When Amazon first teased us with the trailer for Spider-Noir, we were excited by its presentation in black and white, as well as “True-Hue” colour, as something unique is happening here: it’s going to be available to watch in both formats.

Best of all, it’s going to be available to watch this week, as it streams from 27 May on Prime Video. That’s right, this is a Marvel spin-off that lands on Amazon’s Prime service, rather than Disney+ like the majority of other Marvel content.

Spider-Man has been the thorn in the MCU’s side to a certain extent, with Sony Pictures having the rights to Spider-Man live action films. Spinning out of the Spider-Noir comics, having appeared in the Spider-Verse comes Spider-Noir, with Nicolas Cage in the leading role.

That’s going to be enough excitement for many, as Spider-Noir looks to capture the film noir aesthetic of 1930s crime genre, with Cage as a slightly older Spidey. Ben Riley (Cage) is a private investigator, fitting the setting into which it is pitched.

“Spider-Noir” – Authentic Black & White Final Trailer | Prime Video – YouTube

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Spider-Noir sees a range of characters pop into the frame – Tombstone, Silvermane, Sandman, Black Cat – to pull the plot along.

What’s really interesting about Spider-Noir is that we have Cage leading the show, taking on a TV role that he’s previously avoided. There’s no doubting that his name alone has the pulling power to attract audiences.

That’s why Spider-Noir is going to be must-watch television, not just for fans of Spider-Man, but for fans of Cage too, just to see how it all hangs together.

On that front, the early reviews are in and while Spider-Noir is appraised for its visual beauty, it’s also being called “all style and no substance” (Variety). Meanwhile The Hollywood Reporter calls it “an inconsistent disappointment”.

But there is a glimmer of hope, with Empire saying “it just gets better and better, with a finale that delivers on every level”. It’s fair to say, then, that Spider-Noir is dividing opinion.

That suggests that it’s not universally appealing, which will make it more interesting to watch, discuss and contemplate.

The big question, of course, will be whether Spider-Noir returns after its first outing. It’s said that the showrunners have deliberately left it open for expansion into future seasons, while the detective nature of the plot line makes it a versatile platform for new story lines.

But perhaps the biggest question will be whether to watch it in black and white or colour. If nothing else, this perfects reflects some of the madness that comes with Spider-Noir.