In “Spider-Noir,” Nicolas Cage acts as an alternate universe private detective Spider-Man, where the world is set in the 1930s Prohibition era of New York City. It’s Marvel’s latest entry for its television series slate, not for Disney, but rather a joint project by Amazon Prime Video and Sony Pictures Television. Given Sony’s recent blunders with live-action Spider-Man franchise films, dare we mention “Madame Web” and “Kraven the Hunter,” the company’s latest release seems to have finally broken its lackluster streak.

The Spider, as a character, is no stranger to fans. We already got a taste of the Cage man himself as the sleuth in the animated Spider-Verse films. Surprisingly, unlike with most Disney properties, this transition from animation to a live-action medium has done many wonders for the character. Starting with the look, “Spider-Noir” offers viewers the unique option of watching the series in color or true-to-noir black and white. We watched the entire season in black and white, but we also found the color version to be a visual spectacle to watch as well. It has a Technicolor feel to it from the golden age of cinema. It’s a fresh welcome compared to all the dull, grayed-out, and barely lit environments most shows and films seem to be crazy for these days.

While we only get hints of The Spider’s life from the Spider-Verse films, the series does well in piecing together his origin story. Instead of Uncle Ben dying on the pavement, we have the tragic tale of his wife, Ruby J. Williams, whom he ends up unable to save from drowning due to his night out drinking. Rather than taking the name Peter Parker, he goes by the alias of private detective Ben Reilly, not to be confused with the Scarlet Spider of the same name. Familiar Spider-Man characters like Cat Hardy (Li Jun Li), Sandman (Jack Huston), Tombstone (Abraham Popoola), and Megawatt (Joe Massingill) make an appearance as the rogues’ gallery Ben has to face. They’re all under the hold of mob boss Silvermane (Brendan Gleeson). To help Ben in his day-to-day investigations, he has the reporter Robbie Robertson (Lamorne Morris), his secretary Janet Ruiz (Karen Rodriguez), and a street-smart kid Frankie (Cary Christopher) at his side. Everyone does well in making the series feel right at home with its noir setting. And yes, Nick Cage brings his iconic Cage freakouts at just the right places.

What’s even more remarkable about the series is its set design. We truly feel transported back to the cigarette smoke-heavy and gritty vibes the 30s had. Costumes, when seen in color, have a vibrant touch to them to help make them stand out even more in black and white. Villains in their superpowered forms opt for a simpler approach, making them more grounded in reality. This leads to a stellar job from the makeup and visual effects team to make sure they all look as menacing as their comic book counterparts.

Now, when it comes to gripes with “Spider-Noir,” the main one is that we wish there were more episodes. While eight episodes are enough to keep the pacing tight, there’s also a lot about the world we are left wanting to explore. There are moments from Ben’s past as a World War I soldier that could have used more screentime. We also don’t know much about how Silvermane managed to become the top mob boss of New York City. It would’ve been nice to see a little more of Silvermane’s backstory, similar to how we see Kingpin’s rise as a mob boss in the “Daredevil” series.

With how much splendor came into making this series, we’re excited to see if we’ll ever see Nick Cage come back for a potential second season. It stands out on its own and brings us a different side of Marvel than we’re often used to. We’re excited to see just where the private eye will web sling us to next.