Spider-Man: Brand New Day (NO SPOILERS)

 My son, grandsons and I saw Spider-Man: Brand New Day on Thursday and we enjoyed.  It is probably not the Spider-Man movie we're used to.  It feels more grounded and story driven.  The youngest son said it needed more action and for a 9-year-old I get it.  There is action though.  Again, how it plays into the story might make it different from what we've seen before.  Good movie and one of our favorites in the Tom Holland era.

2024 Upper Deck Spider-Man (3 Packs)

 2024 Spider-Man: We'll kick this post off with a good-looking Captain America card.  The art has a classic feel to it which I like.

I wasn't familiar with this set when I saw the packs but knew I wanted them.  I like the basic design.  The dark red borders, logo and art are all good.  Not all the art is a hit with me.  The Wolverine art seems a bit odd but overall, I feel these are classic looks for the characters which I enjoy.

I pulled four Battle Time cards.  These are good cards too.  I do think the bottom border can be a bit smaller but it's not overly egregious.  

Some love for the ladies of Marvel.  I like all three of these with Arachne being my favorite.  Mockingbird's look feels a little off for me but I'm no expert on all her looks.

I'm a big fan of the Rhino who all in all is a minor Spider-Man character so I enjoy his inclusion.

Lots of characters from the Spidey-Verse we see a lot of as well as characters like Captain Britain who we might not think of when we think of Spider-Man.

Here we have the backs of the base card, Monumental Covers insert and Battle Time cards.  All are fine though I wish Monumental Covers hadn't gone all bright on us.

I will definitely go back and look for more of this set though probably singles for the most part.  I paid ~$6 per pack which means these are a dollar a card right off the bat.  I should be used to hero cards being expensive but the price points on Marvel and DC cards still surprises me.  Another reason I tend to go back to the Kayou Marvel and DC offerings.

These are fun cards.  I really like the look of that Iron Fist.  I read the Power Man and Iron Fist comics when I was young.  This Monumental Covers is a great looking card as well.  I really like the design and seeing the covers while feeling retro.

TRADING CARDS:
18 – Total Cards
4 – Battle Time
1 – Monumental Covers

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Across the Spider-Verse: Really enjoyed this movie.  No need to go into spoilers but I can say me and the grandsons enjoyed this latest Spider-Verse offering.  I liked how they developed Miles and Gwen.  A bit more depth to each and it's really fun when they are together.  Multiverses can be tricky but it's handled pretty well.  All the supporting characters didn't feel overwhelming.  You'll want to watch Into the Spider-Verse before watching this one otherwise you might be lost.  It was tough for the boys (8 and 6) to follow as it's a bit complicated for their ages.  But they loved all the different Spideys they got to see and were able to follow along enough to have a great time.  A few curse words are also sprinkled in.  I recommend it to all who are thinking about seeing the movie and I can't wait to see what is next.

Spider-Man: No Way Home (No Spoilers)

 Spider-Man: No Way Home: Finally got to see this one and hadn't seen any spoilers which was a big bonus.  I will say No Way Home lived up to the hype.  This movie is soooo good.  Honestly I can't find anything to knit pick at the moment.  Nothing.  It's a roller coaster ride with so many moments that'll take you across the emotional spectrum.  

Tom Holland has done such a great job as Spider-Man and I love Zendaya as MJ.  Dr. Strange is a big part of the movie as well and as always he is a really good character.  The movie is centered around the multi-verse and while that is hard to pull off this one does it really well.  And in doing so they've set up future Marvel moments as is teased in one of the post credit scenes.  There is so much more but I don't want to ruin anything for anyone.  If you are a Marvel or Spider-Man fan it's a must see.  

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

 

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse:  This movie came out in 2018 but I wasn't on board for whatever reason.  I finally saw it this last month with the grandsons.  I'm very glad I did.  They did an excellent job with this movie and I really enjoyed it.  Miles Morales is bitten by a radio active spider and guess who is the next Spider-Man?  But this isn't the Spider-Man story we've seen before.  Before Miles even knows what is happening the "Spider-Man/Woman/Pig/Robot" from different dimensions show up to help battle Kingpin and save the universe.  Just a really good story and the animation is done well too.  

I was really impressed with the story and the characters.  So well done.  You're just into it.  The characters from the other dimensions are key and fun additions.  I know you are seeing Peter-Porker and saying "yeah I don't know" but it works.  These different dimensions are just that - different.  Whether it be how the Spider-Man story plays out or what the universe is as a whole.  I also have to say I really like these versions of the bad guys - Kingpin and Doc Ock.  Doc Ock is a female version I love.  Her and Gwen Stacy were my favorite characters.  I know I sound like I'm gushing but I really enjoyed this movie and highly recommend it.

Spider-Man: Homecoming

Another movie I needed to catch up on was Spider-Man Homecoming.  I wasn't impressed with the second iteration of this franchise so I didn't rush out to see this reboot (3rd iteration).  It was a very good movie which was helped by not retelling Spider-Man's origin.  They did really well taking it back to it's roots as a teen taking on the mantle of a superhero.  You also get a nice dose of Tony Stark/Ironman and Michael Keaton is excellent as The Vulture.  The Vulture was a character that could really be corny if you aren't careful but I thought he was done really well.  All the characters hit the mark for me and I enjoyed the humor and story.  The movie is set in the marvel universe as it rightly should be and ties in nicely.  Tom Holland really does a good job.  He sells the exuberance you'd expect from the character.  I am really glad I finally watched this one.