Spider-Noir: Tread Lightly

My first exposure to “Spider-Noir” was in the Into the Spider-Verse animated movie, which is probably the same for most of the general public. I was immensely impressed with that, and amused to learn Nic Cage had voiced the Noir character. Then I heard about the live action series, and checked it out. I was favorably impressed by the first episode, and continue to be with the second installment, “Tread Lightly.”

The episode starts off in Ben’s office, where a spider meets an unfortunate end as Cat fills him in on some details about the job she wants him to do, and mystery man Flint. As Cat tells her story, Janet is fascinated but continues to get in some great snarky lines. The scene is a three way riff of fast and snappy dialogue with Janet getting some of the best ones off, especially after Cat leaves.

While Ben and Janet plan their next moves, Silvermane gets a snack. You’ve probably heard the bit about you can tell what kind of person someone is by the way they treat a waiter. Considering how nervous this guy is, I can only imagine what might have happened to the last one. Silvermane muses on these new people with powers, how much he could do if he controlled such people, and some next steps. There are also more references to the Spider being gone for five years, both from Silvermane and from Robbie, who we see trying to get his old job at the Bugle back. We also see Robbie has some questionable taste in breakfast foods, and I am far from a picky eater.

Ben goes to Flint’s apartment, seeking clues, and finds a few interesting things, including a link with Addison, last episodes pyrokinetic. There’s a great game of hide and seek between Ben and Winston, one of Silvermane’s head thugs. Janet shows just how smart she is, even if her scene does play into a stereotype. Eventually, Janet and Ben meet back up to compare notes and wonder if they’re getting anywhere.

Apparently what Ben decided was to visit Cat Hardy, as he drops in on her while she’s playing piano, and showing she’s a great deal more than just another torch singer. They do a lot of the verbal sparring this show is so good at, and it’s a lot of fun to watch and listen to. Cat lays out what her situation is, and I have to say, between her and that waiter, it seems as if Silvermane is really bad at employee morale. Ben leaves, not noticing that they’re being watched. I guess there’s no real threat in the situation, since his Spider-Sense doesn’t go off.

Finally getting home, Ben doesn’t get a chance to relax as he is immediately jumped by Silvermane’s goons. They end up taking him away and Ben shows that, while he might not be Peter Parker, and isn’t any version of Spider-Man right now, he’s still got the wisecracking bit going strong. Ben, to no great surprise, manages to elude his would-be captors and shows that while he might not be suiting up, he sure doesn’t mind drawing on the Spider’s powers.

Later, Ben meets up with Robbie as the mayor makes a campaign speech that no one is listening to. Robbie continues his campaign to get Ben back in costume. The man is relentless. The mayor makes an interesting campaign promise that is likely not going to please Silvermane in the slightest. Speaking of, the man himself is planning on meeting some Canadian bootleggers, and Winston isn’t happy about it. Winston definitely takes his job seriously. There’s also some tension between Winston and Cat about the amount of time and attention Silvermane is giving her. Not in a romantic way, but I do believe there’s some jealousy there. There’s certainly very little respect from Silvermane, at least towards Cat.

Robbie shows that he’s a good investigative reporter, and goes looking for the family of Addison, the deceased firebug. What he finds, in a little shantytown, is Lonnie, a very large man with some intimidating presence. This appears to be Lonnie Lincoln, who in the comics is known as Tombstone, another of Spider-Man’s rogues gallery. Robbie and Lonnie exchange some information, and eventually Robbie leaves, off an another lead. At Ben’s office, Janet has some unwelcome visitors and a bad day. Ben arrives after they leave, and Janet lets her feelings be known as she stalks off. Honestly, who could blame her for leaving at this point?

Ben, dealing with a lot of flashbacks from Rose’s death, goes off on a mission to reclaim something important of his. Part of this involves a disguise, and amusingly, the name on the outfit he’s using is “Pete,” which pretty much has to be a nod to Peter Parker. Robbie, doing his own work, encounters one of the first outright scenes we’ve had about the racist policies of this area. He had an unpleasant interview with the not exactly grieving Widow Addison, and learns a bit more. While Robbie has his interview and Ben heads home, we see Lonnie paying a call to an old theater. Theater locations can offer a lot of good staging opportunities, so they’re likely setting that up for later. Lonnie, it turns out, knows Flint pretty well, and we learn they share a few things.

Winston does his due diligence on the bootlegger deal, and lets his boss know it’s safe. The head honcho tries to make the meeting, but gets unexpectedly delayed when the Spider finally shows up with an ultimatum of his own. The Spider is definitely a lot more direct and vicious than Spider-Man, but that fits for the era and this kind of story. The episode ends with Ben getting some unwelcome news about his chat with Silvermane and the Law of Unintended Consequences.

What I Liked: Nearly everything. This show is very impressive on every level. Cage is great as the noir Ben Reilly, and Karen Rodrtquez holds her own as his snarky assistant Janet. The level of detail on the sets and costumes is spectacular. I like how the story is progressing, and it’s really interesting seeing these alternate world versions of some Spider-Man characters. The “Pete” nametag was a nice nod.

What I Didn’t: Spider-Man has been around a long time and crossed paths with a lot of bad guys. I’m not really sure why they created the Addison character. It’s an odd choice. It’s also so far my only real quibble, and I acknowledge it’s minor.

I’m going to give this episode a 4.5 out of 5. The series continues to impress me. I’m very much looking forward to seeing how all of this plays out.