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Marvel has hired some of the greatest creators ever and put them together for runs that have helped define what a superhero can be. There are some underrated/older runs out there that most modern fans have never even read. You haven’t read these ten Marvel runs, and you need to fix that right now.
10) Alan Davis’s Excalibur
There are lots of X-teams out there and one that doesn’t get the credit it deserves is Excalibur. The British mutant team was awesome, or at least the original version of the team brought together by Chris Claremont and Alan Davis was (the various reboots of the team haven’t been great). The two kicked off the group’s book, but both would leave eventually. With the big X-reboot of 1991, Davis returned, writing and drawing issues #42-52, 54-58, and 61-67. Davis expanded the mythos of Otherworld, added members to the team, and basically nailed the humorous, quirky tone of their aventures. This is one of the most underrated X-runs out there, and more fans need to read it.
9) John Ney Reiber/John Cassaday Captain America
Captain America is Marvel’s most storied soldier, and has had some amazing runs over the decades. Back in 2002, in the days after 9/11, Marvel decided to relaunch Cap and they chose John Ney Reiber, of Books of Magic fame, and John Cassaday, who at the time was known for Planetary, for Captain America (Vol. 4). The two of them only did six issues of the book, with Cap going after a terrorist and dealing with the aftermath, and it is phenomenal. Ney Reiber nailed the character and Cassaday’s art is outstanding. Cassaday left after that, and Ney Reiber was replaced by Chuck Austen after issue #8, ending their time on the Sentinel of Liberty. However, their short time together was outstanding.
8) Tom DeFalco Spider-Girl
Spider-Girl first appeared in What If… #105 and fans loved her. She would soon get her own series, which was written by her co-creator Tom DeFalco for a hundred issues. DeFaloc is a former Marvel editor in chief and has runs on some of the publisher’s greatest characters, so he’s got the goods and proved it with every issue. The book took place in the future, with May Parker as the leader of a new generation of heroes while dealing with her life as a second generation hero. This run is just good old-fashioned superhero goodness, with art from greats like Pat Oliffe and Ron Frenz. This was the little book that could, escaping cancellation numerous times, and is a classic.
7) Tom DeFalco/Ron Frenz Thunderstrike
Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz worked together both on The Mighty Thor and Fantastic Four, and made for an excellent team. They wrote the God of Thunder during the period when Eric Masterson held the hammer, a different version of the Thor than fans know now, and it was great. Eventually, the Odinson would return and Eric was given a magic mace and a new identity. This was the premise of Thunderstrike, a book starring him as he continued his superhero life. DeFalco and Frenz worked on issues #1-10 and #12-24. Their run was a solid superhero run, with the kind of big fights and drama that defined old school Marvel.
6) Fabian Nicieza/Mark Bagley New Warriors
The New Warriors were meant to be ’90s superstars, and if you read New Warriors (Vol. 1), you could believe it. That book kicked off with an amazing run from Fabian Nicieza and Mark Bagley, two creators who were about to become superstars. The two of them worked on issues #1-25 and wowed readers. Marvel has rarely had popular teen heroes who weren’t mutants, and Nicieza and Bagley did a fantastic job with this new team. Fans loved their work so much, that Nicieza would start working on X-Men (Vol. 2), becoming one of the bestselling writers at Marvel, and Bagley would take over The Amazing Spider-Man. Marvel trusted them after these 25 issues because they proved that they were amazing talents.
