On this site I've whined about the lack of consideration for superhero cartoon series on DVD. Well, Disney has now become the first to release an entire superhero cartoon series to DVD.

"Spider-Man: The '67 Collection" collects all 52 episodes of the first Spider-Man cartoon, which ran on ABC from 1967 to 1970.

Everyone knows the theme song: "Spider-Man, Spider-Man, does whatever a spider can...." Somehow that song has survived the ages -- it's been covered by The Ramones and Aerosmith.

The cartoon doesn't hold up nearly as well.

I remember first seeing it on video years ago, with my uncle. He remembered the show fondly from his kidhood. When you're a kid, you care less about quality and more about "Look! Spider-Man's on TV!" But this cartoon not being that good screws all that up.

The animation is terrible by today's standards -- but it's not too great even compared to other cartoons of the time. Spidey's costume isn't colored in completely in some scenes. When he web-swings, it's the same 5 or 6 swinging scenes, used over and over. Sometimes the swinging trips last a whole minute.

But at least the animation is "Finding Nemo" compared to Marvel's 1960s "Marvel Superheroes" show, which basically animated actual drawings from the actual comics. But those had awesome theme songs, too. ("When Captain America throws his mighty shield....")

At the time, Spidey was having his most memorable adventures in the comics, the death of Gwen Stacy among them. In one episode of the cartoon, The Rhino steals gold so he can make a statue of himself.

The show's scripts are interchangeable with other 1960s-era superhero cartoons, with none of the angst, and little of the humor that made Spidey unique. I think episodes of Young Samson had more inner turmoil. ("My wristbands turn my dog into a lion who has laser vision. What's that all about?")

But all 1960s superhero cartoons were like that. Villain shows up, fight, the end. It's how things were done. The kids had books if they wanted whole stories.

Spider-Man even had his own freaky catch-phrase: "Walloping web-snappers!" I am now using it as often as I can. There's some retro charm to the show, with its silly stories and dinky animation. But there are 6 DVDs of it, so you better really, really be charmed. Just shut up and be charmed. Otherwise you're going to glaze over at about the 4th hour, mumbling the theme song to yourself.

This DVD collection is a superhero artifact, the first time a Marvel character left the comic pages. These episodes were only out on video years ago, and recently as "bonuses" on other Disney Spider-Man releases. But never before have all of the episodes been available.

The shows are in excellent condition. From a collecting point of view, this is a must-buy. But for entertainment's sake, they're not that fun. But this set's existence is a good thing. Hopefully now, other Marvel superhero cartoon DVDs are in the works.

I want the 1980s "Spider Man and His Amazing Friends" cartoons with Firestar and Iceman. Is that so wrong?