Spider-Man (Toon Disney)

SPIDER-MAN -- which originally aired on Fox from 1994-1998 -- follows Peter Parker/Spidey (voiced by Christopher Daniel Barnes) from college through his early career and encounters with villains like the Green Goblin and Chameleon. Because each episode is part of a multi-part storyline, the action can be a little hard to follow (the episodes aren't always aired in order during reruns), and there's no expository catch-up -- familiarity with the Spider-Man back story and characters is assumed.

Spider-Man looks and feels more like a movie than a classic action cartoon. The plots are complicated, the scenes are cut in movie style, characters narrate their histories over flashbacks, and action interrupts conversations and prevents people from revealing or discovering things. It's interesting and complex -- a good introduction to the live-action movies that are more suitable for older tweens and teens.

It's also worth noting that this Spider-Man, like the one in the comic books and movies, isn't always clearly the good guy; he struggles with his identity. And other superhero characters in the series can be even more ambiguous. All of that complexity makes Spider-Man a fun world to enter into -- nearly everyone seems to have an alter-ego and a personal mission that drives them. In that way, it also serves both as a reminder that everyone has his or her own story and as an invitation to create your own.