The following image (cover of Amazing Spider-Man 545) is currently being delivered by Marvel Comics along with the phrase ‘The End of an Era.’
I imagine that it is related to the desire by the current editorial staff at Marvel Comics to remove the clunky marriage angle to the character. Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesda has said numerous times that Spider-Man being married to super-model Mary Jane Watson destroys his underdog/everyman status.
Given Marvel Comics‘ track-record of tragedies lately, I don’t think Mary Jane will bow out cleanly.
And whose hand is that on the cover?
Word on the street is that classic series scribe and co-creator of the 80’s iteration of the team Marv Wolfman has written his script for the Teen Titans direct-to-DVD movie based on the popular storyline The Judas Contract.
Many of these creators paid homage to Wolfman and Perez on a ‘fans turned pro’ panel at the 2006 San Diego Comic Con, including JLA writer Brad Meltzer, who said “I mean, that — I thank you, sir. That book was — I can’t even tell — my novels are so affected by that writing — my comics are affected by that writing. And Identity Crisis is affected by that story. Just from the Judas Contract alone and the idea of a surprise in a comic that I couldn’t guess. “
Meltzer also contributed to the comic book nostalgia book GIVE OUR REGARDS TO THE ATOMSMASHERS with his article “How I Spent The Summer With the Judas Contract”, describing his puberty experience with Tara Markov.
