1986 marvel: an appreciation

[AnthonyO'Brien]

Was reading a kang tpb. It had the 86 avengers kang dynasty storyline. A great story the next movie will heavily borrow from.

What was some other great stuff that year?

[James Cameron]

1986 was a fantastic year for Marvel under Shooter despite a lot of behind the scenes drama. Superstars on all the top books. We got some legendary storylines like Under Siege, Born Again, and Mutant Massacre. 1986 was also the launch of the New Universe. Big things were happening for Marvel in this time

[Aarkus]

if I'm not mistaken, also the year in which the "Official Handbook" started hitting the stands... those hooked me in just because there was so much more to chew on for the price of a comic, I read them all obsessively and learned all about the MU. being fresh off an industry-shaking "crisis" the prior year, I had just gotten a condensed history lesson on the distinguished competition... and then, by way of the Handbooiks, it was Marvel's turn... came back to DC eventually, but the Handbooks turned me into a bit of a Marvel simp for a minute there.

[K7P5V]

OMG! Two of my favorite movies based on comic books/toys made their debut during 1986 (XD)

Howard the Duck





Transformers '86

[Gaastra]

!986. Fun year for marvel.

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[Phoenixx9]

I have heard some say that 1986 is when Marvel Comics got dark, dirty and gritty.

I think they may mean that they became much more serious, with darker themes/tones, way more dire threats from villains with far greater powers and had more character repercussions than the previous decades.

Do you find that to be true?

Do you think the Crisis at DC in 1985 led to this at Marvel in 1986?

[kcekada]

if I'm not mistaken, also the year in which the "Official Handbook" started hitting the stands... those hooked me in just because there was so much more to chew on for the price of a comic, I read them all obsessively and learned all about the MU. being fresh off an industry-shaking "crisis" the prior year, I had just gotten a condensed history lesson on the distinguished competition... and then, by way of the Handbooiks, it was Marvel's turn... came back to DC eventually, but the Handbooks turned me into a bit of a Marvel simp for a minute there.

The original series stared in the early 80s when I was in college (had graduated by 1986). I knew it debuted before DC's Who's Who and Crisis which I think started in 1984 or 1985. Turns out the handbooks debuted in October 1982!

I thought both DC and Marvel were doing great stuff in the early 80s, but don't feel as positive towards the mid 80s period.

[Gaastra]

Yup early 80s.

Still stinks they didn't make a star wars handbook in the 80s.

[James Cameron]

I have heard some say that 1986 is when Marvel Comics got dark, dirty and gritty.

I think they may mean that they became much more serious, with darker themes/tones, way more dire threats from villains with far greater powers and had more character repercussions than the previous decades.

Do you find that to be true?

Do you think the Crisis at DC in 1985 led to this at Marvel in 1986?

It's the other way around in my view. Shooter-era Marvel is the reason Crisis happened. DC wanted to match Marvel's success with bringing consistency across all their titles and crafting a cohesive, uncluttered universe.

[Phoenixx9]

It's the other way around in my view. Shooter-era Marvel is the reason Crisis happened. DC wanted to match Marvel's success with bringing consistency across all their titles and crafting a cohesive, uncluttered universe.

But didn't the Crisis happen a year earlier, in 1985?

[McFarlane's Green Hulk]

1986 is my year of becoming addicting to collecting comics.
I'd been the occassional reader, mainly just when my parents wanted to keep me entertained during road/camping trips.
If I had the money from doing chores, I would grab a GI Joe or Transformer book, nothing out of the ordinary.
It was during the summer of `86 when I came across Incredible Hulk #321-323 at three different small town grocery stores during a stay with my grandparents.
I convinced Grandma to get #323, and then 321. But came up short for #322. We'd come back the next day to get it.
We come back -- it's gone.
She felt bad and drove around the area to numerous other stores (and even ventured into Twin Falls) to find it.
No luck.
And the hunting bug bit me hard.
By the time my parents came to pick me up, I had acquired Hulk Annual #15 and it snowballed from there.

[James Cameron]

But didn't the Crisis happen a year earlier, in 1985?

Yes, and Shooter became EIC in 78, his overhaul of all the books and continuity was immediate, Secret Wars began in 84.

[Gaastra]

And contest of champions was before that.

[Zauriel]

1986 was Marvel's 25th anniversary.

[K7P5V]

1986 was Marvel's 25th anniversary.

I know, right?! Still LOVE those '86 Commemorative Covers (XD)