DC’s pre-COIE extended stories, part 3 of 3 (collect them all): 1975 - 1985, Clash of the Titans
Another important story arc for Superman was in SUPERMAN 296 to 299--“Who Took the Super Out of Superman” et al, by Maggin, Bates, Swan, Oksner.
A byproduct of this four parter was that Clark and Lois became much more intimate. There was a clear hint (especially for a Comics Code approved comic) that the two had slept together. The consequences of that affair were explored during Martin Pasko’s consecutive run, issues 310 to 335. This run had a few different arcs--but the whole thing is pretty much interconnected and marks a much greater sense of continuity between issues in a Superman comic other than Kirby’s run on JIMMY OLSEN.
DC COMICS PRESENTS featured mainly stand alone stories, but it did have a few multi-parters--including Jim Starlin’s Mongul plot for issues 27 to 29--certainly a high water mark in the time just prior to Crisis.
Mike Grell’s WARLORD got its start in FIRST ISSUE SPECIAL, before springing into its own title. This was a fan favourite and the whole book had an extended continuity, with arcs within that continuity. This is definitely something that could just as easily have existed post-Crisis.
I mentioned Jonah Hex before. Once Michael L. Fleisher came onto the series in WEIRD WESTERN TALES, he brought a much greater sense of tight continuity and had a whole back story for Hex worked out. Eventually the feature got its own book, JONAH HEX. On top of everything else, the letter column had the sweetest, most generous assistant editor you’d ever meet in print--Nellie Rooke, who remains something of an enigma in fandom circles.
One of my favourite comics was the short-lived STAR HUNTERS--co-created by David Michelinie. This comic was building toward something, but it didn't have time to get there. Apparently Michelinie was going to tie this book in with STARFIRE (not the one you're thinking of nor the other) and CLAW THE UNCONQUERED.
A new wrinkle in DC books was the idea of the mini-series. At first these minis just seemed a reason to rehash the origins and chronologies of our favourite heroes, but writers began to use them to tell much more involved stories and introduce new bits of lore. Minis like SECRETS OF THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES, TALES OF THE GREEN LANTERN CORPS and THE PHANTOM ZONE.
The Legion already had tight continuity and extended arcs before 1980, but when Paul Levitz returned to the comic and Keith Giffen joined him soon after, they applied that continuity with great rigour and introduced some fine story arcs.
THE NEW TEEN TITANS is one of the most obvious of those just prior to COIE that had amazing sub-plots and story arcs. The first couple of years were just astonishing to me--I was deep into this group and their lives.
While at the same Marv Wolfman and then Steve Engelhart were writing really great arcs for GREEN LANTERN. I don’t think those issues get enough attention.
And in BATMAN and DETECTIVE COMICS, story arcs threaded through those books.
And so on. AMETHYST PRINCESS OF GEMWORLD, FIRESTORM, OMEGA MEN, SAGA OF THE SWAMP THING, ARAK SON OF THUNDER, THE FLASH--so many others. The early ‘80s were packed full of multi-part adventures and extended story arcs, with CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS being one of the most epic of all extended stories bringing it all to an end.