“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” was heralded as an outstanding tribute to the history of Marvel Comics, with Cinemablography deeming it “a love letter to comic book storytelling, superheroes, and Spider-Man.” Not only do the different characters of the films embody differing comic book aesthetics, but the film’s narrative also cleverly utilizes comic book tropes to enhance the storytelling. One example of this is through its use of comic book flourishes to make “Into the Spider-Verse” as well as “Across the Spider-Verse” feel like a comic book page brought to life.
In “Across the Spider-Verse,” there are many moments that utilize “Editor’s Notes” which briefly flash on-screen to, as they do in comics, provide context for the audience on characters, cultural differences, and unexplained lore. However, one Editor’s Note in “Across the Spider-Verse” makes a callback to a beloved character from “Into the Spider-Verse”: Spider-Ham, voiced by comedian John Mulaney.
During the confrontation between the Renaissance Vulture and Gwen Stacy, Miguel O’Hara, and Jessica Drew, O’Hara comments on Vulture’s use of “Hammerspace.” According to an Editor’s Note, “Hammerspace” refers to a cartoon character’s ability to pull objects, such as a large hammer, out of their pockets seemingly from thin air. Obviously, those who have seen “Into the Spider-Verse” recognize this as an ability possessed by Spider-Ham, who actually does pull a comically-large hammer out of his pocket during one of the film’s climactic fight scenes.
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