Just imagine: you're a 12 years old (the Golden Age, you know) and you begin to read Marvel regularly.

You go to the newsstand and find an Italian trade featuring Spider-Man alongside the X-Men, Hulk, Woodgod, Warlock. 3 months later, the following trade: Daredevil, the Black Widow, Ghost Rider, Yellowkacker, Wasp.

That's... amazing. All those characters were new to me (except for Hulk and some of the X-Men), I was an almost new reader (and I say "almost" because I already got something from the late '70s and late '80s)... and there was a title which got me introduced to them all. And, my lucky, right in that moment, when I was beginning to collect some Marvel titles, MTU was getting reprinted. Right in that moment, the reprinted stories were those by Mantlo, Buscema, Claremont and JB. Yep, MARVEL TEAM UP was surely one of the reasons for I became a "Marvel addicted". Actually, I read my first episode when I was 5 (20 years ago!); it was #79, featuring Red Sonja. Great story! 

Well, there was some bad story around... amid the first 50 issues, then after the Black Widow/Nick Fury/Shang Chi 4 parter. But, when Mantlo, Buscema, Claremont and JB were aboard, MTU was really special. Too bad they rarely could use Spider-Man villains and friends, though. Do you remember that page on the Warlock issue... drawn by JB, where Spider-Man imagines his enemies and supporting cast? "This guy surely can draw every Spider-Man's character! Great!" was what I thought.

My favorite stories: all those drawn by JB. The first Annual (X-Men). The Saturday Night Live issue. Early 4 issues featuring the Human Torch and the original X-Men. A spectacular Thor issue drawn by Andru and inked by Mooney (#7). The Time travel saga and the Wraith saga (just before JB). Daredevil and Spider-Man Vs. Blizzard and Electro.

And this summer, most of the issues drawn by JB have been reprinted in one giant sized trade. Buying that, I have been 12 years old again. Is that a Golden Age? Sure, if you can read stuff like that MARVEL TEAM UP run!