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More than a few critics hailed Spider-Man 2 as "the best superhero movie ever," and there's no compelling reason to argue--thanks to a bigger budget, better special effects, and a dynamic, character-driven plot, it's a notch above Spider-Man in terms of emotional depth and rich comic-book sensibility. Ordinary People Oscar®-winner Alvin Sargent received screenplay credit, and celebrated author and comic-book expert Michael Chabon worked on the story, but it's director Sam Raimi's affinity for the material that brings Spidey 2 to vivid life. When a fusion experiment goes terribly wrong, a brilliant physicist (Alfred Molina) is turned into Spidey's newest nemesis, the deranged, mechanically tentacled "Doctor Octopus," obsessed with completing his experiment and killing Spider-Man (Tobey Maguire) in the process. Even more compelling is Peter Parker's urgent dilemma: continue his burdensome, lonely life of crime-fighting as Spider-Man, or pursue love and happiness with Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst)? Molina's outstanding as a tragic villain controlled by his own invention, and the action sequences are nothing less than breathtaking, but the real success of Spider-Man 2 is its sense of priorities. With all of Hollywood's biggest and best toys at his disposal, Raimi and his writers stay true to the Marvel mythology, honoring Spider-Man creators Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, and setting the bar impressively high for the challenge of Spider-Man 3. --Jeff Shannon

Eight years before Tobey Maguire was born, the animated Spider-Man spun his first web across America's television screens. The program ran from 1967 through 1970 on ABC, and imprinted its theme song, "Spider-Man, Spider-Man/ Does whatever a spider can / Spins a web, any size / Catches thieves--just like flies" on a generation of viewers.

The comic book Spider-Man, who debuted in Marvel's Amazing Fantasy in 1962, epitomized the superhero as antihero. During his battles with bizarre villains, Peter Parker was beset by self-doubts and personal problems. The animated Spider-Man was a straightforward action superhero who was too busy performing weird stunts like fashioning a boat and motor out of spider webs to worry or agonize.

From the opening titles that announce the program is "in COLOR," Spider-Man feels dated. When he fights Electro, Spidey can fend off blasts of electricity because he's added "just a little asbestos to my web liquid"; when he discovers the extent of his new powers, Peter dreams of a spot on The Ed Sullivan Show. Although the directors include Ralph Bakshi and former Disney artist Clyde Geronimi, the animation is extremely limited. The same shots of Spiderman swinging over New York appear again and again. But these limits probably won't trouble nostalgic adults who grew up watching Spider-Man on Saturday mornings: "Wherever there's a hang-up / You'll find the Spider-Man!" (Unrated, suitable for ages 7 and older: cartoon violence, tobacco use) --Charles Solomon

More than a few critics hailed Spider-Man 2 as "the best superhero movie ever," and there's no compelling reason to argue--thanks to a bigger budget, better special effects, and a dynamic, character-driven plot, it's a notch above Spider-Man in terms of emotional depth and rich comic-book sensibility. Ordinary People Oscar®-winner Alvin Sargent received screenplay credit, and celebrated author and comic-book expert Michael Chabon worked on the story, but it's director Sam Raimi's affinity for the material that brings Spidey 2 to vivid life. When a fusion experiment goes terribly wrong, a brilliant physicist (Alfred Molina) is turned into Spidey's newest nemesis, the deranged, mechanically tentacled "Doctor Octopus," obsessed with completing his experiment and killing Spider-Man (Tobey Maguire) in the process. Even more compelling is Peter Parker's urgent dilemma: continue his burdensome, lonely life of crime-fighting as Spider-Man, or pursue love and happiness with Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst)? Molina's outstanding as a tragic villain controlled by his own invention, and the action sequences are nothing less than breathtaking, but the real success of Spider-Man 2 is its sense of priorities. With all of Hollywood's biggest and best toys at his disposal, Raimi and his writers stay true to the Marvel mythology, honoring Spider-Man creators Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, and setting the bar impressively high for the challenge of Spider-Man 3. --Jeff Shannon

While fans breathlessly await the fate of the computer-animated New Adventures of Spider-Man (it remains in limbo after being dropped by MTV in 2003), they can enjoy all 13 episodes of its first season on this two-disc set, which includes a wealth of extras. Mainframe Entertainment (which created the cult Saturday morning series ReBoot) and writer/executive producer Brian Michael Bendis (the Ultimate Spider-Man comic) give the venerable story a spin by placing Peter Parker (voiced by Neil Patrick Harris) in college alongside pal Harry Osborn (Ian Ziering) and longtime crush Mary Jane Watson (singer Lisa Loeb). As usual, Parker/Spidey must conceal his secret identity while wrangling a host of foes, which are a mix of ones drawn from the comic book (The Lizard, Kraven the Hunter) and brand new enemies (Talon, voiced by rapper Eve). Spider-Man fans seem firmly divided into "for" and "against" camps over the animation, which beautifully captures Spidey's web-slinging, but often looks awkward when depicting everyday movement. Die-hard series viewers and Spider-Man/Marvel collectors in general will be pleased by the set, which includes behind-the-scenes featurettes and commentary by the creators. --Paul Gaita

More than a few critics hailed Spider-Man 2 as "the best superhero movie ever," and there's no compelling reason to argue--thanks to a bigger budget, better special effects, and a dynamic, character-driven plot, it's a notch above Spider-Man in terms of emotional depth and rich comic-book sensibility. Ordinary People Oscar®-winner Alvin Sargent received screenplay credit, and celebrated author and comic-book expert Michael Chabon worked on the story, but it's director Sam Raimi's affinity for the material that brings Spidey 2 to vivid life. When a fusion experiment goes terribly wrong, a brilliant physicist (Alfred Molina) is turned into Spidey's newest nemesis, the deranged, mechanically tentacled "Doctor Octopus," obsessed with completing his experiment and killing Spider-Man (Tobey Maguire) in the process. Even more compelling is Peter Parker's urgent dilemma: continue his burdensome, lonely life of crime-fighting as Spider-Man, or pursue love and happiness with Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst)? Molina's outstanding as a tragic villain controlled by his own invention, and the action sequences are nothing less than breathtaking, but the real success of Spider-Man 2 is its sense of priorities. With all of Hollywood's biggest and best toys at his disposal, Raimi and his writers stay true to the Marvel mythology, honoring Spider-Man creators Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, and setting the bar impressively high for the challenge of Spider-Man 3. --Jeff Shannon

Scientist turned supervillain Dr. Octopus is one of Spider-Man's longest-running foes, and the pair face off in four action-packed animated episodes on this DVD. All four episodes are taken from Spider-Man: The Animated Series (1994-98), though Doc Ock is only front-and-center for the first episode (culled from the debut season), which does a fine job of re-imagining his origins. The episode also features Felicia Hardy, a.k.a. the Black Cat; she figures prominently in the other three episodes, while Ock takes a supporting role before disappearing altogether in the final one. His absence is disconcerting, given the prominence of his name in the DVD title, and the three episodes, pulled from season 4's lengthy story arc, seem disjointed when viewed outside of the full storyline. But the action is plentiful, the stories are mostly true to the Spidey universe, and true believers will appreciate the parade of Marvel characters on display, including the Kingpin, the Lizard, the Vulture, and even a cameo from Captain America. Supplemental features include two episodes from the 1967-70 animated Spider-Man series, one featuring Doc Ock; Spidey co-creator Stan Lee introduces each episode and sounds off on a variety of related subjects in the interview featurette "Stan Lee's Soapbox"; and there's a wealth of previews for future Marvel/Buena Vista DVD titles, including The Venom Saga. --Paul Gaita

Spider-Man takes on Dr. Octopus, the Kingpin, and the Green Goblin, and takes us on a flashback trip to his origins for good measure, in this four-episode arc from the third season of the 1990s animated series. These web-slinging moral tales have none of Batman's sleek style, and the breathless pacing doesn't quite make up for the awkward animation and pedestrian writing, but the episodes are bright, busy, and action packed. --Sean Axmaker

Spider-Man fanatics that can't wait another two years for the sequel to the 2002 theatrical blockbuster are encouraged to check out Buena Vista Home Video's second DVD of the web-slinger's animated adventures, which provides enough action and cliffhanger suspense to satiate all but the most rabid of Spidey's supporters. The feature is actually a five-episode story arc culled from the 1994-'98 animated television series. True to Marvel Comics fashion, a multitude of plot threads and familiar characters (including the Punisher) are woven throughout the main story line, which finds Spider-Man struggling not only to defeat the Green Goblin, the Hobgoblin, and the Kingpin, but also to clear the Daily Bugle's Robbie Robertson of criminal charges and rescue girlfriend Mary Jane Watson! It's a fast and furious 80 minutes, abetted by strong vocal performances and better-than-usual animation, though the occasional mix of computer and cel art clashes noticeably. --Paul Gaita

Spider-Man vs. Daredevil isn't a question of vs. for very long, as they soon get over their initial misunderstandings and team up to battle the Kingpin. It parallels the original Marvel comics on which the story is based, which also saw the corpulent crime lord becoming the nemesis of both heroes. Several more of their arch-foes, such as the Chameleon, also put in appearances in a plot that revolves around Peter Parker accepting a job offer from philanthropist Wilson Fiske, not realizing that Fiske is in fact... but that would be telling. Suffice to say that Daredevil has at least some of the answers.

This whole generation of Marvel animations, which began with the groundbreaking X-Men series, is of an extraordinarily high quality. Their visual style is influenced by the best of the comics' artists, the protagonists are properly fleshed out, and--proving that cartoons don't have to be dumb--the plots and story arcs often have the kind of sophistication you'd expect from the best kind of adventure novel. This example is typically faultless in execution and, unlike most Saturday-morning fodder, bears repeated viewing. --Roger Thomas

While fans breathlessly await the fate of the computer-animated New Adventures of Spider-Man (it remains in limbo after being dropped by MTV in 2003), they can enjoy three episodes of its first season on this disc (culled from the 13-episode two-disc set, which is a better choice for completists). Mainframe Entertainment (which created the cult Saturday morning series ReBoot) and writer/executive producer Brian Michael Bendis (the Ultimate Spider-Man comic) give the venerable story a spin by placing Peter Parker (voiced by Neil Patrick Harris) in college alongside pal Harry Osborn (Ian Ziering) and longtime crush Mary Jane Watson (singer Lisa Loeb). As usual, Parker/Spidey must conceal his secret identity while wrangling a host of foes, which are a mix of ones drawn from the comic book and brand new enemies. Spider-Man fans seem firmly divided into "for" and "against" camps over the animation, which beautifully captures Spidey's web-slinging, but often looks awkward when depicting everyday movement. --Paul Gaita

While fans breathlessly await the fate of the computer-animated New Adventures of Spider-Man (it remains in limbo after being dropped by MTV in 2003), they can enjoy three episodes of its first season on this disc (culled from the 13-episode two-disc set, which is a better choice for completists). Mainframe Entertainment (which created the cult Saturday morning series ReBoot) and writer/executive producer Brian Michael Bendis (the Ultimate Spider-Man comic) give the venerable story a spin by placing Peter Parker (voiced by Neil Patrick Harris) in college alongside pal Harry Osborn (Ian Ziering) and longtime crush Mary Jane Watson (singer Lisa Loeb). As usual, Parker/Spidey must conceal his secret identity while wrangling a host of foes, which are a mix of ones drawn from the comic book and brand new enemies. Spider-Man fans seem firmly divided into "for" and "against" camps over the animation, which beautifully captures Spidey's web-slinging, but often looks awkward when depicting everyday movement. --Paul Gaita

While fans breathlessly await the fate of the computer-animated New Adventures of Spider-Man (it remains in limbo after being dropped by MTV in 2003), they can enjoy three episodes of its first season on this disc (culled from the 13-episode two-disc set, which is a better choice for completists). Mainframe Entertainment (which created the cult Saturday morning series ReBoot) and writer/executive producer Brian Michael Bendis (the Ultimate Spider-Man comic) give the venerable story a spin by placing Peter Parker (voiced by Neil Patrick Harris) in college alongside pal Harry Osborn (Ian Ziering) and longtime crush Mary Jane Watson (singer Lisa Loeb). As usual, Parker/Spidey must conceal his secret identity while wrangling a host of foes, which are a mix of ones drawn from the comic book and brand new enemies. Spider-Man fans seem firmly divided into "for" and "against" camps over the animation, which beautifully captures Spidey's web-slinging, but often looks awkward when depicting everyday movement. --Paul Gaita