If your reaction after seeing the “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” trailer was “Why are they making another Spider-Man movie?!?!” reconsider your reaction because this movie is unlike all other Spider stories previously created.
“Spider-Verse” has already won Best Animated Feature at this year’s Golden Globes and will most likely receive the same nomination at the Academy Awards. But how exactly did this movie pull off making a whole new Spider-Man story amidst the countless comics, TV shows and movies currently existing?
This Spider-Man story brings six characters who have previously appeared in past comics into one movie. The mix of Spider-people include Peni Parker, a Japanese anime style Spider-Man, Gwen Stacy or Spider-Gwen, Spider-Man Noir, a Spider-Man created during the Great Depression; Peter Parker, the classic character we all know, Spider-Ham, which is literally a pig in a Spider-Man suit, and finally, Miles Morales, a black-Latino middle schooler from Brooklyn. To make it even more complicated, these Spider people are from different dimensions and exist as Spider-Man in their respective dimensions. Overall, these characters are brought together to expand arguably one of our favorite fictional character’s universe to give it a fresh story.
The plot of this story focuses on Miles Morales, a cop’s son growing up in Brooklyn and attending a prep school. When he is bitten by a radioactive spider, he gets all his Spidey powers and becomes Spider-Man.
The conflict starts when the villain, Kingpin (a massive, hulking dude with no neck) opens a portal to an alternate dimension; and as a result, all the Spider-people are brought to New York. Miles then encounters a chubby, recently divorced Peter Parker (voiced by Jake Johnson from “New Girl.”)
As the other Spider-people make their appearances, the group devises a plan to defeat Kingpin and return to their dimensions. However, even with all the characters and storylines, the plot is incredibly simple to follow.
If this plot doesn’t seem like your jam or you’re not a fan of Spider-Man in general, see this movie for the visual effects. Amazing is an understatement — you will most likely watch the movie with your mouth open the entire time. The animation itself is grainy and comic – book style.
Additionally, to expand the comic book aspect, there are wiggly lines showing when spider senses are tingling, speech bubbles, split screens and even words like “WOOOOO” that scroll across the screen as Miles jumps from buildings. As a whole, the animation takes on bright, wild patterns that are visual eye candy throughout all parts of the movie.
Spider-Man has been rebooted three times as a movie, but this is not your typical Spider-Man movie or Spider-Man story for that matter. Even with similar parts of stories from the past, all the Spider-people in this movie bring diverse expressions of the Spider-Man character, all with something to contribute to the new story.
The movie is full of hilarious quips and moments, but the heartfelt moments that have defined the Spider-Man story in the past are still present. Go see this movie to have fun, be blown away by the animation and special effects and see a story that has been told over and over again get a new face. 
