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’80s Marvel had some fantastic stories and series. This era of the publisher gifted readers with the kind of stories that made fans take notice, becoming timeless hits. These ten ’80s Marvel comics are some of the best of all time, and every fan of the company needs to read them at least once.
10) Wolverine (Vol. 1) #1-4
Wolverine has starred in some amazing solo stories, but an argument can be made that his first was the best. Wolverine (Vol. 1) #1-4, by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller, was the character’s first solo book, and took the ol’Canucklehead to Japan. Logan just wanted to visit his fiancée Mariko, but learns that her Yakuza boss father has married her off to one of his lackeys. The hero goes to deal with the situation and is savagely beaten, forcing him to train with the wild ninja Yukio and find the man inside himself. This is a flawless story in every way; Claremont’s script sets the stage perfectly, and Miller’s pencils give readers some amazing images and beautifully fluid action scenes. Even 43 years later, this is still a beloved story, and its success launched hundreds of Wolverine solo stories.
9) Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #262
John Byrne’s Fantastic Four run is one of the greatest Fantastic Four runs ever. Byrne did an amazing job with the First Family of the Marvel Universe, and there are some best of all time comics from his time on the book. However, if there’s only one issue I could point to about why it’s so good, it’s Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #262. Titled “The Trial of Reed Richards”, this story sees the alien powers of the universe arrest Mister Fantastic, putting him on trial for saving Galactus’s life, vengeance for all of the people the World Devourer killed and will kill. What follows is an awesome little character piece, as the smartest man on Earth has to make his case for why what he did was right. It’s a sensational comic, and it’ll show you just how good Byrne could be when he was on (also Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #258 is nearly as good as this one, so read that one too if you can).
8) Captain America: War and Remembrance
Roger Stern and John Byrne became the creative team on Captain America (Vol. 1) with issue #247 and stayed on the book until issue #255. This short run consists mostly of single-issue stories, setting up a new status quo for Steve Rogers (which included becoming a comic artist) with Captain America contemplating a presidential run, a battle against Dragon Man, and the classic Baron Blood two-part story. Their time on the book is collected as Captain America: War and Remembrance, and it’s one of the best collections of Cap stories ever. Stern and Byrne were two of Marvel’s best at the time, and it’s honestly a shame that they didn’t spend more time on Captain America. However, what we got was sensational and a must-read.
7) “Under Siege”
The Avengers have a history of excellence, and one of the best eras of the team was Roger Stern’s run on The Avengers in the ’80s. Stern got to work with John Buscema, one of Marvel’s greatest artists, and delivered readers some action-packed bangers full of compelling characters and near-perfect superhero plots. However, the best of the Stern/Buscema run is easily “Under Siege”. This is the classic story that saw Baron Helmut Zemo bring together the at that point largest and most powerful team of the Masters of Evil, having made the perfect plan to destroy Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. This story is not only an action masterpiece, but a brilliant story, showing the team at their best and their worst, digging into who they are as people. It’s an Avengers epic, a flawless superhero team story that always impresses.
6) “Kraven’s Last Hunt”
“Kraven’s Last Hunt” is, in the opinion of this fan, the best Spider-Man story of all time. Kraven the Hunter decides that he’s going to prove his superiority to Spider-Man once and for all. The villain goes after the web-slinger and handily defeats him, burying him alive and taking his costume. What followed was one of the most shocking moments in the history of Marvel Comics. This classic from J.M. DeMatteis and Mike Zeck is brilliant. It makes the argument for Kraven as Spidey’s best enemy, showing just how formidable the villains could be. We all know how this story ends by now, and it’s the pitch-black icing on a dark cake. DeMatteis and Zeck gelled together wonderfully, giving readers an unforgettable story.
