Batman is Bruce Wayne. The Flash is Barry Allen. Spider-Man is Peter Parker.
Or, some may think, but when explored in the animated film “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” there are many superhero universes or variant worlds and stories that feature different individuals behind the masks.
“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” centers on Miles Morales (voice by Shameik Moore), an Afro-Latino teen who gains superpowers after being bitten by a radioactive spider. When Miles trains to become Spider-Man, he meets other versions of the hero including Peter Parker (Chris Pine), Spider-Woman Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld) and Spider-Ham (John Mulaney), an anthropomorphic animal bitten by a radioactive pig.
The film swung into U.S. theatres in 2018 and made a tremendous, colorful impact, literally. With its unique animation style and vibrant color scheme, “Into the Spider-verse” brings a comic book to life, popping right out of your screen. Along with the additional strengths of its diverse characters and a stellar cast and creative team, the film went on to win Best Animated Feature at the 91st Academy Awards.
The film is making its way to the Aurora Public Library District (APLD) during our Teen Movie Night Tuesday, at 6 p.m. July 27. Teens can grab a seat at Eola Road Branch, or join us virtually through Discord to view the movie. To watch in person, please register at aurorapubliclibrary.org/events. If you’d like to attend the program virtually, send an E-mail to Teens@AuroraPublicLibrary.org for the Discord link (if you don’t have it already)!
When asked about choosing “Into the Spider-Verse” for Teen Movie Night, Eola Road Branch’s Teen Librarian, Flannery Crump, said, “[This year’s] Summer reading theme is Reading Colors Your World, and this movie is one of the most colorful films of all time!”
Santori Library’s Teen Librarian, Phoebe Metz, said in appreciation that “someone finally did something with Miles Morales as Spider-Man. He is a great character.” In a world where Spider-Man is seen as synonymous with Peter Parker, a white male, Miles Morales finally getting his time to shine on the big screen is important. There’s a female representation in the film through Gwen Stacy and Peni Parker, a Japanese-American girl who is a copilot in the biomechanical suit, SP//dr.
“Just like all forms of media, comic books [and comic book movies] benefit from showcasing a wide variety of people. The comic book industry started off overwhelmingly white and male, but that’s changed quite a lot in the 21st Century. Now people of all backgrounds are reading—and writing—comics. It’s important for people to be able to see themselves in the media they consume, but it’s also important that people are exposed to stories about people different from them. Not only does it foster empathy, but it makes for more interesting stories!” Crump said.
The teen librarian team selected “Into the Spider-Verse” to gear up for CAPE Con, APLD’s upcoming in-person and virtual comic book and pop culture convention, to be held August 9-14. Check out the CAPE Con webpage for additional information, aurorapubliclibrary.org/capecon. You’ll find more programs by our awesomely nerdy teen librarians as hosts!