This is what early reactions to Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man have to say

We're nearly there. In just a matter of days, Peter Parker will swing onto the small screen as Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. The upcoming Disney Plus show will take place in a branching Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline where Peter never goes to Midtown High or meets Ned Leeds and MJ. Instead, a mysterious attack will send the wall-crawler's life into disarray and put him on a path where he could become New York's greatest protector.

We've watched the only trailer released so far, discovered characters such as Daredevil will make an appearance, and learned how long each episode will be. So the only question remaining is: Will Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man be any good? Well, that's what we're about to discover. Social reactions just went live ahead of the show's release and we have good news, true believers. It appears Marvel has yet another success on its hands filled with no shortage of amazing performances and exhilarating moments.

That's right, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is shaping up to be something special. But don't take our word for granted. Instead, let's see what the media had to say:

Brandon Davis calls Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man "a really good Spidey story", praising the show's authentic take on Peter Parker and calling attention to the final episodes of the season.

Bam Smack Pow's own Michael Patterson acknowledges the show's unique visual style while also adding that there is plenty of "substance" to ensure that Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man stands apart from the countless previous animated Spider-Man shows. He also says that Marvel has outdone itself.

Veteran Spider-Man social media page Spider-Man News praises the show, calling it both "amazing" and "spectacular", while POC Culture adds that it's "the best animated series" from Marvel Studios yet! High praise indeed!

All things considered, it appears Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is shaping up to be one of the best (if not, the very best) Marvel Animation projects made in recent memory — surpassing the likes of What If...?. Voice acting has been heavily praised, with honorable mentions for Colman Domingo's take on the Green Goblin. Besides, it appears Spidey fans are in for no shortage of Easter Eggs and comic book references that will surely have them replay all episodes frame by frame to search for even more secrets.

The animation seems to be the one aspect that isn't universally praised so far, and it isn't that surprising. Ever since the first trailer for the series dropped, people have been a bit mixed about its visual style. Some feel it's a nice way to portray comic book panels (while paying homage to the Ultimate Spider-Man video game along the way), while others have expressed their discomfort by saying it's a bit janky and lacks detail. Based on the trailer alone, I personally prefer the way Spider-Man: The New Animated Series made use of 3D graphics on the small screen. That being said, it appears Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man excels in every other aspect.

Bam Smack Pow also had the opportunity to get a preview of the series, and this is what we had to say:

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man was originally intended to tell Tom Holland's origin story in the MCU. However, the show's direction was changed mid-production and now it will take place on a branched timeline separate from any other storylines — allowing for even more creative freedom. Due to that, big and renowned characters like Doctor Strange, Daredevil, Kingpin, Doctor Octopus, and even a symbiote will now be a part of the story, which wouldn't have been possible before. Furthermore, it's nice to see the show will pay homage to the Stan Lee and Steve Ditko era of the character by allowing Peter to be the star of a street-level storyline (especially now that the Multiverse is at the center of attention of every other Marvel project).

If excitement levels for Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man weren't through the roof already, now they surely are. On the bright side, it isn't long until audiences worldwide finally get to see the wall-crawler swing across New York's skyline and fight no shortage of bad guys in what's shaping up to be a truly memorable adventure.

The first two episodes of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man will be released on Jan. 29, 2025, on Disney Plus.