Spider-Man's Spectacular TV Return Is Scheduled

March 8 will be a brand-new day for Spider-Man when the CW premieres the iconic Marvel Comics superhero's newest animated adventures. The Spectacular Spider-Man swings into the network's "Kids WB" lineup at 10 am/ET. In this latest animated incarnation (of which 26 half-hour episodes have been ordered), Peter Parker is a 16-year-old high-school junior who spent his summer vacation learning the ropes of being a superhero by handling muggers and other small-time criminals. "Frankly, it's been easy," says supervising producer Greg Weisman. "There just isn't anyone in his league that he's had to deal with up to this point." That'll change quickly when Spidey's famed rogues' gallery of comic-book villains start showing up: Vulture, Electro, Lizard, Doctor Octopus and, of course, Green Goblin. "We're really going to take Peter and put him through his paces," Weisman says. "He's got a lot to learn about life and school and fighting supervillains, and we're going to teach him one step at a time, although some steps will be more painful than others."
But it's not all gloom for our friendly neighborhood web-slinger. "This is a kid who loves being Spider-Man," Weisman says. "Life is tough as Peter Parker, but when he puts on the suit and he swings through the city, it's a huge release for him. Now the irony is, the more time he spends as Spider-Man, the harder his life as Peter Parker becomes, so he needs that release. So there's a vicious-circle element to it." - Rich Sands