What’s up Nerds!
Happy Monday! I hope everyone is making strides in their #NowistheTime Challenge! Remember don’t let the setbacks keep you down! Or the government. Or capitalism. Or the Man! If you didn’t get the hint on who the absolute best Spider-Man is, man do we have quite a bit to cover.
SPOILER WARNING (but low-key it just released on Netflix so you can go watch, and then come back)
So who am I talking about? None other than the Hobie Brown aka Spider-Punk. If you’re a nerd, you probably had been hearing all the buzzing around Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. The Nerds were excited about this movie. People were dissecting the trailers and movie posters everything. When I was able to go see it, I enjoyed every single moment. There’s so much to unpack from the movie, but that’ll be in another post. Right now, I have to talk about Hobie.
Not going to lie, I was NOT feeling Hobie at the beginning. He had me fooled. I was definitely thinking who’s this dude Gwen is spending all her time with neglecting Miles??? But man was I so so wrong about Hobie’s character. I actually really loved the switcheroo the writers did with his character. At first you met Hobie and he definitely seems like the “guy she told you not to worry about”, but you should DEFINITELY worry about him. He’s cool, he’s got attitude and could literally give zero….about what any “establishments” think of him. He’s a rebel through and through. Within his first meeting, the audience is led to believe that he’s going to be the one to get in-between Miles and Gwen’s friendship.
He swings in, stealing Miles’ spotlight trying to breakthrough a forcefield from the Spot. Then he has this heartwarming union with Spider-Man India, while commenting on what items left back at his place in his dimension. Which prompts Miles to ask if this was an overnight stay. Hobie is the popular guy. He’s the guy who makes you feel just a little insecure about yourself, because he’s so confident in himself. Even though he may come across like he doesn’t care, he does more than he lets on.
Hobie makes no secret in stating he doesn’t do teams (nevermind that he’s in a band, he just can’t do consistency). And so it would have made more sense after he helped the other Spider-guys that he would’ve left and gone back to his own dimension to do his own thing. But he doesn’t leave quite yet. Again we, the audience, are made to believe that he’s just boasting to Miles about all of his cool accomplishments. Miles even asks how Hobie could be even cooler under his mask. Which Hobie of course, replies that he’s always been cool. As they make their way to this Spider Society Hobie keeps talking to Miles. To set up the scene, the audience already knows that Gwen hasn’t told Mile everything. Hobie asks her directly how much does Miles know. Specifically how much does he know about his role in everything. She vaguely says she’s told Miles about it some. Then Hobie takes it upon himself to talk to Miles more about why he wants to join them.
Hobie is probing, he trying to get Miles to see what he’s already got going for him. His life, his parents, and Hobie asks Miles why he even wants a dimensional bracelet. Once Miles gives his reasoning, Hobie hears him out and backs off. But not without giving one key piece of advice:
“Just don’t enlist till you know what war you’re fighting.”
The best line in the whole movie. The entire time you think Hobie is this rebellious I don’t care about no one character, when the whole time he’s been dropping hints. He’s been trying to warn Miles as soon as they stepped into the Spider-Man headquarters that this isn’t what you think it is. You don’t know everything their hiding. Hobie knew what’s up and he knew they (Gwen and Peter B.) didn’t tell Miles anything. All Hobie needed was a reason to leave “the establishment” and Miles gave the perfect one.
Hobie was a Real One. A real friend who was one of the only Spiders that had Miles’ interest at heart. While everyone else went with whatever Migel (Spider-Man 2099) decided, Hobie chose to support Miles and his desire to do it differently. To be an anomaly. This is why Hobie is the BEST Spider-Man. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.
Keep nerding out against the establishment! See you tomorrow!
