Just when we’re all multiverse’d out, Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse suddenly swings out of nowhere and yeets another one.
The sequel to the 2018 hit animated film Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse serves more Spidey action and humor in different flavors. After getting caught in a web of timelines, Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) is reunited with Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld) and Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson). This also alerts Miguel O’ Hara/Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac), Jessica Drew (Issa Rae), and the rest of the Spider Society to get involved.
We’re in for another crazy interdimensional trip! But with multiverse movie mania in full swing for the past few years, is there still space for Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse?
We believe in Spider-Gwen supremacy
The sequel puts the spotlight on Gwen Stacy as we visit her timeline and origin story. Compared to Miles’ color-saturated graffiti ’verse, Gwen’s world is in a more muted dreamlike state, hues constantly shifting and reflecting her mood. During a particularly tense conversation with her father (Shea Whigham), the watercolor background could be seen trickling down like tears. This look into Gwen’s life gave us a better understanding and appreciation of her upbeat attitude, fearless actions, and how she’s always got Miles’ back.


Spidey support system in different fonts
We knew Spider-Verse went hard on the art since it was one of the biggest draws of the previous film. And yes, the new variants did not consist of just one white dude in different fits and wigs (We’re looking at you, Doctor Strange).
The Spider-Verse is further expanded with an immersive introduction of diverse aesthetics, languages, and personalities such as the vibrant and chatty Pavitr Prabhakar (Karan Soni). Pavitr was peak entertainment as he ranted about the redundancy of saying “chai tea” and “naan bread” and kept shipping Miles and Gwen.

Spider-Punk (Daniel Kaluuya) is the epitome of rizz, drawn in the iconoclastic style of underground punk zines. The guy’s velvety smooth and can easily get along with everyone while encouraging anarchy on the sly.
Others include comic book-inked Ben Reilly (Andy Samberg), vaporwave girl Spider-Byte (Amandla Stenberg), Jessica Drew and her mom stare, plus, the cutest Spider-Baby ever, Mayday Parker, who dons a crocheted beanie as a mask.
Meeting the spectacular Spidey squad
We enjoyed the walking/swinging tour of the Spider Society headquarters through Miles’ noob POV (dude even wore the equivalent of a temporary day pass on his wrist). The topsy-turvy tower looked like a pre-game lobby where players were chaotically roving about as if they’re raring to rank in PVP.
While the trailers have already shown us a preview of the Spider Society, we still weren’t prepared for the sheer number of Spideys throughout pop culture history and across all media platforms that swung onto the big screen.
These include characters from Spider-Man Unlimited (1999 cartoon), The Spectacular Spider-Man (2008 cartoon), Supaidaman (1978 Japanese live-action series), and Marvel’s Spider-Man (2018 video game series). We busted out laughing at some of the more interesting choices like LEGO Spider-Man, cowboy Web-Slinger (Taran Killam) and his Spider-masked horse Widow, Pter Parker/Spider-Rex, and Peter Parkedcar/Spider-Mobile.
But the one cameo that really got us cheering was—mild spoiler alert—Donald Glover, A.K.A. the OG inspiration for Miles Morales, as a live-action, alternate universe Prowler.
Wicked web-slinging action for all
The transition from relaxed movements to the frenetic thwipping in a higher frame rate, while switching up perspective angles, was unreal! The fight scenes with Renaissance-era Vulture (Jorma Taccone) and The Spot (Jason Schwartzman) were great examples of this approach. And the occasional Spider-on-Spider violence also elevated the action sequences to dizzying new heights (literally).
Antagonists in Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse
Several people were harshing Spider-Man’s vibe and we were so here for the chaos. There’s sitcom busybody, J. Jonah Jameson (J.K. Simmons), who damaged Spidey’s PR with his relentless crusade to cancel the so-called Spider-Menace.

And then The Spot, who initially appeared as a bumbling, campy villain-of-the-week type whom Miles (and the audience) didn’t take seriously as a potential threat. He’s an interesting take on the usual comic relief nemesis, since his very human insecurities and resentment built up to eventually unlock his true villain origin story.

Spider-Man 2099 was portrayed as an anti-hero who’s a cross between a toxic fanboy and an exhausted babysitter. Maintaining his vice-like grip on the timelines must have required great physical exertion as Miguel bulked up significantly since his last appearance (gainz). He spent the majority of the film obsessively gatekeeping others from disrupting the canon by all means necessary. (Does that sound familiar?) Outside of his strict parent schtick though, he’s a cool, snarky guy so it’s difficult to choose sides once the Spider squabbling starts in earnest.
Is Spider-Mania for real or are we all tapped out?
Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse is the very definition of “never let them know your next move.” The amount of twists and turns weaved into this tangled multiversal mess will keep you guessing until the end where you just go flat-out, “WTF?!”

The movie’s also got the Spider–Man humor on lock because regardless of who’s wearing the mask, comedy will always be their coping mechanism. We were living for the long-winded character speeches constantly being interrupted and people roasting Miles about how he’s “bleeding from the armpits” in his upgraded suit.
Across The Spider-Verse is a real one for delivering on the fanservice. The ridiculously awesome amount of Spidey cameos and callbacks will make you want to smash the pause button just so you could catch all the references. There is also some sweet continuity action tying the movie together with live-action film franchises such as the Venom movies, “Raimiverse” Spider-Man, The Amazing Spider-Man, and MCU’s Spider-Man.

The sequel didn’t just use the multiverse genre to throw in a crossover event and call it a day, Spider-Man and his many iterations emphasize the shared trauma of tragedy triggering heroic responsibility, the burden of keeping their secret identity, and the fear of losing loved ones in the process, which reverberates through multiple timelines, happening again and again to a different version each time. But Miles wanted to flip the script and as he put it, “Everyone keeps telling me how my story is supposed to go. Nah, I’m doing my own thing.”
One of the downsides though is that it ends on a cliffhanger and you’ll have to wait until next year to watch the conclusion in Spider-Man: Beyond The Spider-Verse. The good news is that means we can look forward to more Spider-Mayhem and hopefully, more screen time for the old and new crew. But for now enjoy the fire, sounds, art, and vibes of Across The Spider-Verse.
Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse is now showing in cinemas nationwide.

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