally see Hammerhead in action. Yes, this is why he's Tombstone's enforcer. But, nope, he's no match for the Green Goblin... that's why he's Spider-Man's arch-nemesis.

I loved scene with the Goblin and Tombstone. Just watching the two most dangerous characters in the series go at it like that is priceless. You can see why Hammerhead respects Tombstone so much. The Goblin is arguably more dangerous, but Tombstone commands respect just as much as fear.

It wouldn't be Halloween without costumes, and is that the Black Cat I see? Nice. Mary Jane shows up dressed as a sexy vampire. Liz shows up dressed as a Johnny Depp Fan Girl. Gwen... doesn't even have time to get into a costume because she is too busy worrying about Harry. Poor Gwen, when I see her, I think to myself that she is the only sane person in an insane world. "Some one is getting the look!"

I've been waiting to see Flash dressed as a cheerleader, but I did not expect the rest of the football team to be joining him. Way to show unity, guys. Flash seemed to like having boobs a little too much. So, how long until Rand tells Sally where she can stick it?

I loved Jameson in this episode. People have complained about him being two dimensional, but I never saw it. Hopefully this shut them up. His concern for his son's life was touching. I like this reasoning for his hatred for Spider-Man in this universe. He can't stand to see the spotlight stolen from his son. Is it rational? Not really. Is it understandable? Yes.

"Trap?" "Trap!" Someone's been watching "Serenity".

The fight scene at the end of the episode was stunning. A tip of the hat to everyone involved. Though this borders on cliche, you could feel the heat. I'd say it would be hard to top this one, but I said the same after Spidey's fight with the Lizard.

The final scene at the Osborn residence was... great. Norman is such a manipulative bastard, and I really felt for Harry. But this is the finest case of "the writers are trying to trick you" that I have ever seen. Now, Harry is taking a leave of absence. I hope we see him again soon.

Harry as the Green Goblin just does not add up.
* When the Goblin stole the tech-flight glider from OsCorp, it didn't have the bat-head designed to fire pumpkin bombs and extend a spear on it yet. Harry does not have the technical know-how to add on a feature like that. Norman does. Or the expertise to add that Inhibitor cannon to it. Harry's a moron.
* If Harry were the Green Goblin, he would have attacked the Fall Formal instead of going after Tombstone.
* How would Harry even have access to the Globulin Green in the first place?
* Why would Harry attempt to kill Octavius? Norman knew Otto was a liability, Hammerhead said so in "The Invisible Hand". Norman berated Otto for being a weak man. Then he dressed up as the Goblin so he would have an alibi to show Hammerhead.
* The Green Goblin and Norman Osborn both had the same safety key for Otto's experiment.
* The Big Man was only ever referred to as "Mr. Lincoln" by Norman once and that was in the underground lab while Rhino was being created. Harry could not have overheard that.
* Norman Osborn just so happens to have a secret chamber, which we never saw the inside of. Where's Harry keeping the glider and equipment... not under his bed. For that matter, stealing one or two vials of Globulin Green, I can buy... but we've seen Harry drink from too many.
* Norman's knowing smirk at the end of "Reaction" about unmasking the Goblin before it's too late.
* Peter tipped his hand, told the Goblin he figured out who he was. The Goblin knew Spidey would be coming to the Osborn residence.
* Harry in "Goblin mode" didn't admit to anything except taking the drug. To be the son Norman always wanted. A straight A student and a star athlete.
* Norman is thrown twenty feet up a wall by Harry and is uninjured.
* And it was Norman himself who rationalized it all at the end (a very rehearsed sounding explanation). Then offered to take he fall.

No, Harry was set up. By his own bastard father.

Spectacular episode.

Ashley writes...

In the episode "Kingdom", the gargoyles talked about how Goliath and Bronx had been missing for days. But when they all lined up to sleep on the clocktower, there's a shadowy Bronx climbing into position. Was that an artist mistake, or did some scenes just get copied and reused from episode to episode to save money?

Rose writes...

I know that the first two seasons of "Gargoyles" are on DVD but are there anymore available? Or will there be?
And most importantly will they be available in Western Australia?

dph writes...

My Review of Bad Guys #2

I really loved it. Everything, especially the cover. The story starts where the last one left off. Very interesting. I'm looking forward to seeing how their 1st mission together turns out. I didn't catch the cameo of Vinnie and the others at first. The flashback showing Yama's banishment is great.

That Yama is his own judge for when he can return to his clan speaks volumes for his character. Characters with that much integrity are as rare as diamonds and I'm thankfull you included one like that in a primary role in a spin-off.

I do hope that by the time the next gargoyles breeding season comes Yama will have found his redemption. The battle to get Yama's attention is quite good and realistic. It's great that Yama knows English. Question is does an entire clan speak English that well? It's nice to see Hunter come clean about wasting her past. (I do have a cat named Hunter. She once stole a mouse from a snake, but that's another story.) It's interesting that Matrix doesn't comprehend the problem with a gargoyle serving a gargoyles hunter. Dingo's reaction to going back to New York City is authentic, but shouldn't he realize that it's just as dangerous for Hunter to return them? In this sense, I'm glad that you haven't told the story of how Hunter was recruited as it would spoil the upcoming story.

Robyn Canmore's revelation that Dingo was recruited to get Matrix is incredible. Only a small handful of people around the world can possibly know about Matrix. Also only a small number of people around the world can possibly know about the Ishimuran clan. When I stop to consider the intersection of those two groups, I'm perplexed because it can only describe a much smaller set than those two groups. That leads me to believe whomever Hunter is working for has to be extremely well-connected and/or possessing Sherlock Holmes type of intelligence.

Back to New York, it shouldn't surprise me that Dr Sevarius was keeping tabs of his former experiments, but it did. I was wondering how Fang was going to be 'liberated' and know I see. At last, we learn Fang's real name.

Overall excellent story-telling. You keep throwing more things to consider along with answering questions. I am really looking forward to the next issue.

IrishPhantom writes...

Hi Mr. Weisman ^_^
I'd like to know if the show would ever come back. I know that it was canceled/terminated and I'm hoping that some time in the near future that it will come back with new ep's and the canceled/terminated will change to coming back. Will this EVER happen?????? I was a big fan of the show and still am and would love to see it back on the air.
I would also like to know why the show was even canceled in the first place. The show rocked, wasn't too violent, no swears, top notch charactors, first rate story line and with humor for all ages that everyone from the six yr.old to the college student could find humourous. Why would a show with such promise and talent be canned???????
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND FOR TAKING THE TIME TO WRITE BACK TO ME. ^_^
Sincerly:Jewl/IrishPhantom

jean-michel writes...

hello, i'm a french fan so first i want to apologize for my english. My question is: why demona choose to use a name given to her by humans despite her hatred towards human beings?
Thanks for your answer and congrutalation for your job both on tv show and comics.

aaron writes...

what places can i go to and buy the seasons?

Chip writes...

We know that Ishimura has at least one gargoyle beast, considering the state of Beasts in London, I was curious, how many gargoyle beasts does Ishimura have?

Chip writes...

When Taro kidnapped the Ishimuran Clan (and Goliath, Angela, and Bronx) what did he do about the Gargoyle eggs? Obviously there were eggs in the Ishimurian Rookery, did he leave them in Ishimura, or did he take them "Gargoyle World" with the clan?

Meg writes...

Review of BG#2:

Solid, solid issue. Overall, I can see why you said this LS is a slow boil; it's not all the way there yet, but it's definitely heating up, and in a good way. Somehow a lot more seems to HAPPEN this issue that is relevant and on-target to the series (then again, it might just be that I like Yama more than Dingo and Matrix), and it really leaves me wanting more.

In terms of the art, I'm really digging the decision to do BAD GUYS in black and white. I'm sure it was mostly a financial decision, but I think the atmosphere it brings is more appropriate to the subject matter than the atmosphere a colored comic would evoke. And Charlebois definitely seems to have found her groove here; she seems slightly more comfortable this issue, and it gives us some truly spectacular art from start to finish. The shading is also phenomenal, especially in the scene where Hunter and co. capture Yama.

Things I really liked:
-Fang's face in the first panel of page 3. It's easy to forget that he used to be a normal guy and is not, in fact, accustomed to putting his life in danger at regular intervals and fighting crazy huge robots. He looks scared, which I think gives a little insight into the character. Then him running away gives even more, but, you know. It's the little things.
-The whole Yama/Sora scene. That tugs at the heartstrings. And it's so telling when Sora says "Ask me to go with you" and Yama says "Bushido demands that I do not." He WANTS to ask her so badly; he doesn't say so, but the evasiveness of his answer gives him away. And yet he loves her too much to do that to her. And she loves him enough to know that she has to let him go it alone, or that'll be something else that'll eat at his heart. Poor them. (Also, major props to Charlebois' art in that panel--Yama's face is just tortured.) How long had they been mates when Yama was banished?
-I also love the characterization of Kai here. Stern, not really angry, just disappointed. Perfectly right.
-It'll be interesting to see how Matrix develops; he seems uberpowerful, so it'll be fun to see him in situations that test him, or where he can't just power through.
-What did Yama do between his banishment and his recruitment? Boy loves his toys, that's for sure.
-Hunter's too funny. "Want something done right..." I'm thinking she doesn't so much think highly of Dingo's skills. I do wonder how much of her "Gargoyle knowledge" is educated guesswork, although she sure seems to have a lot of knowledge of bushido. Also, I love that even when Yama has his sword on her throat she's got a gun aimed between his eyes. Now THAT is a kickass, take-no-prisoners, strong woman.
-I love Yama's snark re: the accent. But I also read him as very hopeless, not caring all that much what happens to him. And it just gets worse. He looks so crestfallen when he realizes he's being coerced; I feel for the dude. His big chance at redemption, to get back with his clan...and joining this group won't really redeem him. And yet he still has to do it. And he's too unforgiving of himself to consider forced work in exchange for protecting his clanmates penance. Dude's got STANDARDS.
-Hunter's a smart leader. I think she feels more of a kinship to Yama than Dingo, which accounts for part of it, but she handles them very differently and it's very appropriate for each character. (She handled Dingo and Matrix differently and well, too, come to think of it.) I'm starting to wonder about the dynamic of her and her siblings, who was ACTUALLY the leader and got stuff done.

Really, really looking forward to #3....

Vaevictis Asmadi writes...

I finally got a hold of Bad Guys. It's great to see Yama, although I'm sad that we don't see more of the Ishimura clan. I was very much hoping we would.

Sora wants to go into exile with him, that is sweet of her. She'd rather be with him than with her clan? But he feels too ashamed to be around her.

Apparently Matrix can hovor/fly without any visible means of propulsion. I find it amusing that when it turns one arm into a gun, the gun has a handle on it, completely unnecessarily. I guess that Matrix has only seen guns that have handles, and thinks that is how they should look.

We see Vinnie in Japan, and he is trying to get to Ishimura. I wonder what Taro has hired him to do. Maybe hoping he'll join his ninja squad, or something.

Also, how does Yama suddenly gain altitude like that, since he can only glide and not fly? I'm honestly confused by this.

Yama looks pretty cool when he stands up on the skyscraper. He's really loaded himself down with weapons -- two katanas, a larger sword (a tachi?), a dagger, nunchakus, ninja stars, and another sword/dagger (a wakizashi?). Clearly he's expecting to be attacked and feels vulnerable outside the clan!

I'm impressed that the artist can show Yama's eyes glowing even in black and white. Not just the lack of irises but the light shining from them.

And his line about Robyn's accent is great! Also the look on his face as he says that, and his calling her Gaijin. All priceless.

Matrix declares that they serve Law and Order, as if that would explain everything.

Robyn tells him that she's a (former) hunter, which I didn't expect. And while she appears to have discarded her old attitudes at least partly, we do not see what her new attitude is toward gargoyles. She is still willing to threaten the Ishimura clan. Or is that what the Director ordered her to say?

Yama's reaction to that is strange. Desperation, but he doesn't look all that angry, in his face. And he agrees... but why? Just because he feels he is so desperate he has no choice? We do not see the moment when he makes this decision.

I find the square thought bubbles confusing. It is difficult to tell what is thought and what is out loud.

Surprisingly, this issue already moves away from Yama to Fang. Who has a name (and look there's the Yuppies).
Sevarius is clearly impersonating a real person who's known to the Labyrinth-dwellers... some guy named Fred. Is he impersonating Fang? But then Claw doesn't react as if he were. I'd think Claw would know what Fang used to look like.

I'm really liking the art. Yama's face is a little odd, but then he's got a difficult face to draw. The rest looks great.

It was really great to see Yama. I look forward to seeing more of him. The issue felt short but I enjoyed it. Thanks for the continuing story.

In honor of Bad Guys #2, where in Japan is Ishimura located? Which island is it on? Vinnie seems to think it is within a train ride of Tokyo, but then he could just be clueless.

Jack-Pumpkinhead writes...

Dear Greg,

This is something that has been in the back of my mind for a while, and I don't want to solicit any ideas, I am just seriously curious, do you ever plan on showing the gargoyles reactions to 9/11? I am assuming based on the precedent set already that it did happen in the Gargoyles Universe.

Antiyonder writes...

Since, I haven't done any particular episode comments or reviews for The Spectacular Spider-Man I'll be commenting on each story arc for the time being. That said:

Episode 1- Survival of the Fittest
- Considering the plan of using comic book only characters, I'm a bit embarassed that I didn't identify Randy earlier when seeing the episode prior to Market Forces.
- As much as I feel sorry for Peter's rejection from Sally, I couldn't help but laugh when Gwen and Harry commented on it. Either the scene was well written and executed or deep down I'm a jerk. I'll go with well executed scene :).
- Same with the comment above, I had a small laugh when Eddie tell Peter that being a high school student with lack of experience keeps him from getting paid.
- Relating to the comment on the podcast, as a fellow sap (I have a box of Shojo Manga for crying outloud), I too enjoyed Peter's dialogue about having Aunt May at the end.

Episode 2- Interactions
- Unlike the identifying of Randy, I was able to pick up on the cellphone dial tone immediately (which would be impossible to miss).
- In Flash's defense, he did get a higher grade than Liz, so maybe Mr. Warren was a little too judgemental of him (interms of how he would function as a tutor). I'm half serious and half joking about this of course.
- Not being able to have coffee for the rest of my life, I certainly hope I wouldn't go mad.

- I do have a question which my brother brought up. Was Curt's serum going to turn him into the Lizard as it was or was it partially due to exposure to Electro's voltage?

Episode 3- Natural Selection
- Have to say that this episode was a nice flipside to the 1994 cartoon episode "Night Of The Lizard". Basically both had Eddie and Peter involved in the story, but this time Peter looks like the bad guy. Also a good example of Pete winning and losing at the same time.
- My favorite scene is definitely Spidey trying to sneak up on the Lizard only for the cellphone to go off.

Algernon writes...

Spectacular Spider-Man

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Reactions

Another strong outing from what might be the greatest superhero toon of all time

After seeing the timid nebbish Dr. Octavius over the course of the series, I was wondering how you were going to handle his transformation into a crazed supervillain. Peter MacNicol deserves some kind of award for so perfectly capturing all the power and arrogance of Doctor Octopus. I especially liked Otto's little "daydream" while being chewed out by Norman.

The whole High School Soap Opera aspect of the show continues to be surprisingly engaging. Harry's continuing downward spiral makes for pretty heavy TV and puts the lie to anyone who still dismisses this show as kiddy fare.

I have to admit though I was expecting to see more of the Green Goblin, since the episode blurb implied he'd play a larger role. Considering all the other stuff going on in this episode that's probably just greedy of me.

Lee H writes...

Hey Greg, I'm loving Spectacular Spider-Man!

The Spectacular team has done a great job at forming a diverse supporting cast in regards to race and sex, but what is the plan where female villains are concerned?

Spider-Man has had very few female villains and most of them were forgettable. The two major female antagonists were Black Cat and Silver Sable, but they quickly became more allies than bad guys.

In May 2008's issues of Amazing Spider-Man two new female villains are introduced - Screwball, a young thrill seeker who commits crimes and uploads videos of them on the Internet, and Paper Doll, a villain who is... well, like paper!

Is there a chance of either of them being featured in later seasons of Spectacular Spider-Man, a few years down the line, or is the plan to stick with older tried and tested villains?

Thanks for your time!

Greg Bishansky writes...

So, quick question.

Did Peter kick Sally's dog or something? I understand the whole clique thing, but this full blown hatred.

Nina writes...

Hello Greg,
First of all, thank you for such an intelligent, brilliantly-written series.
Secondly, I have a question regarding Broadway and Angela's kiss in The Journey. I'm sorry if this has been answered before, but I don't recall finding anything related to it in the archives.
Anyway.
You've stated (I believe in the DVD commentary) that gargoyles don't kiss to show affection, but rather wrap their wings around each other and stroke each other's hair. So why do Broadway and Angela kiss? I've had a number of theories, myself:
1. being younger, Broadway and Angela (especially Angela) have been heavily influenced by the tendencies of humans, ie. ways of displaying affection. I mean, Angela must have seen Tom macking on Katherine a few times back on Avalon, right? Not to mention the fact that the eggs were raised in an unconventional (human) way.
2. To show the pair actally kissing would have truly established them as a solid couple in the minds of viewers. It's also a lot more heart-wrenching to see them kiss with Brooklyn watching them.
3. It WAS The Goliath Chronicles, and the writers weren't aware of all the nuances in the world of the gargoyles.

Well, I've probably gone and answered my question, in there. But thanks for taking the time to read through this, anyway!
You and Gargoyles truly are the bees' knees.

Todd Jensen writes...

My comments on the latest "Spectacular Spider-Man" episode.

I'd been looking forward to this one, since I'd noticed how meek and timid Dr. Octavius (now Dr. Octopus) had been up until now. Since I'd recognized him as a future "Spider-Man" villain (I'm not a big Spider-Man expert, but I still know about Dr. Octopus), I was eagerly awaiting the revelation of how he'd change into a super-villain (and the mental change more than the physical change).

What I got didn't disappoint me. Octavius has finally had enough of Norman Osborn pushing him around (I liked the moment where he's fantasizing about getting back at Norman even before the accident), and the worm finally turns. And how!

Norman is as cool as ever at the end, when Hammerhead's bringing up Green Goblin's actions and the problems they're causing for his boss. (I assume that it's Norman rather than his son who's the Goblin - though Harry's doing a good job of leading the audience astray. I'm looking forward to how that plays out in future episodes, especially since Gwen's getting suspicious.)

Wouldn't you know that Peter would win a stuffed octopus at Coney Island?

And I've got a suspicion that John Jameson's space flight will lead to further trouble for our friendly neighborhood web-slinger, especially since I vaguely remember it featuring in other "Spider-Man" adaptations, with big consequences.

Anonymous writes...

I'm new to all this just reading through Ask Greg, While I was wandering around something caught my attend whih was in VII. Family Xanatos & Owen/Puck question 8. Does Owen have a love life? If so, do we know his romantic interest? And Your respond, Yes he does, but we do not know who she is, but however she is human. Now here is my question, is it only owen who loves her, or does puck also care for this woman?

Thank you for your time

Greg Bishansky writes...

"Reactions"
Well, my reaction is that was certainly an awesome episode.

Let's see, where to begin. I've been waiting to see Otto's transformation and it was well done. Gone is the meek, subservient Otto "Yes, Mr. Osborn. Whatever you say, Mr. Osborn" Octavius, and now we have the the ruthless and psychotic Dr. Octopus. I need to extend my compliments to Peter MacNicol for the contrast in both versions of the good doctor.

The Spider-Man/Dr. Octopus battles were great. From their first encounter at OsCorp, where Ock in his paranoia believed that Spidey discovered he created supervillains to the attack on Tri Corp and their battle at Coney Island (Enjoy Coney Island while it's there, it's being torn down). And damn, not too long ago, Otto could probably never bring himself to put a girl like Liz in harm's way. How he's changed. I look forward to him leading the Sinister Six.

"My fans expect a certain amount of quipage in every battle." You tell him, Spidey! That was one of the many reasons the movies were a disappointment.

But, Peter Parker's civilian life is always just as interesting as his superhero life. Poor sap, thought he and Mary Jane had something going. Not yet, Pete. Your time will come, be patient... but be warned, Joe Quesada... er, I mean, Mephisto will conspire to take it away from you. In the mean time, enjoy your time with Liz. And with Liz and Flash now broken up, he might have a shot there.

Let's see. Peter wins an octopus for Liz. Ock is defeated on the octopus ride. And this is the eighth episode. Cute. Very cute.

Harry Osborn is now a junkie. Just like in the original comics, only instead of acid, he's been raiding his dad's medicine cabinet for Globulin Green #994. It's a good way to do Stan Lee's drug story without using a real drug that would make S&P balk. It explains why he's good at football all of a sudden. It's a steroid story without steroids. Cool.

But not to go unmentioned, the Green Goblin plot line is advanced. Norman Osborn is such an asshole, first berating Otto, then feigning concern when he's the one who tried to kill him. While the Harry red herring is being done well, I just can't believe that he's the Goblin. If he were, he'd have attacked the Fall Formal and gone after Kenny in the previous episode. He has no reason to go after the Big Man, and the only place we heard Norman call the Big Man "Lincoln" was in the subterranean lab. Norman knows Otto is a liability. This all fits in with Norman's modus operandi. Not to mention having two close friends of Peter go arch villain on us this season would be redundant. We still have Eddie Brock becoming Venom in a few more episodes.

Still a terrific episode, and I look forward to the mystery being resolved next week.

kyle tonarella writes...

i noticed you wrote a couple episodes of The Batman i wass wondering if you did a batman show how would you play the characters particularly joker