Looks like a dig at The Amazing Spider-Man. In a brief background gag of the Wall-Crawler's comic, a joke was made at DC's expense regarding the company's creative output. Though all in good fun, it continues a tradition of the Big Two roasting one another during their decades-long rivalry.
If there's one thing fans know about Spider-Man, its that the hero has a tendency to crack wise and hurl a barb or two in the middle of battle. Peter Parker's jokes are sometimes interpreted as a coping mechanism for the stresses he faces as a hero, while other times portrayed as a way to throw off villains in battle. Whatever the reason, Spider-Man has a reputation as a jokester, and that humor often extends to his books.
One only need look to a gag accompanying a scene of Mary Jane and Peter Parker arguing in The Amazing Spider-Man #516 by J. Michael Straczynski, Mike Deodato Jr., Mark Brooks, Joe Pimentel, Jaime Mendoza, Matt Milla, Brian Reber and Cory Petit. As Mary Jane gets dressed, she and Peter discuss the latter's mug accidentally being broken in a dishwasher. While the couple talks, a morning news report recounts a story about Time Warner. The anchor describes the company's stocks falling by three percent "mainly due to deficiencies in the publishing division" caused by "a lack of inventiveness in its graphic publishing arm."
Talk about shots fired! Now, it's obviously a ludicrous idea that "a lack of inventiveness" could seriously lead to stocks falling by several points. Aside from exchanges being incredibly complex, rarely is there one reason for a stock's performance (at the very least, it's likely never because of comics). However, the background gag is a funny joke made at Marvel's direct competition and fits the tone of a Spider-Man comic very well. It's jocular, but not overly venomous, much like Peter Parker's quips.
Marvel and DC make up the Big Two of the American comic book industry. As such, they've gone back and forth including digs at one another in their books, lampooning the trends their rival seems to be following, anything in the name of friendly competition. Though it may seem rude, the reality is that many comic creators have worked for both companies, including the writer of this gag, J. Michael Straczynski, who has written books such as The Brave and the Bold, Superman, and Wonder Woman. The industry is relatively small, so the occasional potshot to the other side is bound to happen every so often.
Again, the joke was all in good fun. Though if DC Comics really didn't appreciate it, they could always give Spider-Man a taste of his own medicine with a gag of their own.
