For years, hardcore fans have fought over whichSpider-Man actor was the best. There were the die-hard nostalgic fans ofSam Raimi’sSpider-Mantrilogy, with Tobey Maguire donning the red and blue suit. There were the MCU fans of the backflipping, young Tom Holland and his portrayal of Peter’s search for a father-figure that wouldn’t die or backstab him in the MCU. And there were the outcasts: theAmazing Spider-Manfans who lovedAndrew Garfield’s performanceof skater punk, Gwen Stacy-loving, web-slinging hero.
When it comes toThe Amazing Spider-ManandThe Amazing Spider-Man 2, they stood up for their favorite duology and backed those movies to others who thought they were the weakest link of the franchise, and thought Garfield was “too cool” just because he knew how to skateboard and actually stood up to bully Flash Thompson. Then, everything changed inSpider-Man: No Way Home, when Ned (Jacob Batalon) and MJ (Zendaya) conjured a Doctor Strange-style portal leading to Garfield and Maguire stepping through into the MCU. Suddenly, all allegiances and all quarrels with other movies were forgotten, and everyone loved the goofy, child-like aura of Garfield’s Peter 3.
AlthoughSpider-man: No Way Homebrought together fans alike and united the three Peters, there is still discussion on the Spider-Man suit. Which ones are the best? Who has the most comic accurate one? Which suit had the best spider logo on the front? As one of the most iconic pieces of the Spider-Man puzzle, it is hard to pick a costume that is the best out of the franchises, but many fans believe it is theAmazing Spider-Man 2suit. Breaking it down, is theAmazing Spider-man 2suit the best, and why do fans love that costume so much?
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Comic Book Accuracy
Before the web-slinger swung onto the big screen, he had his humble beginnings within the pages of Marvel Comics. Peter Parker was created to be the little guy, the teenager with great power and unexpectedly great responsibility. He is the friendly “neighborhood” superhero that was made to stand out and be seen. The traditional costume resembling the webbing of a spider and the large white eyes on the mask have become one of the most recognizable parts of the costume. When the character was first created, he was drawn amongst the gray and dull buildings of New York City, so the character had to be bright and stand out against the colorless background. Illustrator Steve Ditko chose bright red and blue to be the stand-out colors, and thus, Spider-Man was born. InThe Amazing Spider-Man 2,the costumecreated by Deborah Lynn Scottbrings comic book accuracy to the suit, just in a 2014 grunge punk sort of way. The colors match the early comic book vibrancy and the look of the early suit. The spider on the costume did take its liberties, elongating the legs of the spider and creating a bigger spider on the front of the suit opposed the small spider symbol of the comics, much like how Holland’s symbol has become in the MCU, but the long spider fits the webbing of the suit better.
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Why The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Suit Stands Out
The Amazing Spider-Man 2suit stands out among its contemporaries in the way that it not only looks like the early comics, but also in the way it deviates from the militarized superhero costumes. In the early days of the MCU, all the classic costumes from the well-loved comicswere very groundedand militarized. Their bright colors traded for duller, darker, and neutral colors, modernizing the suits. Like Wanda Maximoff’s battle dress and red leather mini-jacket, or Hawkeye’s black outfit instead of his signature bright purple. Spider-Man, in general, has escaped that fate for the most part. It is a bit difficult to change the most recognizable part of your hero, after all. As Stan Lee once said, “Anyone can wear the mask” because it’s not about who’s under the mask, it’s about the hero.
Maguire’s suit in Raimi’sSpider-Manreally ran with the red, and it fits perfectly into that first wave of superhero movies with the high saturation of the early-2000s movies. Holland’s suit really played into the fact that Iron Man was the creator, giving the suit hidden features and making it high-tech and very expensive. At the end ofSpider-Man: No Way Home,we finally get to see a suit made completely from Peter Parker as he stepped into the role of the “Friendly Neighborhood Spider-man”.
Garfield’s suit inThe Amazing Spider-Man 2is special, though. The audience gets to see it grow from something he creates to something he embodies, becoming a symbol for the city. The red and blue combination is very present, and makes him stand out not only against the city backdrop, but also against his villains, and is an interesting contrast between the police force, with whom he is often at odds, and their blue and red colors and his own.
