By Jamie Miller
Spider-Man, he’s right up there with Superman and Batman as one of the most recognizable superheroes of all time. His face has appeared on all sorts of merchandise, from T-shirts to socks to even underwear. He has also been reimagined just as many times, from a cyberpunk interpretation to one who hailed from the year 1602. And now we have one in black and white.
“Spider-Noir” serves as a loose adaptation of the “Spider-Man: Noir” comic series. The show tells the tale of one Ben Reilly, formerly the superhero known as The Spider. Reilly has long since retired from the role after failing to save the life of his fiancée. Now a struggling private investigator, Reilly wants nothing more than to put his former life behind him, but fate seems to have other plans, and unless Reilly wants to end up sleeping with the fishes, he’ll have to dust off his costume one more time and solve the greatest mystery of his career.
The series, which premiered on Amazon Prime back on May 27, stars Nicholas Cage of “Ghost Rider” and “Con Air” fame, as Reilly. Lamorne Morris, known for roles in the likes of “Woke” and “Fargo” as Robbie Robertson, a freelance journalist and one of Reilly’s few allies who wants to see The Spider make a return. Li Jun Li known for roles in the likes of “Wu Assassins” and “Sinners” stars as Cat Hardy, a reimagining of the Spider-Man character the Black Cat, a sultry nightclub singer whose motives are as mysterious as she is. Jack Huston, known for appearances in the likes of “Fargo” and “American Hustle” stars as Flint Marko, a reimagining of the Spider-Man villain The Sandman who serves as Hardy’s bodyguard and lover who possesses the ability to turn his body into sand. Brendan Gleeson, known for the likes of “Gangs of New York” and “Braveheart” plays Silvermane, a new take on the Spider-Man villain of the same name. Silvermane is a ruthless Irish mob boss and the boss of both Marko and Hardy. Abraham Popoola, known for roles in the likes of “The Marvels” and “Ballerina” also stars as Lonnie Lincoln, a reimagining of the Spider-Man villain Tombstone. In this version, he is a friend of Marko’s and a henchman for Silvermane who possesses superhuman durability and strength.
My feelings on this show are very simple….I loved it! Cage knocks it out of the park as usual, but everyone played their parts perfectly. And the show really nails the noir aesthetic, which is helped by the fact that you can choose to watch it in either black and white or in color. I will caution viewers, however, that it’s not like a normal Marvel movie or show. The fight scenes don’t occur very often and are simpler in nature, lacking much of the CGI grandeur of a traditional superhero show, and the Spider alter ego appears sparingly. However, that also works in the show’s favor, as it focuses more on the noir and detective aspects. I would definitely recommend it, nine and a half torches out of 10, easy.
