Shanna She-Better-Not.

Somebody should explain to Marvel that the FCC can't fine comic books. No one can call the FCC after being offended by a comic book. It just doesn't work that way. Why else would they be censoring an adults-only book?

Apparently, as a last-minute decision before publication, Marvel has decided to censor the MAX book Shanna the She-Devil and bring it down to the level of their Marvel Knights books. Why? Isn't the point of the MAX line so that creators can tell uncensored work? And now the fanboys who were prepping their tissue boxes by their beds to read the first issue have to find out that they covered up all the bare breasts (for our protection, I'm sure). Or maybe to protect the brand name. Remember, it's all about money. Maybe some suit in Hollywood said "Hey, I remember a comic from when I was a kid. Shanna the She-Monkey or something" to Avi Arad and he called back to Marvel Publishing and said "We're deep in negotiations to make a Shanna movie so you better cover up those nipples or they'll back down on the deal!"

Now apparently, there will be a 'Director's Cut' uncensored collection after the mini-series runs. But won't that counter the now in development movie even more so? After all the trade collections have deeper penetration into the mainstream markets. And we wouldn't want Hollywood or the general public to think that comic books have a pubescent male fascination with female breasts. After all, most of our heroines look like half-naked DD cup bimbos so clealry we are about respecting the fairer gender.

I feel sorry for the cash-strapped fanboys who will have to shell out twice for this series. Once for the 'gotta have it now' and then again for the 'Shanna Show-n-Tell' edition later. Still, when one gets too sticky to turn the pages, they'll always have the other. That, my friends, is what they call a silver lining.