When I first saw ads for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, I gotta admit I was a little skeptical. "Another Spider-Man movie? Sure, it follows Miles Morales, but I think we've met our capacity for Spider-Men." But when I went to see it in theaters, I turned to my boyfriend after the credits rolled and said, "I want to watch that again. Like right now." It was moving and inspiring and overall amazing. I walked out of that theater feeling like I could save the world.

The movie is incredible for so many reasons, but I think the most incredible aspect of the movie is the choice to use animation. I like live-action movies but I don't think they work as well, especially for comics. It's very difficult to try and create a real-life version of a Steve Ditko or Stan Lee panel that, quite frankly, will never look as good. And I'm not trying to throw any shade on all of the hard work that goes into making a movie. I'm just saying that actors and this world have physical limitations; pens and pencils are only limited by the wielder's imagination.

I'm also a huge fan of Miles. I think Miles is so refreshing since we've seen the Peter Parker story done so many times. Miles is funny, intelligent, and a great kid. He also has a large amount of pressure put on him that Peter Parker didn't: people already know Spider-Man in his universe. There's all of this expectation placed on Miles, not just from his family to do well in school but also to don the mask of Spider-Man. Miles hesitates to jump into this life, and I can't blame him. But when he finally realizes that he can do this, that he is more than enough, his rise is nothing short of amazing.

I also have to give a shout out to all of the different Spider-People who show up. They're all versions of the same character, but they very different from one another. It's a good reminder that no matter who you are, where you have come from, or where life has taken you, you can put on the mask. You can be a hero.

I cried and laughed harder than I have during any superhero movie, and when the DVD comes out this month, I will definitely be rewatching. I recommend getting on that waitlist as soon as you can.

And once you've seen the movie, dress up as your favorite Spider-Person and check us out at Fandom Fest! Head over to library.nashville.org/fandomfest for more details.