Spider-man: Across the Spider-Verse (directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers and Justin K. Thompson) is the first-half sequel to Spider-man: Into the Spider-Verse. Both Into and Across highlight Miles Morales (Shameik Moore)'s alternate-reality rise as the revered webslinger, after Peter Parker variants grant the lad their praiseworthy tutelage.
As far as animated productions go, Into emerged an avant-garde standout, thanks to its flashy and pensive execution, but Across swings it even higher. That's because (thanks to writers Dave Callaham, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller) the same tender-loving, Steve Ditko care has been invested into the fable's circumstances, along with lots of identifiable love, nurtured (above all) by Morales' conscientious parents, Jefferson and Rio (Brian Tyree Henry and Luna Lauren Valez).
In addition to the domestic segments (and all the ups and downs that such bring), Morales is again visited by the endearing Gwen Stacy/Spider-Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld) in a bittersweet tangent that connects to a Spider-Verse league that wishes to stop a 4D adversary called The Spot, aka Jonathan Ohnn (Jason Schwartzman). The Spot's various, circular pigments can eliminate Spidey realities in the worst Kang-ish way, and he embarks upon this mad plan to get even with Morales, who he blames for the chaotic alteration. As the dual escalates, so do the multidimensional layers. Once the many worlds start colliding, Across becomes complex to a dizzying degree, but Morales is more than up to the task, despite being told he's not.
As should come as no surprise, many incarnations of Spidey surface along the interphasing way (one coming from an alternate India, another from an alternate Britain, and there's an omniscient, vampiric one from the uncertain year of 2099). There's much more at risk as a result of the variant overload, with the possibility of failure mounting at an unswerving rate. Fortunately, Across demands perseverance among its brave Spider-folks, even when they become quarrelsome with one another. Facing the challenge, after all, is the sole point, if life and liberty are to prevail.
And this is why Across is ideal for today's youths, for it depicts a young man who dares to tap his special hero within, demonstrating that one's inner belief must remain foremost. The Spot, in this respect, is any symbolic force that stands against this creed: an archetype blamer and naysayer, who must (and should) be proven wrong.
Across also counters a social fad that advocates sitting on one's laurels as others dictate life's terms. Morales' autonomy is, therefore, worth emulation. No doubt the saga's third part will take the saga's noble notions to yet another impressive level. For us impassioned, clear thinkers, the sooner it comes, the better.
