# The Spectacular Spider-Man (2008)

> A sixteen-year-old Peter Parker, newly empowered, hides his secret identity from family and classmates while battling super-villains across his junior year of high school.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/3668

## Facts

- Seasons: 2
- Episodes: 26
- Episode runtime: 22 min
- Status: Canceled
- Genres: animation, action, family
- Created by: Stan Lee, Steve Ditko
- Network: Disney XD, The CW
- Cast: Josh Keaton, Ed Asner, Grey DeLisle, Phil LaMarr, Cree Summer, Kevin Michael Richardson, Tricia Helfer, Robert Englund
- TMDB rating: 8.4/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0976192/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: mild
- Tone: breezy, quippy, earnest, youthful, playful

## What critics say

Critics and audiences broadly admired the show's energetic animation, its teen-focused take on Peter Parker, and its faithful use of Spider-Man's rogues, though ratings were modest.

## Synopsis

The Spectacular Spider-Man (2008-2009) is an American animated superhero series created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko for Disney XD and The CW. Sixteen-year-old Peter Parker (voiced by Josh Keaton) gains spider-powers over a summer of catching petty criminals and must hide his secret identity as he enters his junior year of high school. Around him, Aunt May, classmates, and the Daily Bugle's Robbie Robertson (Phil LaMarr) and Betty Brant (Grey DeLisle) keep pressing him for answers, while his crime-fighting attracts a steady parade of costumed foes. The engine is the balancing act itself: homework, a part-time job, and a secret life that keeps threatening to unravel. Across two seasons of 13 episodes each, the show is a serialized, lightly continuing story rather than pure case-of-the-week, with each episode built from a villain clash and a school or personal complication. Set in a contemporary American city, it has a bright, quippy, youthful register with warmth and earnest heroism. Its tone and bold comic-book staging recall Batman: The Animated Series and Teen Titans, and fans of those cartoons will find the same kid-friendly action and superhero heart. The series was canceled before its story was resolved.

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- [Iron Man: Armored Adventures (2009)](https://ember.film/tv/6826)
- [Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (2025)](https://ember.film/tv/114430)
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- [Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes (2006)](https://ember.film/tv/119)
- [Marvel's Spider-Man (2017)](https://ember.film/tv/63370)
- [Young Justice (2010)](https://ember.film/tv/30562)
- [Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends (1981)](https://ember.film/tv/1190)
- [The Super Hero Squad Show (2009)](https://ember.film/tv/20070)
- [The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes (2010)](https://ember.film/tv/30946)
- [Spider-Man (1981)](https://ember.film/tv/3780)

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