Stuart Green writes...

Hello, Mr. Weisman,
It's been a while since I got to ask you some questions. I'm glad to see Ask Greg is back up again. I don't want to take up too much time and slow down the answers to the other previous questions other people have asked, but I have a lot to say. I'll try to keep this as brief as possible.

Now I must say from the beginning that I don't get Disney XD, so I'll be waiting longer than most to see all thirteen new episodes from season two. I've also noticed in the Unanswered Questions that people have seen it elsewhere and so I'm being very careful not to catch any spoilers, because I want to be surprised.

Anyway, my questions and comments in regards to the inevitable, but sadly still not picked up, season three:

1.) I know that this is simply just waaaaay too early to talk about season three. I know that, you know that. I also know you can't spoil anything in regards to season three. But I would like to say a few things about the villains we've seen in season one and will see in season two. Besides, it never hurts to ask, right? Anyway, I would love to see the Lizard come back in season three if possible, as he's only been in one episode so far on your show. I would also love to see the Chameleon make an appearance or two in season three, since he's only gotten one episode in season one and it was confirmed he will appear again in season two somewhere. Other villains I'd personally love to see more of in season three are Mysterio, Venom, the Vulture, Sandman, the Rhino, and of course, my favorite Spider-Man villain of all Doctor Octopus. I especially hope that Peter MacNicol pops up for multiple episodes in season three as Doc Ock like he did in season one. He's done a brilliant job on your series. I also love the design for Mysterio on your show and look forward to seeing what he does in season two. As I said before, I also love the Sandman/Rhino friendship you introduced on your show. Clancy Brown and John DiMaggio do a wonderful job as Rhino and Sandman. I know that you guys have only discussed ideas for a third season and, as of now, are awaiting a confirmation for a new season. But still, I just wanted to say that I'd love to see more of the current villains since several new characters always get introduced every new season of a popular show, and I just hope that certain already-seen villains don't get lost in the shuffle when there's a third season. I know I'm way ahead of you on this topic and on the next two below, but I just thought I'd mention to you while I can while you're still answering questions and commenting here.

2.) In regards to new villains in season three and beyond:
I know season two has introduced a lot of new villains, and that a few more will be in season three. I know that you confirmed that the Scorpion and the Hobgoblin will be introduced in season three. I've also read online that fans hope guys like Hydro-Man, the Prowler, Man-Wolf and Carnage, among others, are possibilities for season three too. However, I wanted to say that I hope that, eventually, we'll get to see some of the other comic villains on the show that have rarely been on any of the previous Spider-Man cartoon series. Villains like Swarm, the Beetle and the Owl haven't been on a Spider-Man cartoon show in years. In fact, Owl has only appeared once on only one Spider-Man cartoon show to date (in the season premiere episode for season two of Fox Kids' "Spider-Man" cartoon series) and has never even spoken. Other villains, like Jack O'Lantern, the Rose and Man-Mountain Marko, have never appeared on a Spider-Man animated series at all and I hope they get to appear some day (though in Rose's case, that maybe unlikely considering that villains like Kingpin are off-limits from appearing on your show). Again, I know you can't comment on who will be back and who will be introduced for the new villains because, as mentioned, there is no season three pick-up yet... but I really, REALLY hope there is a confirmation soon. I'm not saying that you have to use all of these guys I mentioned, but I'd love to see at least some of the lesser-used villains on your show, is all.

By the way, thank you for finally introducing some of Spider-Man's classic villains on "The Spectacular Spider-Man", since I've read that the show will introduce the Tinkerer and Molten Man in season two. It's nice to see that they will finally appear on a Spider-Man animated series.

3.) Do you think we could see the Sinister Six at least once every season on this show? Also, would you be open to the idea of using one of the Sinister Six rosters from the comic books on your show (like Doc Ock, Mysterio, Vulture, Electro, Sandman, and sixth member Kraven or Hobgoblin)? Now I know that you can't give away any spoilers, but still, I think it'd be neat to see the Sinister Six pop up again.

4.) For a third season, would you be interested in doing more with Peter's supporting cast, like J. Jonah Jameson and his son John, Mary Jane Watson and Joe "Robbie" Robertson? I'd especially love to see Peter's relationship with M.J. get developed more and see Robbie get more of a storyarc, maybe a Robbie/Tombstone story since they know each other in the Spider-Man comics. Then again, maybe this will happen in season two.

I also wanted to answer two previous false casting rumors about "The Spectacular Spider-Man" from the archives for you, because you said you didn't know where the rumors were first reported. The summer 2008 movie preview issue of ToyFare Magazine said that Cam Clarke was picked as the voice of Molten Man (while that was incorrect, the issue did get the other voice actors right, like Josh Keaton as Spider-Man and Peter MacNicol as Doctor Octopus), and the Comics Continuum website said that Charles Napier had been cast as Montana/Shocker, respectively. I hope that helped.

Finally, I just wanted to say that I have a Spectacular Spider-Man Fan Site, in case you or anyone else would like to check it out. There are no images on the fan site yet and it's still a work in progress, but if you're interested, you can find it here:
http://specspideyfansite.synthasite.com/

Thanks for your time and patience reading this, and thanks for any answers. Keep up the excellent work, Mr. Weisman.

Masterdramon writes...

Hi! Nice to see you back from your "AskGreg" break; I hope that things are going well for you.

Like many fans I have seen "The Spectacular Spider-Man" Season 2 via YouTube already (though I'll still be watching the series as much as possible on television in order to support the ratings). One of the coolest extras (without getting into too much spoiler territory) of the season was hearing you voicing Donald Menken, Norman Osborn's right-hand suit. You did a very admirable job at portraying a very flat, all-business character, which is exactly what I would expect from Menken (even though most Spidey fans probably have no idea who he is).

Given that (as far as I know) your only previous foray into voice acting was the commando who says "Nice mask!" in "Awakening Part II," how did you end up being selected for this voice role (which was obviously a lot more significant than the commando; in episodes 21 and 26 in particular the character played a vital role)? Did voice director Jamie Thomason ask you to play Menken, or did you volunteer? Or was there some other circumstance altogether?

Thank you for your time, and good luck with your work!

cyrus troche writes...

1. what are the chances of tssm geting a season three?
2. any tssm dvd news. have you done any extras

Kyle Tonarella writes...

sorry if that question sounded rude and for my poor spelling. Anyway I'm going to watch the show on disney XD to show my support and love for the show. I just don't want an awsome show with nice writers,producers,actors to end with just 26 episodes. I hope you guys get a season 3 so you can continue to expand on such a Spectacular show {pun intended}.

Greg Bishansky writes...

"Destructive Testing"

First off, let me get this out of the way. I always thought that Kraven the Hunter was the lamest of the classic Spider-Man rogues. He just always seemed out of place to me. An attempt to do a comic book version of Richard Connel's "The Most Dangerous Game." I just never bought him as all that imposing a supervillain in the Spidey corner. Not when he had guys like the Green Goblin, Doc Ock, Electro, Mysterio, and so many others. Okay, Kraven was better than the Living Brain, but that's not saying much.

Then, J.M. DeMatteis wrote a classic story in the late 80s where Kraven shoved a shotgun into his own mouth and pulled the trigger. He's been dead ever since and replaced by three cheesy knock-offs. The Grim Hunter; Al Kraven; and I hear there's a new, female Kraven now. But, really, I don't think Kraven would be remembered nearly as well if he didn't commit suicide the way he did. In fact, I've been looking for an excuse to post this...

http://destroyblog.com/2009/01/05/kravens-last-hunt-in-30-seconds/

I didn't much care for Kraven in the 90s series either. And the Steve Irwin take on Kraven in Ultimate was okay... and then they kept bringing him back. So, needless to say, I was skeptical. Greg Weisman, Vic Cook and their team have done a phenomenal job on the series so far, even with Venom, a character whom I hated. So, would lightning strike twice? Could they make Kraven work? Let's find out.

Kraven's voice actor, Eric Vesbit, whom my close friend, production assistant, Jennifer L. Anderson has been raving about really sold Kraven with his performance. The guy was tough, the guy was imposing. The guy was primal. I enjoyed him. The opening scene in Africa was a great introduction to him.

I thought the battles between him and Spidey were very done. I especially liked how the first one ended, which summed up why Kraven needed an upgrade to really take Spider-Man on.

Miles Warren, boy is he a piece of work. He's an opportunist of the highest order. He carries a gun on school property. He lies with the best of them. He seemed pretty normal last week, but now we're getting to see him at work, and well. His brother Aaron seems like a nice, warm and friendly guy. But Miles, take all of the above, and throw in that he's going behind Connors' back conducting experiments on mutation and Miles is just a jackal.

Oh, cool. Debra Whitman. Is she Miles' assistant? I was expecting Anthony Serba. But hey, cool.

As with last week, Liz is all over Peter. I don't think she's using him either, I think she genuinely likes him. But, Pete really should talk to Gwen. We'll see where this goes.

"Come on, Flash! You can do it!!! Can't believe I just said that." - Peter. Loved that line.

I also loved the return of the Itsy Bitsy Spider ringtone.

And the Master Planner plot line continues. And we get a new Sinister Six next week. I still say the Master Planner is either the Chameleon or Dr. Octopus.

Now, the one con. I think Kraven's decision to mutate himself seemed very sudden. As if we were missing a step in between. This is not like buying a new car. While I do think mutating himself is completely in character, I just think the set up should have been done a little better. The Pack didn't get an upgrade in their first appearance in "Gargoyles." It was after two or three humiliating defeats that they chose to alter themselves like that. Aw well.

Great episode. I liked last week's better, but this was still good.

Kyle Tonarella writes...

hey greg I gto doen watching season two and you know what I LOVED IT. This shows that you have repsect for the characters and source materials you incorperate in the show. Anyway here is is my question are there any special features on the season set that will make the fans very happy ?

Chris England writes...

Is there going to be a Season 3 of Spectacular Spider-Man??? And if so, what Villains are U planning to introduce?

Ed Reynolds writes...

Hey Greg,

Been meaning to thank you for putting my letter into Bad Guys #3. I don't always post issue rambles because by the time the comics cross the pond you usually have a lot queued up (and I don't always have time to read them through to make sure I'm not saying the same old things). Until the trade, suffice to say I've been having a blast with 'Bad Guys'.

But I wanted to talk about 'Spectacular Spider-Man' Season One. Which I adore. It is, again, old news, so I've tried to boil down a season's worth of rambles into eight specific, personal observations/comments/questions/recollections/gripes/quips/geek-outs.

1. THE BIG MAN

Whisper it, but in a way I'm sort of glad the show is "limited" (ha) to the Spidey cast. Kingpin -- despite being born to ASM -- never felt to me ideal as a Spidey villain. The best Spidey villains are weird, lurid, misshapen, often animalistic and generally have some kind of duality. Kingpin's great but he's... a big man who's a big man. But Tombstone? He looks unusual, but he's smart, he's collected, he's got great lines and conveys a real sense of power. I love the "I've already peeked under the mask" discussion in "The Uncertainty Principle". And he has a terrific voice actor (with a nice warm-up by Keith David too). I'm sure if Kingpin had been on the table this show would have delivered up a great iteration, but Tombstone as The Big Man just has a real electricity to me. Alongside Green Goblin, he may be my favourite of the villains.

2. "MARKET FORCES"

The episode I fell in love with the show. It just encompasses all the spheres of Peter's life. His troubles at school, his money troubles, the Bugle, his relationship with Harry and Gwen and May; plus lots of Norman and the Hammerhead. The conspiracy to create supervillains reminded me of the kind of interconnectedness we'd see on 'Gargoyles'. Along the way, we get Shocker, a villain I'd no recollection of at all but who has such fun lines, and Marko and O'Hirn who are a hoot. There are plenty of great banner episodes this season, but I want to single this out because it's not such an obvious candidate but is still jam-packed with tiny, human stories, with emotion and humour and a bit of a moral lesson too. (For the same reason, "Economics 101" is my favourite arc all told.)

3. THE SYMBIOTE ARC

I love all the episodes individually in this arc, especially the last two which get me misty-eyed in places (which isn't too hard cos I'm a huge sap, but still). But my vague problem with the arc for a long time was that it feels like a zero sum game where Peter is the object of the story and not the subject.

Through a sequence of terrific luck the symbiote smashes into John's ship, ends up in the ESU lab (which has been trashed twice in two months) and when Spidey arrives just in time to foil Black Cat and Chameleon, it hitches a ride. Dicey, but I'm in there. Then the symbiote makes Peter think things he'd never normally think (but are amplifications of his id?) and wins fights for him. Pete realises the thoughts aren't his and, duh, removes the symbiote. A valuable lesson learnt? Well, he was grateful for "this amazing woman" looking out for him in episode 1, and doesn't seem especially more clued into where his friends are at in episode 13. He embraces his spider-side at arc's end too when he sees May in the hospital and asks the fantastic question, "shouldn't my first responsibilities be to the people who rely on Peter Parker?"

I appreciate playing the symbiote as kind of lubricant for a host's id makes sense in light of Venom. It's much better executed than the last film (which I hated), and produces a slew of amazing scenes. But it still feels a bit of a cheat somehow...

It does work for me though as a contrast to Eddie who has all Peter's knocks -- lost parents, lost job, lost 'bro' -- and makes the wrong choices. (I was a bit sad we didn't get a chance to see Eddie's memories like we saw Pete.) And as I say, the episodes individually are brimming with wonderful moments.

4. THE CHARACTER DESIGNS

When this Venom was revealed at the end of 'Intervention' my brother wowed. It took me until next episode to get on board 100% because the tongue action felt extreme even for Venom but I love Cheeks' version of the character. I love that he's chunkier, wider, that the horror trappings are used to interesting effect (such as the chest-mouth) rather than just being lots of icky goo and slimy teeth. Cheeks and all the character designers really rock their subjects in this show. Electro is just genius, taking a silly-looking design, preserving what makes it classic and rendering it utterly cool. Betty feels really fresh. And I'm a big fan of the ethnicity-switches -- just in terms of distinguishing the cast at a glance, making Liz Hispanic is great sense, and Ned Lee has a memorable look whereas I just plain don't recall what Ned Leeds looked like, despite having read issues with him not so long ago.

5. MARTHA CONNORS

Another quiet triumph of the show. I've not read that much Spider-Man but I don't really recall the original Martha doing much except crying (and dying, apparently). But this one's a smart, professional woman and mother with a tough love attitude and a bit of cynicism next to Curt's dreamer. I particularly like her scenes with Gwen.

6. ITUNES

I was delighted they put all the episodes on UK Itunes. Less delighted that two had the sound a second out of sync and a handful more have occasional colour glitches. More delighted that they refunded me for the faulty episodes. Less delighted that several months on, they still haven't been fixed. Bleh. But episodes 4, 6 and 8-13 look stunning...

7. DVDs

I have mixed feelings about the idea of the edited-together movies. Granted, I LOVE the way the arcs play... but week-to-week. A climax and a new arc always just around the corner. And the end-of-episode mask is one of my favourite staples of the show. And the titles! I remember a bunch of words and phrases I first heard on cartoons or comics as a kid. "Frozen assets" I first came across as the title of a 'Ducktales' episode for example. "Introspective" was a word I first heard on 'Gargoyles'. I hope today's kids carry these titles with them like I did. "The Uncertainty Principle" is a particularly clever one if you buy into "it was Norman all along" theory: in the process of looking for something ("I know you're Norman Osborn!") it changes. And "The Invisible Hand" -- genius!

I hope the box set has some cool extras. I'm keeping my fingers crossed especially for commentaries and the audio/storyboards for cut scenes which weren't animated.

8. THE BACKGROUND PEOPLE

One thing I love most about the 'Gargoyles' universe is that these tiny little background characters turned out not just to be footnotes but rounded, interesting people just waiting to step into the spotlight. People like Vinnie and the Jogger and Sarah. SSM has a bunch of these that have caught my attention:

- The family with the fair-haired comic-reading boy and purple-dress girl who appear repeatedly, not least in the title sequence. Spidey rescues the mother in "The Invisible Hand" (the music and direction on that scene are excellent, btw -- I got a real adrenaline buzz from it!)
- Norman's bald heavies with dark glasses.
- The couple Spidey webs together in "Reaction"; the guy at least turns up in "Nature vs Nurture".
- Tombstone's bodyguards.
- Hammerhead's driver!

Plus, characters I don't think have recurred but who I think were pretty nifty:

- Gobby's goon in "Catalyst".
- Aunty Em's nephew who'll rob the piggy bank but won't touch the cookie jar (hilarious!).
- The Big Man's goon with the binoculars who follows Spidey in "Market Forces".
- John's space shuttle crew -- one of them looks like she could be related to Glory.
- The kid who videos Spidey in "Interactions".

I know you've declared an intention not to make any new "named" characters though. So will these guys be nameless wonders until a precedent crops up, or the Blue Fairy puts them in ASM; or is there a chance for any of them to break out if the show survives long-term?

For that matter, do they ALREADY have names from the canon? I know a couple more of the school's background characters get names and identities in Season 2, I've seen plausible speculation for someone on the second list, and I have my own Big Theory for someone on the first list.

Also, is Benny at the Bugle from somewhere or is he a tribute to your son?

Thanks for a great, great series Greg (and to everyone else involved). I really hope the show gets picked up and as many of the team as possible can come back.

Jesse B. writes...

As I've been following the second season on Teletoon for the past few months, "The Spectacular Spider-Man" has been the first thing to come along in my entire life that has actually made me look forward to waking up Sunday mornings. That alone is no small accomplishment. What is an even greater accomplishment is that the first two seasons of this phenomenal show have established a new definitive interpretation for the character. While the series hasn't quite finished here in Canada, I will still highlight the fact that the event that ends the second season has effectively made these twenty-six episodes equivalent of the original Lee-Ditko run of The Amazing Spider-Man. For decades those issues have been the central foundation upon which all interpretations of Spider-Man have drawn from. These first two seasons, however, have shattered that foundation and created a new standard for the character. Even if SSM is not continued (heaven forbid), I sincerely hope that all future incarnations use the first two seasons of your series as their basis. I simply can't accept anything less at this point.

I have a few comments and questions from season two which I had hoped to share with you, but I'm sure that you'd rather keep your column free from major spoilers as the series airs in the States. As such, I'll submit more questions as each arc airs on Disney XD. For now, here are a couple of more general things:

1) I realize that this series has an enormous cast to juggle, but what on earth happened to Robbie Robertson? I don't think any major character has gotten the shaft as badly as he has! He has some interplay with Jonah, but we don't see any scenes of him interacting with Captain Stacy or even his own son! Is this going to be rectified soon?

1)Is it just me, or are Jean DeWolff and Stan Carter the only two cops in the Midtown area? I understand the need to to build familiarity with those characters for future stories, but their overexposure has been a bit silly. I also noticed in one episode that Jean referred to Stan as “Sarge”, which got me thinking: what are the current police rankings for these two characters? Jean would have to be a lieutenant by now if there's any hope of her becoming a captain within the span of this series, but her comment gives me the impression that this isn't the case.

That's all for now! Here's hoping that season 3 has a pick-up by the time you reply to this message!

Marjorie writes...

Hi Greg,

Just finished season two of Spider-Man, and it was amazing. My question is, how do things look for season three? Do you have the green light yet? And more importantly, is there anything the fans can do to help the show out? I plan to buy the DVD sets when they're released and I tell all my comic book friends about it. Anything more we can do?