Christopher Butcher has the best take on the full-frontal Spider-Man in this week’s Spider-Man: Reign #1 issue. (I’m still waiting for the obligatory "Spider-Nuts" theme song parody.)
The big issue for Marvel isn’t the dangly bits shown in the picture. It’s the lack of quality control at the House of Ideas. How many errors has Marvel let slip this year? Whether it’s showing Spidey’s unmasking in Thunderbolts before Civil War, the inability to determine if it’s the Superpowers Registration Act or the Superheroes Registration Act, Tony Stark saying one thing in Civil War about the permanence of the prison in the Negative Zone and the complete opposite in Amazing Spider-Man, it’s obvious that the editors are slipping up. Heck, they’ve admitted that Astonishing X-Men fell off its schedule not because of the creators involved, but because of the editors!
Back in the 70s and 80s, Jim Shooter was known as the guy who got the trains to run on time at Marvel. I suspect Quesada still thinks fondly of the days when the company was on the verge of collapse, and he and then-President Bill Jemas were willing to try anything to keep the company running. But those days are over. Now, Marvel needs to get the trains running again.
I must admit… when a giant and gloriously naked Dr. Manhattan appeared on Watchmen, my then young mind busted its shock absorbers. However, this portrayal of Peter really shouldn’t raise that many eyebrows. It’s genuinely cosmetic and devoid of any erotic intention, certainly much more restrained compared to those flaring female bosoms and embossed nipples of yore.
As for editorial consistency, well, they need to slow down. With their licensing department doing a great job with the non-comics income earners, the editorial department should take a slight breather to clean things up. Ambition is hard to manage.
Oh, and sorry to hear about your back. I hope the doctors can fix things soon. Take care.