Spider-Woman lands in web of controversy

An alternative cover for an upcoming Spider-Woman comic has sparked an online backlash.

Mr Milo Manara's cover for Spider-Woman #1 shows the Marvel character Jessica Drew as her alter-ego Spider-Woman, crawling on all fours, her posterior up in the air.

She also seems to be wearing bodypaint instead of a costume.

The comic was launched at last month's Comic-Con in San Diego and will be out in November, reported the Daily Mail.

Critics have called the cover overly sexual, sexist and in poor taste.

Some have compared the pose to one seen in US singer Nicki Minaj's Anaconda music video.

Ms Laura Sneddon, a comics expert, told The Guardian that "the lack of thinking behind it is a prime example of why people continue to think superhero comics are for horny men only".

She said it was "a really disappointing decision" by Marvel Comics to choose Mr Manara - an Italian known for his erotic illustrations - as the artist on a female-lead comic. Mr Tom Brevoort, senior vice-president of publishing at Marvel, wrote on his Tumblr on Thursday: "I think that the people who are upset about that cover have a point, at least in how the image relates to them."

He added the cover is one of Mr Manara's "less sexualised" and "less exploitative" works.

Writer Dennis Hopeless tweeted: "I can promise you we have no intention of blatantly sexualising any of the characters in our story. "You have my word that our story treats Jess with the utmost respect."

Marvel is trying to attract a bigger female audience. It recently said that its new comic Thor would have the Norse god as a goddess.

This article was published on Aug 24 in The New Paper.

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