Smudge? Smear? Aliens testing erasers on Spider Man 40? 1 1

[Cnight]

Hey folks

 

Looking for help on whether this is an ink smear or some attempted erasing/“corrective” measures someone took.

 

Providing a screenshot of the book, and an example of what the area normally looks like.

 

Also: I will charge my phone after this post; I promise 😱🤡.

[LowGradeBronze]

Hi, the affected area looks quite regular and rectangular, almost as if there had been a sticker there or maybe some tape. Is it rough to the touch, as if residue yet remains there?

[Cnight]

Thanks @LowGradeBronze; can’t physically touch it, as it’s encapsulated.

 

However, you’re thinking what I’m thinking; I thought it looked like either a sticker was there or someone had tried to erase some writing:ink from the cover.

 

I was hoping it was maybe an ink smudge from the printing process……but I think this one may just be damage 😱😭

[Paul Kosnik]

Looks to me like possibly water damage.  From the shard to the edge looks blurred rather than smudged.  Could be from a water droplet.  What do the grader's notes have to say about this defect?

[Cnight]

They call it a smear, but there is another note that says “small writing” in the same area.

 

The small writing note makes me think someone tried to erase something from the cover.