This article contains no spoilers for Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man and is based on all 10 episodes of season 1. When it was first announced near the end of 2021, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Mans path to success seemed pretty clear.As long as the Marvel Disney+ series projected the same energy of previous animated Spider-Man efforts like the beloved cartoon of the 90s, subscribers would go home happy, bellies full of memberberries. But then a funny thing happened on the way to that streaming layup. Whats that synth music in the distance? Duh nuh nuh nuh nuh nuh nuuuh. Duh nuh nuh nuh nuh nuuuuh nuh.X-Men 97 proved that modern Marvel animation didnt need to rely solely on nostalgia to be worthwhile. A good Marvel animated series can also elevate the material its honoring as long as it cared enough to do so. And X-Men 97 clearly cared a lot. Under the initial guidance of creator Beau DeMayo (who was fired by Marvel before the show premiered), X-Men 97 certainly looks like X-Men: Animated Series of the mid 90s. It also features many of the same characters and background canon that made the Fox Kids program a cult classic. But X-Men 97 wasnt content to rest on the shoulders of the mutants who preceded it. It adopted a bold storytelling plan that incorporated the political commentary of the comic source material with a daring plot that featured multiple character deaths midway through the season. All in all, it was one of the best shows of the year, animated or otherwise.X-Men 97s creative success raised expectations for Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, especially since the 90s X-Men and Spider-Man cartoons occupied the same storytelling universe. Unfortunately those expectations prove to be a bar that this Peter Parker cannot clear, agile as he may be.The only real similarity YFNSM bears to X-Men 97 (aside from creating behind-the-scenes headaches for Disney before it even premieres) is an animation style that pays vague homage to its 90s counterpart, and even that isnt quite as lush as its Disney+ cousin. There are some visual treats for those who care to look (Norman and Harry Osborn have the same wavy red-and-black hairstyle that I found so striking as a kid in the 90s) but the 3D cel-shaded animation itself is choppy. Its not overly distracting (and could even be viewed as creatively mirroring its arachnid heros twitchy personality and powers) but it is missing a certain level of visual diversity and ambition.The season-long plot, spread out over 10 episodes*, is equally predictable and safe. Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man becomes the umpteenth Spider-Man property to depict a now-familiar origin story. While a certain sorcerer supreme cameos in the first episode to clarify that this show exists in one of Marvels many alternate universes, things are still kicked off with a little eight-legged buddy chomping down on a young Peter Parkers neck.*Which are to be released in some truly bizarre intervals. Two episodes in week one, three in week two, three in week three, and two in the fourth and final week.Despite taking place outside the confines of Earth-616, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man doesnt do much to take advantage of its status as a multiversal outsider. Both Iron Man and Captain America still exist in this timeline and characters frequently make reference to their exploits that sound roughly identical to the events of the Marvel Cinematic Universes Infinity Saga. The show also maintains the current MCU continuity by making sure that Peters Aunt May is super hot. Tony Stark and Happy Hogan arent around so Ill be the one brave enough to comment on this animated fictional characters appearance!Still, at the end of the day, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man presents a pretty straightforward Spidey story and thats hard to screw up (unless youre The Amazing Spider-Man 2). Oscar-nominee Colman Domingo proves a capable, sturdy presence as Peters mentor (yes mentor) Norman Osborn. The show is also very much not stingy with its Spider-Man cameos and Easter eggs. Every week contains multiple new characters who, while relatively minor in this story, are prominent enough in the larger Marvel mythos to have their own Wikipedia entry. Indeed the main cast of the show may hold some larger Marvel secrets to those unfamiliar with the comic history.Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man also gets the most important part of Spider-Man right, which is Spider-Man himself. This Peter Parker is a charming lad. From the moment hes introduced trying to operate the cracked screen on his smartphone, the viewer is confident that hes the same hot mess weve always known and loved. He also matures and improves his skillset believably across the season, building meaningful relationships and rapport with his supporting cast.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!By the end of its finale, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man hasnt broken any new ground but it has made its case as a low-stakes comfort watch that merits a second season. That would have felt like a resounding success for Marvel fans in a pre-X-Men 97 world. It doesnt quite feel like a victory now.The first two episodes of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man are available to stream on Disney+ now. New episodes premiere Wednesdays, culminating in the two-episode finale on February 19.Learn more about Den of Geeks review process and why you can trust our recommendationshere.