The Spectacular Spider:Man: Volume 2

SPECTACULAR SPIDER MAN VOL 2 - DVD Movie

Three more episodes of the Spectacular Spider-Man animated TV series arrive on Volume 2, which pits the wall crawler against a trio of classic foes from his comic book origins. Episodes 4 through 6, which are featured on the disc, continue the show’s main storyline, with teenaged Peter Parker battling a host of supervillains created by Osborne Industries to fuel the evil plans of The Big Man. In "Market Forces," it’s the Shocker--a hybrid of the original Marvel character and the Enforcer known as Montana--who wants to put an end to Spidey’s hero career, while the Sandman and Rhino are featured in "Competition" and "The Invisible Hand," respectively. The Big Man himself also makes an appearance in the latter, though it’s not who the Spider-Man faithful have come to associate with that name. Regardless, the action is plentiful, the characters largely faithful to their histories (the tweaks made by the series are harmless), and the scripts engaging and similar in tone to the classic Stan Lee/Steve Ditko adventures. One wishes more episodes could be included on each disc, as well as a few extras beyond the previews for other Marvel-related (and otherwise) animated series. --Paul Gaita