NINETOES VS SPIDER-NOIR

Ninetoes has seen all of Spider-Noir on Prime, is it worth the binge in Black & white or color?

Ben Reilly, a seasoned, down-on-his-luck private investigator in 1930s New York, is forced to grapple with his past life, following a deeply personal tragedy, as the city’s one and only superhero.

Created by Oren Uziel

Starring Nicholas Cage, Lamorne Morris and Li Jun Li

Hey there, television lovers. It is your old pal, Ninetoes, coming to you from Ninetoes HQ. Today I am looking at Amazon Prime’s Spider-Noir. I have coffee in my system, and my thinking cap on, so let’s get to it!

I am a HUGE fan of the Spider-Verse (and you had damn well better not forget the hyphen, it really cheeses the ol Web-Head off!), and when I heard that there was going to be a show based on Spider-Man Noir, my giddy little noir-loving heart leapt for joy!

Before I get started, let me give you a little tip: choose the black-and-white version to fully absorb the “Noir” experience.

This show contains all of the core elements of a traditional noir story.

·         An alienated protagonist, like an ex-soldier, someone who feels out of place

·         No true hero. The protagonist is motivated by revenge, greed, lust, or escape

·         A sense of fatalism or nihilism in which the “American Dream” is all an illusion. The world is a corrupt cesspool.

·         Moral Compromise, where the character lies, cheats, steals, and at times they even kill to achieve their goal.

·         A gritty, urban setting.

The story is fantastic. Ben Reilly is a private investigator, and when we enter the show, The Spider has been gone for five years. What can bring him back? Does he want to come back? As you get into the show, you see all of the above elements come into play. Set in 1930s New York City, it is as gritty as it gets, and, with the Depression in full swing, the American Dream is on life support, fading fast. Reilly himself is a veteran of World War I (The Great War), and this is where he and several other vets have gotten their mutated abilities. As the show progresses, we see Reilly’s moral compass spin like a top.

The acting is, OH MY GOD!, fantastic! I thought I was prepared for Nicholas Cage as the lead, but alas, I was not! He is absolutely sublime, and Lamorne Morris is the perfect “straight man” to Cage’s antics. Add Li Jun Li as the femme fatale, and Brendan Gleeson as the mob boss Silvermane, and you have noir perfection.

I have to say that this is at the top of my list for television viewing in 2026.

Until the next time, I bid you happy viewing!

Darren “Ninetoes” Perdue is a book and media reviewer. When he is not reading, he is watching true crime shows, cooking for his family, or working on a plan for universal domination. If you see him on his porch, say hi. He does not bite…much.

PLEASE NOTE: The views and opinions of the staff of Memento Mori Ink do not necessarily represent those of Memento Mori Ink or Crystal Lake Publishing. Thank you for understanding.