Death has always been an important catalyst in creating the superhero lore. In the Spider-Verse, losing a loved one, whether it is Uncle Ben or Uncle Arron, is both impactful and isolating. An immovable cloud of sorrow over the heart, the narrative has always been that true heroes learn to channel the pain of personal loss into helping the greater good. In Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, the nature of sacrifice and who ultimately benefits from it is a debate that could rip the world apart.
The sequel to 2018’s Academy Award winning animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, the film finds Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) fully embracing his role as the famed web-slinger Spider-Man. While he displays more confidence when taking on the numerous criminals that terrorize Brooklyn, Miles is less self-assured when it comes to matters at home. Unable to tell his parents of his secret alter ego, life outside of the mask is one of constant struggle. As with most fifteen-year-olds, he is eager to assert a level of independence and spread the wings his parents seem determined to clip.
Miles is not the only teenager finding it difficult to connect with their parents, in her own universe Gwen Stacey (Hailee Steinfeld) cannot seem to bridge the gap between her and her father (Shea Whigham). Still dealing with the unresolved emotions related to the death of her friend Peter Parker, which her police officer dad blames on Spider-Woman, Gwen finds herself isolated from the world around her. Similar to Miles, who she misses deeply, she longs for the connection with those who truly understand what she goes through as a superhero.
As fate would have it, an encounter with The Vulture, from a different timeline, leads Gwen to meet the time-hopping Miguel O’ Hara (Oscar Issac), aka Spider-Man 2099, and Jessica Drew (Issa Rae), aka. Spider-Woman. Part of an elite Spider-people team, they are attempting to fix the Spider-Verse timeline that was disrupted by the events of the previous film. Rather than going into the specifics about the special forces team Gwen eventually joins, Across the Spider-Verse spends the bulk of its first half focusing on the fractured parent-child dynamics at the films core.
In exploring the severing of the parental strings, while still wanting to keep those threads within reach, the film captures the complexities and uncertainty of moving from adolescence to adulthood. While the teen angst feels true, it is the acknowledgment that parenting has its own challenges that allows the film to truly resonate. As a character notes in the film, there is no road map to parenting, one is constantly trying to figure it out on a daily basis.
By taking the time to delve into Miles and Gwen as individuals, the film is able to bring greater weight to the visualization of their various emotions on-screen. The Spider-Verse franchise has quickly established itself as a place where artistic creativity and pushing the boundaries are not just encouraged but championed. If Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was the emergence of a visionary new artist, then Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is that artist mastering their craft and raising the bar in the process.
A visual spectacle unlike any other, the film’s richly layered canvas is jaw-dropping in its beauty. Giving each environment its own distinct feel, Gwen’s world transports viewers into a living painting where the colours and running paint on the walls reflect the emotions of the characters, the film is a wonder to behold. Never feeling like a gimmick, each brush stroke, 3D rendering, pencil line, etc is calculated and innovative at the same time.
The vibrant look of the film not only allows for several inventive action set pieces, but also brings fascinating layers to several of the new characters, most notably Hobart ‘Hobie’ Brown a.k.a Spider-Punk (Daniel Kaluuya) and the villainous The Spot (Jason Schwartzman). While there is so much to consume visually, not to mention a slew of easter eggs that will require multiple viewings to discover a quarter of them, what makes the film truly standout is its boldness. In an age when the MCU and DCEU are playing it safe, seemingly more concerned with setting up future works than challenging audiences, directors Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson show that you can still tell engaging superhero stories that boldly take risks.
A stunning piece of art that manages to push the genre forward, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is one of the year’s best films.
