Your Friendly Neighborhood Barack Obama

http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b78129_your_friendly_neighborhood_barack_obama.html

Your Friendly Neighborhood Barack Obama
1-8-9
Joal Ryan

Excuse Barack Obama if his Spidey sense is tingling.

The nation's soon-to-be first commander in geek has been tapped—and drawn—to share covers of an upcoming Amazing Spider-Man with his beloved Webslinger.

The issue, No. 583, on sale Jan. 14, finds Peter Parker's costumed self making sure all goes well on Inauguration Day. Not to give away the ending, but celebratory fist-bumps are exchanged, Marvel editor-in-chief Joe Quesada said today.

Obama was not consulted. Fellow comic geek Stephen Colbert was absolutely not consulted.

"The truth is since we put Stephen in an issue [Amazing Spider-Man No. 573], we basically own his ass," Quesada said.

Quesada said the idea for the Obama issue was hatched after reports said the future president collected Spider-Man. The same reports said Obama collected Conan the Barbarian, too, but Marvel doesn't own the rights to that character anymore.

A bipartisan comics fan, Obama has also been known to drop Superman references. And Green Hornet references. And Star Trek references. And…

With such apparent love for fandom, is there any doubt that Marvel's kingpin has a front-row seat at Obama's swearing in?

Well, actually, yeah, there's doubt. In fact, it's not happening—Quesada's not going ("I wish."). Spidey cover or no, Quesada confirmed that Obama hasn't even offered one of his heroes a role in the new administration.

Still, the editor said, "Spider-Man and I are at the ready, if needed."