Spider-Man Returns to Comic Shop News

June 8, 2009 - PRLog -- The Spider-Man newspaper strip will return to the pages of Comic Shop News, starting with issue #1149, available in shops June 24, 2009.   "There's been renewed interest since the announcement that Peter Parker and MJ will remain married in the newspaper strip and we thought this would be a good time to bring it back." said co-editor Cliff Biggers. CSN ran the Spider-Man strip back in the 1990s (as well as, at different times, the Batman and TMNT strips).

"We will be running the daily strips in color" said Ward Batty, co-editor. "The Sunday strips recap the weekly story-lines, and this keeps the strip from taking too much space. That said, we will be running the strips nice and big, almost 8" wide, and in full color. CSN is printed hot press, like comic books, so the printing and color is very sharp compared to most newspapers, which are cold-press and smudgy." CSN is starting the strip with the current story-line that re-establishes the marriage continuity and guest-stars Wolverine. The plan is to run extra strips for a few weeks until the strip is current.

Many readers were upset with Marvel's decision to undo Peter and Mary Jane Watson's marriage. Stan Lee and King Features Syndicate said the decision to restore the marriage was in response to numerous reader complaints. Maybe the newspaper strip is on to something; MTV speculated about the possibility of Peter and MJ marrying in an upcoming movie sequel.

The Spider-Man newspaper strip began in January of 1977 and has been continuously written by Stan Lee. Originally illustrated by John Romita, Sr., the current story is illustrated by Lee's brother, Larry Lieber. The newspaper strip and comics did not share continuity until the marriage of Parker and Mary Jane Watson which occurred in both the comic book and newspaper strip in 1987. 

Comic Shop news has been published weekly since 1987 and is sold in bundles to comic shops who distribute it to customers, usually free of charge. CSN is available in over 600 shops, mostly across North America.  "If your friendly neighborhood comic shop isn't carrying Comic Shop News each week, let them know that they should," Biggers said. "CSN can be ordered by every comic shop that carries Spider-Man (or any other comics)."

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Comic Shop News is the leading comics publication. Published weekly since 1987 with over 100 million copies sold.