The wall-crawler can do no wrong at Shadowlocked this month...

It’s all back to the 80s this month as Marvel release yet another retro classic from their back-catalogue. Coinciding with the release of Spider-Man 5000 – volume three, fans of the wall-crawler can treat themselves to a second helping of the web-head with this early eighties slice of Spidey-vision.

First airing in 1981 as a companion piece to his solo show, Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends sees the web-slinger team up with college roommates Bobby Drake and Angelica Jones – Iceman and Firestar respectively – to fight crime and villainy wherever they find it.

Calling themselves the Spider Friends, the trio share a room at May Parker’s (Peter Parker’s aunt) boarding house. Their room doubles up as a base of operations, from which they can fight crime in and around New York City, while also attending classes at Empire State University. And they’ve got their work cut out for them, as a host of supervillains and evil-doers seek them out to test their mettle.

While lighter in tone and more fun-orientated than Spider-Man 5000, this series really goes the extra mile in opening up the Marvel Universe for animation fans, something the 5000 series was lacking. This series sees Thor, Captain America, Hulk, Sub-mariner, and Doctor Strange all make appearances alongside Spidey and his mutant chums. But heroes are not the only familiar faces we encounter. Here to do battle with Marvel’s best and brightest are none other than the Chameleon, Doctor Doom, Electro, Loki, Kingpin, Mysterio, the Red Skull and even X-Men favourite Magneto.

It all provides for a rich mix of some of Marvel’s most beloved characters and makes this two-disc set a worthwhile watch for any self-respecting Marvel fan out there. Those old enough to remember these early 80s classics will relish the trip down memory lane, while newcomers are sure to fall in love with vintage animation at its very best, with brilliant artwork and use of colour informing and enriching each episode.

"Each episode is a classic and allows for some of the best outings by a Marvel animation ever, with possibly more originality than today’s animators are likely to come up with"

And it’s the artwork and animation that make this show what it is. While the episodes, and even some of the characters (Firestar was created specifically for the show), were not taken directly from the comics that preceded them, their influence on the show is obvious; particularly with the artwork of John Romita Sr being lovingly reproduced in a faithful, and almost identical, manner.

The dialogue and humour are of their time too, and are befitting the comic-book characters on which they are based. The same goes for the stories and plot-lines - by today’s standards they would most likely appear tame and lacking in excitement, but this is not the case. Each episode is a classic and allows for some of the best outings by a Marvel animation ever, with possibly more originality than today’s animators are likely to come up with.

There are some annoyances, of course - Aunt May and her pet dog, Ms Lion, being two of them – they serve absolutely no purpose whatsoever and only waste precious screen time. Likewise a lack of extras plays its usual part, with no special features or hidden add-ons whatsoever. These are minor grievances though, and do nothing to hinder what has become a classic and much-loved show.

And with a total of 13 episodes in this two-disc set, fans won’t be disappointed with the stories on offer. Spidey himself loses nothing as being part of a team, and even benefits from the other two; particularly Iceman, as the two play off each other and compete for Firestar’s attention. And it’s fair to say that both Firestar and Iceman hold their own as characters, with Firestar acting as an almost substitute Mary Jane. With Spidey being such a prominent character in the Marvel universe, you would expect the roles of the other two to be somewhat diminished – this is not the case, with both proving essential and enjoyable in each episode.

The episodes being as good as they are, it’s a testament to the producers and everyone involved that the show has stood the test of time. Proving popular when it first aired, Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends would carry on for another two seasons, and would then air repeatedly in syndication. It’s no surprise then that fans will no doubt welcome this release with open arms, while younger fans will be in for a real treat with their first viewing.

A must for any Marvel or animation fan, Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends will be one DVD your collection shouldn’t be without. Go get it.

TITLE: Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends: Complete Season One (TWO DISCS)
PRICE: £14.99
RUNNING TIME: 5 hours 10 mins
CERTIFICATE: U

Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends: Complete Season One is released today.

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