“Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man” Review: How Norman Osborn Shapes This Unique Disney+ Series

by Haley January 29, 2025

Spider-Man has swung through countless adaptations, but Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man dares to rewrite the web-slinger’s origin in a way that feels fresh yet faithful. Premiering on Disney+, this animated series from Marvel Animation replaces Peter Parker’s usual mentor with an unexpected and shadowy figure—Norman Osborn. The result is a dynamic retelling that weaves together classic comic influences, engaging action, and a sinister new mentor-student relationship, making for an intriguing first season that shakes up Spidey’s well-worn story beats.

“Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man” Review: How Norman Osborn Shapes This Unique Disney+ Series

– Marvel Animation’s new series, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, introduces an alternate-reality storyline featuring Peter Parker’s mentor as Norman Osborn, the Green Goblin in the comics, offering a fresh take on Spiderman’s journey.
– The animation style is inspired by classic Spider-Man comics and the 3D animation gives a hand-drawn feel, capturing the essence of traditional Spider-Man story while adding new elements and characters.
– There’s a notable focus in the series on the social issues faced by the characters, especially racial profiling, making the series relevant and relatable, albeit missing a depth of exploration of these issues.

In this no-spoiler review, we’ll be talking about the first season of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. Currently, the first two episodes are available on Disney+. This animated show from Marvel Animation swaps out the familiar mentor of Peter Parker and replaces him with an unexpected figure: Norman Osborn, also known as the Green Goblin. Shaking up the Spider-Man narrative in this way greatly enriches this unique new vision of your neighborhood web-slinger.

The story, while sharing elements with the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), features key distinctive tidbits that make it a joy to unravel, including a completely overhauled origin story for Peter. The narrative starts with an intriguing beginning and takes a three-month leap, alleviating audiences of the oft-repeated scenes of Peter’s burgeoning superpowers discovery and the start of his web-slinging adventures. We then dive into Peter’s life, filled with financial woes, girl problems, his dorkiness, and his journey as a novice Spider-Man. It’s not long before he secures an internship at Oscorp due to his scientific prowess, marking the start of a sinister yet entertaining dynamic with Norman Osborn.

While maintaining core aspects of the character, this interpretation features unique elements within Spider-Man’s world. The animation style, inspired by Steve Ditko and John Romita Sr.’s classic comic artworks, lends the series a comfortable familiarity. The 3D cel-shaded animation remarkably captures the aesthetics of iconic 2D Spider-Man comics whilst the action sequences are engaging and dynamic, filled with humor and death-defying acrobatics. Despite occasional awkward movements and subpar background visuals, the animation is generally appealing.

Major changes include the absence of traditional supporting characters like Mary Jane Watson, Gwen Stacy, and Flash Thompson and the introduction of an interesting, novel set of characters. This twist on Peter’s school life is refreshing and thankfully accepts Peter rather than shuns him. However, this evolution takes away from the role Peter played as the underdog in his original universe.

The series impressively balances references to MCU continuity with a focus on Peter’s immediate world. The narrative cleverly borrows from the fallout of events like the superhero clash due to the Sovokia Accords while maintaining its distinct universe. Also, the series successfully manages to present the villains as genuine threats. Several exciting tie-ins with unexpected superheroes enrich the storyline.

The performances by Hudson Thames as Spider-Man and Academy Award nominee Colman Domingo as Norman are captivating. A haunting dramatic irony persists between Peter and Norman, as we viewers know Norman for the evil he can unleash. Yet, Norman is intelligently portrayed not just as an antagonistic figure, but also as an industrialist, a flawed father, and a surprisingly good motivational speaker.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man redefines what a Spider-Man story can be, balancing nostalgic comic influences with bold new directions. By placing Norman Osborn at the heart of Peter’s journey, the show creates a unique tension that sets it apart from previous adaptations. While some changes may be divisive, the series’ mix of thrilling action, strong performances, and sharp storytelling proves that Spidey still has plenty of surprises left. Whether you’re a longtime fan or a newcomer, this animated adventure is well worth a watch—because in this version of Peter Parker’s story, even his greatest enemy might just be his most valuable ally.

RATING: 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man season 1 premiered on Disney+ on January 29th, 2025.