In June, The Amazing Spider-man will swing into theaters, take us on a rooftop ride over an IMAX-sized city, and even kick us in the face straight through our 3D glasses. Personally, I’m excited for the fresh take on our friendly neighborhood wall-crawler, and don’t even mind the gimmicky format. My 3 reasons?

1. If any hero seemed suited for 3D, it’s the web-swinging Peter Parker. (Classic artist John Romita practically drew him EXPLODING off the page into your face.)
2. I’m happy just to have ANYthing to wash the taste of that third movie out of my mouth, something that ISN’T a musical with songs by Bono. In both cases, we know that Spider-man should swing, not dance.
3. Finally, I can’t deny a fondness for Denis Leary, who has a prominent role as Gwen Stacy’s father and the police captain chasing our misunderstood web-head. If you haven’t seen the most recent trailer, check it out.

What’s so special about Spider-man anyway?

What makes this questionable dresser so amazing in comparison or contrast with other superheroes? Why has his story endured and become modern myth? I had the chance to break down the basics of Spider-man several years ago at a live showing of Spider-man 2, voted by many websites including Time Magazine as one of the top 10 comic and superhero movies of all time. I agree that it’s the best of all the Spider-flicks and probably makes my top 10, from character development to the cameos by Bruce Campbell and Joel McHale. The 2.1 edition has extra fight scenes that help show why it’s some of the best visual effects in a comic book movie still today. It also perfectly captures the inner, emotional drama that defines the character of Peter Parker.

Find out why Kevin Smith called Spider-man the “Charlie Brown” of superheroes and how the character introduced a fresh and fallible concept to the superhero genre in part 1 of this 2-part audio review. Then come back tomorrow for part 2 as we untangle the narrative web of Spider-man 2 and see how it deals with the three essential components that make up the quintessential Spider-man story: choice, destiny, and sacrifice. Click here for part 2!

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