Yeah, I kind of agree with that reading. I see anime/manga fans get up on their high horse all the time, trying to "prove" that manga is better than American comics for whatever stupid reason. Neil Gaiman just happens to be an extremely successful, popular, and critically acclaimed American comic writer*, so of course he would be the logical target for any resentful anime fan who's on a "MIYAZAKI IS THE GREATEST!!!!" crusade.

*Except that he's British.