Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is truly something special. It is innovative, clever, funny, and extremely entertaining. This movie does so many things right, that pointing out anything that it could improve seems petty. Spider-Verse hits the nail on the head. It is a Spider-Man movie that both fanboys will be proud of and newcomers will enjoy.

Disclaimer: I am a huge Spider-Man fan. I grew up reading the comics and watching the cartoons. I have seen and forced myself to enjoy each movie that has been made to date. Even though deep down I was disappointed in the casting, execution, and unnecessary changes to Spider-Man lore. Then finally, we got to Tom Holland (who is a fantastic choice as the web-slinger) in Homecoming which is a worthy installment into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I felt very satisfied with the current interpretation of Spider-Man that we have. I thought Spider-Verse would be a fun “aside” story. A way to introduce kids to all the Spider-People Marvel has to offer to see if anything sticks. But that ultimately it would be a forgettable experience. I was very wrong.

From the get-go Into the Spider-Verse hits you with an unexpected style. Even after seeing the trailers, I was not expecting to be fully immersed in a visual masterpiece. It was a comic book come to life, and I say that with the highest praise. The music is done beautifully throughout and cannot be ignored. Still, I have not yet reached the peak of my admiration.

That goes to the storytelling. It made me so happy to see Spider-Verse tell each character’s background “comic book accurately.” It also did so in a manner that took no longer than 10 seconds each. Live-Action movies should take note that it can be done without boring the audience with origin stories that monopolize the entire first hour and a half. Spider-Verse was able to stay true to the comics, but still tell a new story of it’s own.