[7.2/10] Maybe it’s just the doldrums of the last few episodes, but this one wasn’t bad! I’m glad we’ve moved on from the Morbius nonsense, and I like Spider-Man getting caught between plotting crimelords like Kingpin and Silvermane. His quippiness was on point with this one, and the Indiana Jones-esque qualities to the episode made it fun and different.
I’ll admit, I wasn’t wild about the attempts at some twists, like Elisa turning out to be Silvermane’s daughter, Tombstone is starting out like a pretty generic and forgettable baddie, and as neat as it is to see Spider-Man fight Smythe in the “Megaslayer”, that mecha suit is the most toyetic thing on the show yet. Hell, Kingpin practically calls his new lab for Smythe a playset.
Still, the idea of this ancient object causing trouble in New York’s crime community, with Spider-Man and The Lizard getting caught in the fray, is a sturdy foundation for a Spidey story, and while the plot gets a little convoluted at times, I’m interested in how things get resolved, which is more than I can say for a lot of the vampire-related business.
[6.6/10] I gotta admit, I’m getting a little tired of these hero cameo episodes. The show doesn’t really have the chops to balance introducing backstory and setting up these new people while also trying to service a season-long arc.
That said, Blade himself is an interesting presence alongside Whistler, and while the dynamic and comic book-y quality of the pair here doesn’t quite align with my familiarity with the character from the Del Toro films, I still enjoy this hotheaded version of the character who’s a little more outsized.
I’m way less on board with the extended romantic drama in what is now a love pentagon between Morbius, Felcia, Spider, Mary Jane, and Harry. I do appreciate Detective Lee trying to get to the bottom of this though. And even I’m pretty sick of Morbius, his scraps with Blade were pretty good.
At base, I think I’m just tired of the heaps of clunky exposition and what feels like a step down in terms of the animation, both in terms of design and basic things like clips being reused or mouths not moving in time with the dialogue.
Overall, a little better than the last couple of episodes, and as questionable as his introduction was, Blade is a welcome presence, so this one turns out alright, but not exactly good.
