First and foremost I want to give due attention to the animation because I haven’t previously seen a blending of so many beautiful art-styles as seamlessly as was on show in this movie. Occasionally it would be reminiscent of stop-motion, at other times it would veer anime. There were certain points at which a freeze-frame would appear photo-realistic and could likely pass with most people as a real photo of rainy New York streets. This isn’t to mention the overt references to other styles such as true Japanese anime or Looney Tunes cartoons. At times it even gave me Powerpuff Girls vibes.

The content of the movie managed to match the execution of the art with genuinely hilarious dialogue and a unique storyline. Reverence was given to the comics, movies, and video games with a beautiful balance between taking the piss and showing respect. Also, and I’m not one to buy into identitarianism, but seeing a black Spider-Man kick ass on the big screen was pretty cool.

I knew that I would likely enjoy this movie, given my love for animation and comic books. However, I hadn’t expected it to deserve a place within the “best movie of the year” conversation.