Since his debut in 1962 in Amazing Fantasy #15, Spider-Man has become Marvel’s poster boy and one of the most popular (if not most popular) superheroes around. His alter ego, Peter Parker, has always had trouble with luck in many situations, but in 2018, he was actually really lucky (you know, except for kind of dying in cinema form….but whatever!). From the comics to movie appearances to even a hit video game, Spidey has had a phenomenal 2018. Despite losing both his creators (Stan Lee and Steve Ditko both passed away earlier this year), Spider-Man honored the two by probably making them the proudest they could be of him during these past 365 days.
In addition to Spider-Man proper, the shared universes that all stemmed from the wallcrawler also got their time in the spotlight this year, undeniably making the staff of The Pop Break want to join together to honor the ol’ webhead and the extended spider-verse for 2018. And not even J. Jonah Jameson can stop us!
Without further ado, here is the staff’s picks for “Favorite Spider-Man Moments of 2018!” Be forewarned-there are spoilers within, so proceed with caution, true believers!
Swinging Around in Spider-Man for the PlayStation 4
Game developers know that one mechanic going wrong can ruin your game. Spider-Man game developers know this perhaps better than anyone else; after all, they are always plagued by one question:
“How’s the web-swinging?”
There’s no way that phrase doesn’t haunt their nightmares. That’s why Insomniac put so much time into ensuring swinging around the city in 2018’s Spider-Man felt as good as possible. And they hit the mark. It doesn’t just feel good, it might be my favorite part of the game. And with the amount of collectible in the games, I did plenty of it on my way to that platinum trophy.
Fast travel exists in Spider-Man but nobody uses it. Why would you when you can be zipping around the city without a care in the world. “Hey take a picture, hey swing down to the streets to give that lady a high-five”…it’s frankly perfect and lets the rest of what’s great about being a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man shine. With great intellectual properties comes great responsibility, and when simple traversal is this much fun you’ve done your job well.
-George Heftler
Spider-Man staying on the ship during Infinity War
“I did think this through. You can’t be a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man if there’s no neighborhood…. Okay, that didn’t really make sense, but you
you know what I’m trying to say.” Yes, we do Peter. Yes we do.
In my mind, this was one of Spidey’s biggest 2018 moments. After climbing aboard one of Thanos’ “Donut ships” that is shooting into space, Peter is provided a safe return home via Stark’s A.I., Friday and the Iron Spider suit. The Iron Spider suit itself was a moment I’ve been waiting for ever since reading the Civil War comics, but this paled in comparison to Peter stepping up big time during Infinity War. As a remote parachute is deployed to bring Peter back down to the planet, Peter instantly shoots a web to reattach himself to the ship without a second of hesitation. This is the big fight, and this kid doesn’t even think about retreating. I absolutely loved this moment.
Even when Tony scolds Peter and explains that this is most likely a “one way trip”, Spidey holds his own. (I’ve always loved the relationship between these two) He even plays a major role in taking out Thanos’ right hand man, Ebony Maw using a classic move from “Aliens”. Not to mention goes toe-to-toe with Thanos a few times in the film. This kid has got it all: heart, humor, and tremendous courage. I absolutely adore this incarnation of the iconic superhero, so when RDJ sarcastically “Knights” Peter as an official member of the Avengers it gave me all of the feels. Peter even smiles a little before regaining his soldier like composure. Great moment.
– Rob Crowther IV
Miles’ “Leap of Faith” during Into the Spider-Verse
With Into the Spider-Verse being the 7th feature film to feature the wallcrawler (and many variations of, including main character Miles Morales), you’d think that they wouldn’t find a way to make webslinging any more exciting. Maguire did it, Garfield as well, and of course Holland did it as well.
So leave it to an animated movie to not only take the focus away from Peter and shift to Miles, but to give this movie the Spider-Man movements I felt that the previous entries severely LACKED. Sure, they were memorable moments, but Into the Spider-Verse made him move, dodge, and parkour like I felt he should.
And then…the Leap of Faith. Wow.
When Miles takes’ Peter B.’s words to heart and decides to become the hero he needs to be, he risks losing his life by trying to accurately web swing…after jumping off a REALLY high building. The animation makes us move with him, breaking down into comic book panels. Miles’ hoodie is flapping in the wind. “What’s Up, Danger” by Blackaway and Black Caviar raises the tension, perfectly laid out musically in the background. And seconds before Miles can possibly hit the pavement, he shoots a web, lands it, and swings off. 7 films utilizing the character of Spider-Man and they finally seemed to NAIL how swinging should work, especially for someone doing it for the very first time. Spider-Man in animation could do things the live action movies couldn’t dream of. Not only is this my favorite movie moment of the year, it’s my favorite Spider-Man movie moment. Period. Standing ovation. That is all.
-Logan James
“I don’t wanna go…”
2018 has been full of amazing and joyous moments for everyone’s favorite web-slinger, yet the one that sticks with me the most is probably the saddest. Frankly, there hasn’t been any sort moment that has gotten me so emotional for Spider-Man than seeing him disintegrate into the arms of Tony Stark at the end of Infinity War. Now, this isn’t necessarily my favorite because of him specifically disappearing, but rather it’s my favorite because it reminded me how much I cared about him.
Before Infinity War, I was just kind of used to Spider-Man getting beat up, but then mustering up the strength to take down whatever bad guy was in his way. Infinity War not only showed that this was not going to be the case anymore, but gave a uniquely heartbreaking moment for Spider-Man’s death that audiences could attach themselves to. From the moment Tom Holland let out that “Mr. Stark, I don’t feel so good,” my heart sank for the first time for Spider-Man and it made me realize how much of an impact he has had on me. Sure it’s sad and we know that his death isn’t permanent, but it’s a moment that makes me reflect on a character I love and that makes it so fitting to be my favorite.
I think the best way to sum up the impact of this moment is to put a fresh spin on a classic saying: Sometimes you don’t realize how much you love something, until a big purple thumb snaps it out of existence.
-Tom Moore
With Great Cameos Comes Great Responsibility
Spider-Man has had one hell of a year, and it truly ended with a bang. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was possible one of the best films I have seen in my young life. Making a movie of that nature was no easy task to say the least, but it brought everything into to focus in terms of why so many love Spider-Man.
Spider-Man is more than just a hero; he is a symbol of all that’s good in the world, someone who fights for the little guy, and someone who never backs away from a challenge.
No one knew this more than one Mr. Stan Lee.
Lee’s love for Spider-Man was something he always talked about in interviews and storytelling. He believed Spidey was so much more than a teen in a costume, but someone anyone could look up to for guidance. That’s why his scene with a young Miles Morales, the new Spider-Man in Spider-Verse, was so potent and raw that it truly made up one of the best scenes in cinema history to date.
Lee’s passing was a hard hit for the comic community, some still grieving today, but his scen eInto the Spider-Verse, giving Miles the costume that would soon help define him, essentially handing him the symbolic Spider-Man baton, and giving us all hope for the future and to not cry because its over, but smile because it happened.
As Lee’s voice rang throughout the theater, an animated version of his smiling face, signature wink, and huge framed glasses, not a dry eye was left in the room. It was as if Lee was talking beyond the grave to give us a fans one more reminder of why we, and himself, loved superheros so much, because at the end of the day, these weren’t just superhuman people, so out of touch and perfect in every way… they were us.
-Laura Dengrove
Tanked
So let’s make one thing clear, right off the bat: Venom is a terrible movie. It’s completely directionless, meandering from scene to scene with no sense of purpose. The tone varies wildly from body horror to slapstick comedy, seemingly at random. There isn’t a single character with any reason to do practically anything they do, let alone that has a coherent motivation in general. And worst of all, it completely wastes Jenny Slate in a nothing role. All of these crimes and more should make for a thoroughly unpleasant viewing experience. And yet…
There’s a certain goofy charm to Venom that exists independent of its total lack of quality. There are parts of this movie so brazen, so utterly ridiculous that you can’t do anything but laugh. And nothing exemplifies this more than Tom Hardy climbing into the lobster tank. In the middle of his first freak out after bonding with the symbiote, Hardy’s Eddie Brock jumps into the lobster tank at a fancy restaurant and chows down on a live lobster. It’s an absurd scene that quickly became the most iconic moment in the movie, and best of all, it was all Tom Hardy’s idea.
That, more than anything else, is what makes it one of this year’s best Spider-Man moments. Because the more you think about it, the more you realize that everything enjoyable (I will not say “good”) about this movie is because of Tom Hardy. Eddie and Venom’s weird, quasi-romantic chemistry, Hardy’s total commitment to over-the-top antics, even his modulated voice work as Venom has some charm. In the end, it seems like only the efforts of one man saved this from being a total disaster. And what is the essence of Spider-Man if not the difference a single person can make in the world? Tom.
-Chris Diggins
Post Credits Into the Spider-Verse Scene
*Spoiler alert for Into the Spider-Verse!*
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was chock full of dazzling sights and sounds, but only the most patient viewers witnessed its greatest triumph. After the expansive credits rolled, fans were treated to a moment with Miguel O’Hara a.k.a. Spider-Man 2099. It appears O’Hara was able to develop technology for hopping through dimensions, a feat we’ll no doubt witness in the next animated Spider-Man feature. But if that bit of fan service wasn’t enough, what followed was simply hysterical.
In perhaps the best meta moment from a film filled with them, Spider-Man 2099 transports himself into the crudely animated world of the 1967 series and proceeds to reenact the classic “Spider-Man Pointing at Spider-Man” meme. I can’t explain exactly why this moment is so hilarious, but I definitely embarrassed myself busting a gut to the brief scene. Bravo, Sony Pictures Animation.
-Nick Porcaro
