Marvel continued to experiment with formats and frequencies by introducing the twice-monthly anthology series Marvel Comics Presents, not long after DC debuted Action Comics Weekly. Marvel didn't miss a trick, though, when they made Wolverine the anchor for much of the series' run. 

One of the decade's hottest creators, Bob Layton, provides this issue's cover as well as taking part in a new Marvel Age Interview -- his second since Marvel Age began. This time he talked about the Hercules graphic novel. Layton was still working on Iron Man at the time, as well as other side projects. 

Marvel shows its funny side again with the launch of What The--?!, in the tradition of Not Brand Ecch, Crazy and other titles. And Marvel Age also shines a spotlight on the Jack Kirby's Heroes and Villains sketchbook -- for a change of pace, promoting something that wasn't published by Marvel, even if they did show only Marvel characters in the article. 

Marvel Age #65

Price: $0.50 US 

Pages: 36 (32 interior plus four covers)

On sale: April 19, 1988

Cover date: August, 1988

Copyright © 1988 Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. 

• Tom DeFalco: Editor in Chief

• Jim Salicrup: Supreme Marvel Zombie

• Dwight Jon Zimmerman: Managing Editor

• Sholly Fisch: Coming Attractions

• Dawn Geiger: Designer

• Fred Hembeck: Sage of Marvel Age

• Craig Anderson, Steve Buccellato, Bob Budiansky, Bobbie Chase, Daniel Chichester, Margaret Clark, Don Daley, James DiGiovanna, Daryl Edelman, Sue Flaxman, Archie Goodwin, Mark Gruenwald, Larry Hama, Bob Harras, Glenn Herdling, Sid Jacobson, Terry Kavanagh, Ralph Macchio, Howard Mackie, Dwayne McDuffie, Marc McLaurin, Al Milgrom, Ann Nocenti, A.A. Perry, Carl Potts, Pat Redding, Mike Rockwitz, Marc Siry, David Wohl, and Gregory Wright: Consulting Editors

• John Romita: Art Director

• Don Perlin: Managing Art Director

• André Coates, Donald C. Hudson, and Christopher Ivy: The Raiders

• Virginia Romita: Traffic/Production Manager

• Len Kaminsky: Assistant Traffic/Production Manager

• Adam Blaustein: Manufacturing Coordinator

• Brenda Mings: Typesetter

• Jack Abel: Proofreader

• Paul Becton and Gregory Wright: Colorists

• Bob Layton: Cover art

• Joe Albelo, Paul Becton, Harry Candelario, Rob Carosella, Hector Collazo, Harry Eisenstein, Doreen Frederick, Michael Heisler, Brad Joyce, Cindy Kruhm, Ken Lopez, Ed Magalong, Michael Maier, and Eddie Marcaro: Production

• Barbara Arnstein, Christine Aurilia, Kelly Corvese, Dwight Coye, Tom Fardy, Jesus Gonzalez, John Lewandowski, George Roussos, Stu Schwartzberg, Mark Silverman, and Rodney S. Timmons: Friendly Assistance 

• Steve Sheffler: Rights and Permissions Editor

• Carol Kalish: Vice President Direct Sales

• Dale Kanzler: Assistant Direct Sales Manager Administrative

• Lou Bank: Assistant Direct Sales Manager Customer Service

• Steve Saffel: Promotion Manager 

• Irving Forbush: April Fool 

Front cover 

• Characters: Hercules, Man-Thing, and Shang Chi 

 Inside front cover

• Salicrup's Section 

• Marvel Agenda (contents) 

• Masthead 

• Indicia 

Pages 1 - 5

Marvel Coming Attractions

Titles on Sale May 24 

• The Uncanny X-Men #233
• Daredevil #258
• West Coast Avengers #36
• Wolfpack #2
• The 'Nam Magazine #2
• Heathcliff's Funhouse #9
• Little Wizards #1
• Web of Spider-Man 342
• Nick Fury Vs. S.H.I.E.L.D. #3
• Psi-Force #23
• The Black Panther #3
• G.I. Joe #75
• Strikeforce: Morituri #21
• What The--?! #2
• Conan the King #48
• Marvel Comics Presents #1
• Tales of G.I. Joe #9
• The New Mutants Annual #4
• Marshal Law #4

Titles on Sale May 31 

• Captain America #345
• Solo Avengers #10
• Strange Tales #18
• Power Pack trade paperback
• Powerline #2
• Video Jack #5
• Spider-Man Comics Magazine #11
• The Savage Sword of Conan #151
• Akira #1
• The Amazing Spider-Man #304
• Groo the Wanderer #43
• Heathcliff #26
• D.P. 7 #23
• The New Mutants #67
• Alpha Flight #62
• Alf #7

Titles on Sale June 7

• Marvel Age Magazine #66
• Air Raiders #6
• Marvel Tales #215
• The Incredible Hulk #347
• The Avengers #295
• Conan the Barbarian #210
• The Punisher #11
• Visionaries #6
• The Uncanny X-Men #234
• Marvel Comics Presents #2
• Bullwinkle and Rocky #6
• G.I. Joe #76
• Muppet Babies #21
• The Silver Surfer #15
• Justice #23
• Titles on Sale June 14
• Fraggle Rock #6
• The Transformers #44
• Power Pack #40
• The Fantastic Four #318
• Thor #395
• The Amazing Spider-Man #305
• Care Bears #18
• Classic X-Men #25
• Iron Man #234
• The Transformers Comics Magazine #11
• The Fantastic Four Annual #21
• Conan Saga #16

Titles on Sale June 21

• The Spectacular Spider-Man #142
• The 'Nam #22
• The Star Brand #15
• The Official Marvel Comics Index to the X-Men #8
• Hercules graphic novel 
• X-Factor #32
• The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #22
• Marvel Comics Presents #3 

Page 8

Newswatch

Item: Editor Mike Higgins has left staff to work on special projects. 

Item: Sue Flaxman has been promoted to assistant editor for Sid Jacobson.

Item: Laura Hitchcock has left staff to focus on writing. 

Item: Artist Bob Hall is one of the artistic directors of the theater company the New Rude Mechanicals. 

The Top Ten

January 1988

1. X-Men #229
2. X-Factor #29
3. Amazing Spider-Man #300
4. The Punisher #8
5. The New Mutants #63
6. Silver Surfer #11
7. Classic X-Men #21
8. The Avengers #291
9. The Spectacular Spider-Man #138
10. Web of Spider-Man #38.

Page 9 

Marvel Trivia Quiz

Pages 10 - 13

"The Marvel Age Interview: Bob Layton," by Gregory Wright

Pages 12 - 13

Sidebar: "The Graphic Novel," by Scott Lobdell

Pages 14 - 15

Stan's Soapbox

Willie Lumpkin by Stan Lee and Dan DeCarlo

Pages 16 - 17

Hembeck's Page in Marvel Age

Page 18 

The Mutant Report

"And the Winner Is...Alchemy!"

Pages 19 - 23

Article: "Marvel Comics Presents Wolverine," by Peter Sanderson

Pages 24 - 25

Article "The Marvel Mag of Mirth and Mayhem - What The--?!," by Glenn Herdling

Pages 26 - 27

Article: "Jack Kirby's Heroes and Villains," by Brian Nelson 

Pages 28 - 30

The Marvel Age 1977 Part 1, by Brian Nelson

Pages 31 - 32

Letters column: "Lettuce from Our Readers," suggested by Mark Catroppa

Inside back cover

Marvel Age 1988 Summer Annuals Report Card

The Evolution War checklist

Back cover 

Ad for The Draft

 

For its second annual, Marvel Age leaned into the company's 25th anniversary, celebrating with a flip book that presented today's Marvel heroes on the front cover as well as a back cover and a handful of flip-book pages that imagined an issue of Marvel Age as it might have appeared in 1963. 

Strangely, this 48 page annual had the same $0.50 cover price as a regular 32 page issue of Marvel Age! 

Much of this issue spotlights what's to come in the next year or so for Marvel's ongoing titles, as well as new books no one had heard about yet. (The Nam, anyone?) The many pages of logos and text are livened up by some great pages of previews in comics form, including some really fun pieces as well as oddities, like the look at a Daredevil run written by Steve Englehart that never materialized. 

This issue also gave readers their first look at the lineup of the New Universe, with exciting... no art? Yes, somehow three solid pages of text was supposed to get fans ready to buy into eight new titles about "the world outside your window." This wouldn't be the last time the New Universe was poorly promoted, unfortunately.

On the 1963 side of the issue, Coming Attractions highlighted annuals for the Fantastic Four, Strange Tales, Millie the Model, and Patsy and Hedy, as well as the latest issues of Kid Colt Outlaw and the Two-Gun Kid. There's also a look back at the Atlas Age in 1954, and a profile of Jack Kirby by Jack Kirby. 

Marvel Age Annual #2

Price: $0.50 US 

Pages: 52 (48 interior plus four covers)

On sale: June 24, 1986

Cover date: 1986

Copyright © 1986 Marvel Comics Group, a division of Cadence Industries Corporation. 

• Jim Shooter: Editor in Chief

• Jim Salicrup: Editor and Design Director

• Kurt Busiek and Adam Philips: Assistant Editors

• Barbara Johnston: Designer

• Craig Anderson, Adam Blaustein, Eliot Brown, Nancy Brown, Bob Budiansky, Mike Carlin, Bobbie Chase, Daniel Chichester, Margaret Clark, Don Daley, Tom DeFalco, Jo Duffy, Danny Fingeroth, Archie Goodwin, Mark Gruenwald, Bob Harras, Larry Hama, Mike Higgins, Sid Jacobson, Terry Kavanagh, Ralph Macchio, Howard Mackie, Rosemary McCormick-Lowy, Al Milgrom, John Morelli, Ann Nocenti, Jim Owsley, Carl Potts, Pat Redding, and Joanne Spaldo: Consulting Editors

• John Romita: Art Director

• Tom Morgan: Assistant Art Director

• Kevin Maguire, Jose Marzan and Mark McKenna: Romita's Raiders

• Anita Duncan: Art/Production Coordinator

• Doreen Frederick: Assistant Production Coordinator 

• Brenda Mings: Typesetter

• Jack Abel: Proofreader

• Steve Mellor, Christie Scheele, and Adam Philips: Colorists

• Bill Oakley: Letterer

• Ron Frenz and Joe Sinnott: Cover one art

• Paul Becton, Pat Brousseau, Harry Candelario, Rob Carosella, Hector Collazo, Dawn Geiger, Barbara Johnston, Veronica Lawlor, Ken Lopez, Michael Maier, Bill Oakley, and Bill Vallely: Production

• Virginia Romita: Traffic Manager

• Christine Aurilia and Lynn Cohen: Friendly Assistance 

• Carol Kalish: Director of Specialty Sales

• Peter David: Direct Sales Manager Administrative

• Steve Saffel: Assistant Promotions Manager for Direct Sales

• Irving Forbush: Another Year Older

Front cover 

• Character: Marvel heroes

 Inside front cover

• Shooter's Salicrup's Section 

• Marvel Agenda (contents) 

• Masthead 

• Indicia 

Pages 1 - 3

"This Is a Plot?"

Reprinted from Fantastic Four Annual #5

Written and pencilled by Jack Kirby

Inked by Frank Giacoia

Pages 4 - 8

"100 Highlights from the First 25"

Pages 9 - 40

Article: "Marvel A to Z," by Dwight Jon Zimmerman

Text previews of these series:

• Alpha Flight
• The Amazing Spider-Man
• Animax
• The Avengers
• The Avengers versus X-Men
• The Bozz Chronicles
• Captain America
• Care Bears
• Chuck Norris Karate Kommandos
• Classic X-Men
• Cloak and Dagger
• The Comet Man
• Conan the Barbarian
• Conan the King
• Dakota North
• Daredevil
• Doctor Strange
• Droids
• Elektra
• Elfquest
• Ewoks
• Fallen Angels
• Fantastic Four
• Fantastic Four Meets the X-Men
• G.I. Joe
• G.I. Joe Special Missions
• Groo the Wanderer
• Groo the Wanderer graphic novel
• Grown-Up Thermonuclear Samurai Elephants 
• Heathcliff
• Hugga Bunch
• The Incredible Hulk
• Inhumanoids
• Iron Man
• Madballs
• Marvel Fanfare
• The Marvel Saga
• Marvel Tales
• Masters of the Universe
• Moonshadow
• Moonshadow graphic novel
• Muppet Babies 
• The Nam
• The New Mutants
• The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition
• The Official Marvel Index to The Uncanny X-Men 
• The Official Marvel Index to The Avengers
• The Official Marvel Index to The Fantastic Four
• The Official Marvel Index to Marvel Team-Up
• The Official Marvel Index to Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man
• Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man
• Peter Porker, the Spectacular Spider-Ham
• Phoenix
• Popples
• Power Pack
• The Savage Sword of Conan
• Savage Tales
• The Silver Surfer
• The Amazing Spider-Man versus Wolverine
• Steelgrip Starkey and His All-Purpose Power Tool
• Strikeforce Morituri
• Swords of the Swashbucklers
• The Mighty Thor
• Thundercats
• Top Dog
• The Transformers
• Web of Spider-Man
• The West Coast Avengers 
• Wolfpack
• X-Factor
• X-Men

Text coverage is interspersed with comics previews of these titles: 

• Daredevil, written by Steve Englehart with art by Louis Williams and Al Williamson (one page) (Englehart would only end up writing one issue) 
• X-Factor, written by Louise Simonson with art by Tom Morgan and Art Nichols (one page)
• X-Men, written by Louise Simonson with art by Alan Kupperberg and Art Nichols (one page) 
• The New Mutants, written by Louise Simonson with art by Art Adams (one page)
• Cloak and Dagger, written by Bill Mantlo with art by Rick Leonardi and Terry Austin (1/2 page)
• Fallen Angels, written by Jo Duffy with art by Kerry Gammill (1/2 page) 
• The Amazing Web of Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man, written by Adam Blaustein with art by Ron Frenz and Joe Rubinstein (one page) 
• Alpha Flight, written by Bill Mantlo with art by David Ross and Joe Rubinstein (one page) 
• The Mighty Thor, written and illustrated by Walter Simonson (two pages)
• Peter Porker, the Spectacular Spider-Ham, written and illustrated by Steve Mellor (one page)
• Power Pack, written by Louise Simonson, with art by Jon Bogdanove and Art Nichols (two pages) 
• Doctor Strange, written by Peter Gillis with art by Chris Warner (one page) 
• The Incredible Hulk, written and illustrated by Al Milgrom (1/2 page) 
• The West Coast Avengers, Iron Man, Captain America, The Avengers, and Fantastic Four, written by Roger Stern with art by John Buscema and Tom Palmer (four pages) 
• Dakota North, written by Martha Thomases with art by Tony Salmons (one page) 

Pages 41 - 43

Article "The Coming of the New Universe"

Covers these titles:

• Starbrand
• Psi-Force
• Merc
• Nightmask
• Justice
• Spitfire and the Troubleshootes
• Kickers, Inc. 
• D.P.7.

Back cover: 1963 Marvel Heroes by Richard Howell and Al Milgrom 

Inside back cover

• Introduction by Stan Lee

• Marvel Agenda (contents)

Pages 1 - 2

Marvel Comics Coming Attractions

Compiled by Kurt Busiek, Richard Howell, Trina Robbins, George Olshevsky, Fred Hembeck, and Randall Scott

Page 3

The Atlas Age - 1954 (Part II), by Sholly Fisch

Jack Kirby by Jack Kirby

Page 4

Li'l Fred, by Fred Hembeck

Newswatch

Item: Spider-Man won't be joining the Fantastic Four or teaming up with other Marvel Heroes because Stan Lee and Steve Ditko have so many great stories in the works for him.

Item: Ant-Man gains a great new power in Tales to Astonish #49

Item: Jack Kirby draws the same faces in crowd scenes so often we call them "Kirby's Kast of Kharacters," ha ha?

Item: Spider-Man goes monthly with issue #4

Item: Thanks to your requests, Dr. Strange returns in Strange tales #114

Item: Watch for The X-Men and The Avengers, two new team titles, coming soon. 

Page 5

Letters column: "Make Mine Marvel!"