Which DC writer had the greatest run on a title? (minimum 50 issues)

[tib2d2]

Since Scott Snyder is coming up on 50 issues on a fantastic run on the Batman title, I wanted to ask what you all thought was the greatest writer run on a title? Let's keep it at a minimum of 50 issues (a missed issue here and there is fine since even the greats took a month off).

This is mostly for my own education, I'm dying to hear about some epic writer runs on DC comics.

[Lee Stone]

Marv Wolfman on New Teen Titans (volume 1- 58 issues, 3 annuals; volume 2- 131 issues, 11 annuals; 4 issues of Tales of the New Teen Titans, first 6 issues of Teen Titans Spotlight, first 12 issues of Team Titans and its first annual, Titans Sell-Out Special - altogether about 227 issues, not including the spin-off series for Deathstroke that he wrote most of its 61 issues.)

Paul Levitz on Legion of Super-Heroes (starting with #284... volume 1 - 42 issues; 3 annuals, volume 2 - 63 issues, 4 annuals - altogether about 112 issues before he resumed the series in 2010)

Giffen & DeMatteis on Justice League International (JLI/A - 60 issues, 5 annuals, 1 special; JLE - 35 issues, 2 annuals; JLQuarterly - 4 issues - altogether 107 issues not including the first 8 issues of the Mister Miracle spin-off series. They later resumed it with the Super-Buddies, the Retroactive issue and JL3000/3001)

George Perez on Wonder Woman (62 issues, 2 annuals - altogether 64 issues)

Neil Gaiman on Sandman (75 issues, 1 special - altogether 76 issues, not including the Death minis and the sequels)

Gardner Fox on Justice League of America (65 issues)

Steven T. Seagle & Matt Wagner on Sandman Mystery Theatre (70 issues, 1 annual - altogether 71 issues)

James Robinson on Starman (82 issues, 2 annuals - altogether 84 issues, not including Mist)

There's more but these are the first ones that popped in my head.

[LoneNecromancer]

Vertigo stuff shouldn't count if he's asking DC writers, that implies main continuity stuff.

Sucks Doom Patrol's a little too short to hit the 50 issue minimum, but then off the top of my head I'll go with either Ennis and McCrea's Hitman (61 issues) or Grant Morrison's Batman, which I can't count as it's too confusing, but I'm pretty sure is well past the 50 issue limit.

[JackDaw]

Vertigo stuff shouldn't count if he's asking DC writers, that implies main continuity stuff.

Sucks Doom Patrol's a little too short to hit the 50 issue minimum, but then off the top of my head I'll go with either Ennis and McCrea's Hitman (61 issues) or Grant Morrison's Batman, which I can't count as it's too confusing, but I'm pretty sure is well past the 50 issue limit.

Naturally agree about the Hitman run...

Actually think practically all the ones mentioned so far were good or better.

John Ostrander did several good long runs over 50 issues: the wonderful Suicide Squad, Spectre, and Hawkworld/Hawkman spring to mind. Similarly Peter David did Young Justice, Supergirl and Fallen Angel (though you need to count the non DC issues to get Fallen Angel over 50.)

And Mike Grell had two very good long runs: Green Arrow and Warlord.

[CaptCleghorn]

Kirby's Fourth World (including Jimmy Olsen (16 or so issues), New Gods (11), Forever People(11), and Mister Miracle(18))

[sunofdarkchild]

Chuck Dixon-Robin (100 issues)

Peter David-Supergirl (80 issues)

Grant Morrison-JLA in the 90s, Batman in the 2000s.

[Dr. Cheesesteak]

Vertigo stuff shouldn't count if he's asking DC writers, that implies main continuity stuff.

Sucks Doom Patrol's a little too short to hit the 50 issue minimum, but then off the top of my head I'll go with either Ennis and McCrea's Hitman (61 issues) or Grant Morrison's Batman, which I can't count as it's too confusing, but I'm pretty sure is well past the 50 issue limit.

I agree. Along w/ including pre-Vertigo Vertigo...err, when Vertigo was part of the DCU. Even though the great runs were just short anyway.

From my own personal experience, I'd have to say Morrison's Batman run. Haven't read Hitman yet, but I trust it's worthy. I've read parts of Ostrander's SS and Spectre, Waid's Flash, Johns' Flash and GL, but not the entire runs. Does 52 count??

Thinking of the runs to break 50... Moore's ST, Morrison's DP were just short of 50. Even Denny O'Neil's Batman/'Tec run, while being way over 50, was fractured w/ various fill-in/guest writer(?) interruptions, if that would be considered to invalidate it as a continuous run.

I think the better question for me would be - how many DC 50-issue runs are there?

edit:

Grant Morrison-JLA in the 90s

not 50 issues. Even counting One Million and Earth 2 (OGN counts as a single issue lol).

[Ragdoll]

Besides the good stuff you guys already said:

Waid's Flash
Goeff Johns' Justice League & GL books

[Red Wolf]

Grant Morrison on Doom Patrol. Garth Ennis on Hellblazer. Jimmy Palmiotti on Jonah Hex. George Perez on Wonder Woman. Alan Moore on Swamp Thing. Geoff Johns on Flash & Aquaman. Gail Simone on Sinister Six volume one. Ed Brubaker on Catwoman & Gotham Central.

[j9ac9k]

In no particular order:

-- Did Grant Morrison hit 50 on "Doom Patrol?" If so, then yes.
-- Did Milligan hit 50 with "Shade, the Changing Man?" If so, then yes.
-- Levitz on "Legion of Super-Heroes"
-- Gaiman on "Sandman"
-- Did Giffen hit 50 with "Legion of Super-Heroes?" If so, then yes.
-- Robinson on "Starman"
-- Johns on "Green Lantern"
-- Wolfman on "Teen Titans"

[Dr. Cheesesteak]

In no particular order:

-- Did Grant Morrison hit 50 on "Doom Patrol?" If so, then yes.
-- Did Milligan hit 50 with "Shade, the Changing Man?" If so, then yes.
-- Levitz on "Legion of Super-Heroes"
-- Gaiman on "Sandman"
-- Did Giffen hit 50 with "Legion of Super-Heroes?" If so, then yes.
-- Robinson on "Starman"
-- Johns on "Green Lantern"
-- Wolfman on "Teen Titans"

Grant Morrison on Doom Patrol. Garth Ennis on Hellblazer. Jimmy Palmiotti on Jonah Hex. George Perez on Wonder Woman. Alan Moore on Swamp Thing. Geoff Johns on Flash & Aquaman. Gail Simone on Sinister Six volume one. Ed Brubaker on Catwoman & Gotham Central.

as has been said in this thread (multiple times) - Morrison's DP and Moore's ST weren't 50 issues

The other ones, well, you lazies can do some research of your own. http://comicbookdb.com/ https://www.wikipedia.org/

[missingmarch]

The best runs in DC's history are undoubtedly on Vertigo books, as far as critical acclaim goes.

[Bor]

The best runs in DC's history are undoubtedly on Vertigo books, as far as critical acclaim goes.

If we are not counting vertigo/ vertigo related series then Robinson on Starman.

[Jim Kelly]

Cary Bates had one of the longest runs of any DC writer when he was writing THE FLASH. He was on that book for over ten years. Of course, Bob Kanigher probably did even better than that on some of the comics he wrote and edited, like WONDER WOMAN and various war titles.

But I would say Gardner Fox's run on JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA, as his concepts and creations in that comic have gone on to influence the whole of the DCU and continue to have importance, even if the stories themselves have gone out of continuity. That JLA book is essentially the centre of everything at DC and without those Fox stories that universe would not be what it is.

[missingmarch]

If we are not counting vertigo/ vertigo related series then Robinson on Starman.

...why aren't we counting what is almost universally recognized as the best stuff the company has ever published?