Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is the highly anticipated follow up to 2018’s groundbreaking Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

It’s been a year and some change after the events of Into the Spider-Verse. After an anomaly version of The Vulture visits Gwen Stacy’s (voiced by Hailee Seinfeld) Earth, she gets a helping hand from some other Spideys. Their known as the Spider-Society – a group tasks with sending anomalies back to their timelines. The group is lead by Spider-Man 2099 aka Miguel O’Hara (voiced by Oscar Isaac) and Jessica Drew (voiced by Issa Rae).They recruit Gwen Stacy to join their efforts.

Gwen visits Miles (voiced by Shameik Moore) who is eager to make more Spider friends after a year of fighting crime alone. Although Miles is ready to join, he bumps heads with the Spider-Society on how to handle a new villain known as The Spot (voiced by Jason Schwartzman).

There are a million things that make this movie great. One of them is the glimpses of alternate Earths and their Spideys. Some glimpses are short and hilarious, while others give a longer look at a different world and Spidey. One of the best scenes is the trip to Pavitr Prabhakar‘s (voiced by Karan Soni) Earth where he lives in Mumbattan – a mix of Mumbai and Manhattan. It’s a beautiful reimagining of New York City that’s been wrapped in the love and culture of India.

The universe trotting in the story never gets old or feels overstuffed. Even with over 250 Spideys in the film, every world that’s visited or new Spider-Society member that’s introduced feels new and vibrant. Using those characters to introduce a different animation style is equally brilliant as it is beautiful. The film is literally a comic book come to life in the best possible ways.

Another thing that this film that works is how much heart is infused in the story. There are heartfelt moments between Miles and Gwen, Miles and his parents, or Miles’ interaction with the Spider-Society. The screenplay by Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and Dave Callaham highlights the film as a coming-of-age story. Underneath the fun superhero/multi-verse spectacle is a story about a young man growing up and learning how to be Spider-Man while still learning to how to be himself. At its core, it’s a film about relationships and how they shape us. You see it played out through different parent/child dynamics and discussions around friendship and loneliness. The story never shies away from the highs, lows, and vulnerabilities that can bond or break our relationships.

Across the Spider-Verse is unlike any movie before it. It’s hero’s journey that’s packed with the love and emotion serious drama. Even with the mature themes, it manages to be a visually stunning thrill ride that kids and adults can enjoy. It’s one of the most beautifully made films I’ve ever seen. It’s hard to put into words how the film is one part beautiful spectacle and one part heartfelt coming of age story, and they’re blended together in a way that I didn’t know was possible. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse set the bar high for the rest of the year’s films. Only time will tell if anything else comes close.

Grade: A+