Comic storylines in recent years have usually been constructed in small blocks to better serve the eventual trade publication market, though that isn't always the case. Characters like Spider-Man have experienced infamously long storylines that would have required multiple TPBs to fully publish as a collection, but that isn't always a positive quality.
While fan-favorite events like Maximum Carnage were remembered as long storylines due to the high numbering of the involved issues, it really only lasted for 3 months and 14 issues across the various Spider-Man titles, which falls short of some other lengthier storylines that fans should still check out despite the commitment.
10 The Lifeline Tablet Saga Was One Of Spider-Man's Earliest Long-Running Storylines
The mystical artifact known as the Lifeline Tablet recently made a reappearance in the pages of the ongoing Amazing Spider-Man series, though it first appeared during the original "Lifeline Tablet Saga" that debuted in 1969's Amazing Spider-Man #68 by Stan Lee, John Romita Sr., & Jim Mooney.
The original storyline ran for a year and ended with Amazing Spider-Man #77, penciled by John Busema, though would be revisited again in later mini-series like 2001's Spider-Man: Lifeline that re-explored Spider-Man's confrontation with Kingpin and Silvermane over the youth-giving tablet.
9 The Hobgoblin Saga Was Slowly Explored Over A Few Years
When the character of Hobgoblin was first introduced in Amazing Spider-Man #238 by Roger Stern and John Romita, Jr., the identity of the man behind the ghoulish mask remained a mystery for years.
"The Hobgoblin Saga" teased a number of possible characters over a series of appearances, though even the climax of that mystery left his identity unrevealed until later creative teams "resolved" the mystery by further clouding the original Hobgoblin's identity. Roderick Kingsley wouldn't be fully revealed as the Hobgoblin until 1997's Spider-Man: Hobgoblin Lives.
8 Spider-Man's Alien Costume Saga Ran Across All Of His Monthly Titles For A Year
The debut of Spider-Man's alien costume (which is now known as the Venom symbiote) was revealed in the pages of 1984's Secret Wars crossover, though Peter Parker didn't discover the reality of his new costume until he returned to Earth during the "Alien Costume Saga."
The storyline ran through four different titles (Amazing Spider-Man, Spectacular Spider-Man, Web of Spider-Man, and Marvel Team-Up) for over a year until Spider-Man was able to separate from the symbiote. It would later bond with Eddie Brock to become Venom, further highlighting the importance of this long-running storyline.
7 The 90s Clone Saga Ran Far Longer Than It Was Originally Planned
While the original Clone Saga of the 70s only lasted a few issues that explored Miles Warren's transformation into the Jackal and his perfection of the cloning process, the storyline's return in the 90s quickly turned into a convoluted mess that lasted for over two years.
While the Clone Saga is still a must-read for fans due to the introduction of new characters and story elements that would continue to develop years later, it's definitely an undertaking and continues to serve as a warning to comic publishers to get out while the getting is good.
6 Morlun First Appeared In "Coming Home" Before Returning In "The Other"
The character of Morlun first appeared in J. Michael Straczynski and John Romita Jr.'s "Coming Home" storyline in Amazing Spider-Man, which introduced the new totemic origins to Spider-Man's powers that would later factor into the Spider-Verse event.
Straczynski and Mike Deodato's "The Other" storyline brought Morlun back for a fatal confrontation with Spider-Man that further explored his totemic connection to the being known as the Other, which would continue to affect characters like Scarlet Spider and appear in other events over the years.
5 Spider-Man Fought On Both Sides Of The Civil War Before He Was "Back In Black"
Spider-Man's time with the New Avengers elevated his career as a superhero and made him a major player in a number of Marvel events, which was reflected in the character's main storylines as well, as was explored during the Civil War event.
Spider-Man was forced to choose sides between Iron Man and Captain America that saw him fight against his allies, though J. Michael Straczynski and Ron Garney's storyline continued into the tragic "Back In Black" which encompassed over a year of Amazing Spider-Man.
4 Brand New Day Served As A New Beginning For Peter Parker & Spider-Man
The controversial events of the "One More Day" storyline dramatically rewrote Peter Parker's history and erased his marriage to Mary Jane Watson while also undoing his actions in Civil War that led to his dark turn in "Back in Black."
A team of creators that included Dan Slott, Marc Guggenheim, Zeb Wells, Bob Gale, Steve McNiven, Chris Bachalo, Marcos Martin, and others then relaunched Spider-Man with "Brand New Day." The storyline redefined Peter Parker while introducing new threats and kicking off over a decade worth of storylines, though the branding itself lasted for about seven months.
3 "The Gauntlet" Spent Months Breaking Spider-Man Down Before The Kravinoff's "Grim Hunt"
While not as connected of a storyline as some of the other lengthy options, "The Gauntlet" followed a series of Spider-Man's classic villains as they returned over the course of months to wear down the hero, from a team that included "Brand New Day" creators alongside writers like Mark Waid, Fred van Lente, Joe Kelly and Michael Lark.
This was then followed by "Grim Hunt" which explored the Kravinoff family's attempt to bring Kraven the Hunter back to life, at the expense of some of Spider-Man's closest allies in one of the darkest storylines of Peter Parker's new era that followed the "One More Day" storyline.
2 Doc Ock Became The Superior Spider-Man In Dan Slott's Long-Running Storyline
Writer Dan Slott took over Amazing Spider-Man after working alongside the "Brand New Day" team, and Slott's entire run could be considered one long storyline that brought Peter Parker to exciting new heights before dropping him back down to familiar depths.
However, the longest ongoing storyline of Slott's run is The Superior Spider-Man, which saw a dying Otto Octavious take over Peter Parker's body in "Dying Wish" before starting his new life as the Superior Spider-Man. The similarly-titled series ran for over thirty issues, but the surrounding storyline extended well past and continued for years in events like Spider-Geddon.
1 Nick Spencer's "Last Remains" Followed The Connected "Sins Rising" Storyline
Nick Spencer teamed with artists like Ryan Ottley, Marcelo Ferreira, and famed Spider-Man artist Mark Bagley to bring Spider-Man "Back To Basics" before the "Sins Rising" storyline reintroduced the classic villain known as Sin-Eater.
However, Sin-Eater was only a pawn of the mysterious villain Kindred's whose mystery wove through Spencer's entire run before he worked with Matthew Rosenberg, Patrick Gleason and Federico Vicentini on the huge "Last Remains" storyline, which combined ran for over seven months that included a few one-shot specials.