finished watching Spider Noir so far and it was surprisingly great! i say surprisingly because spin-offs and sequels are a bit hit or miss these days, and i wasn't too sure of a live action spin-off of a Spiderverse character (i know Noir is in the comics too but i feel like this show was definitely advertised to fans of Spiderverse).
as someone who's first ever favorite genre was mystery (Agatha Christie was one of the first authors i got obsessed with) and also as someone who really likes horror, this show had mostly everything i needed!
idk if anyone even watched it in color because what's the point of creating a show called Spider NOIR and releasing it in color as well, like of course i'm gonna watch it in B&W. i'm sure the colored version looks great but it just makes sense to watch a dark gritty noir detective show in B&W, that's just common sense.
Ben Reilley is a really fun character. his tragic backstory is as basic as it gets, but i'm not complaining because there are more interesting parts to him.
i'm glad they leaned into the body horror of it all, and made Ben actually act like an insect and have spider instincts, instead of just getting the cool superpowers and nothing else. him having to learn how to be human again is a very interesting (and i'm sure, relatable) touch.
i also love his dry witty humor. i'm glad they didn't make him a super serious grimdark badass and instead just made him a silly uncle lmao. we really needed a middle aged superhero with back pain, he's so me and i'm only 24.
Cat was an okay character. obviously she's not entirely good, she betrays Ben yada yada. her character has potential but i'm not a fan of how much of it revolves around a man. yes, she also has the problem of being controlled by Silvermane but most of her motivations just stem from wanting to get with her love interest.
it's fine, i don't have much to say about it. she's basically the sexy dame archetype that exists in most noir stories, with a little more depth.
i freaking love Janet. she's honestly the only character with common sense lmao. and she's just such a sweetheart and so funny. and i'm glad she gets the appreciation she deserves in the end.
i also really like Robbie. he's a good example of the idea that you don't have to be a superhero to help others. i really enjoyed his little comradory with Lonnie, who was also a really interesting character.
i like that the antagonists in this story, with the exception of Silvermane and Finn, are all just people who want to survive. it harkens back to X-Men when mutants are treated horribly by society, and also ties in themes of racism and xenophobia, which is inevitable in a story that takes place in the 1930s.
speaking of Finn, i just love how absolutely chaotic and insane he is. this guy has no sense of impulse control and it was not at all surprising to see him turn against Silvermane. this show really has it all — complex, sympathetic villains as well as batshit crazy pure evil villains.
overall, i really enjoyed this series and can't wait for season 2! with this and the Knives Out series, i'm just glad we're finally appreciating detective stories and noir mysteries again.