John Marc DeMatteis (; born December 15, 1953) is an American writer of

comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...

s, television and novels.

Biography

Early career

J. M. DeMatteis's earliest aspirations were to be a rock musician and comic book artist. He began playing in bands starting in the sixth grade, generally in the role of lead singer, songwriter and rhythm guitarist, and also wrote music reviews for a number of publications. He began drawing at a young age, and was accepted into the School of the Visual Arts. DeMatteis recalled, "...for some reason, I think it was financial, I ended up not going. Somewhere after that what little drawing skills I had began to atrophy." He graduated from

Midwood High School , motto_translation = The True, the Good, and the Beautiful , address = 2839 Bedford Avenue , city = Brooklyn , state = New York , zipcode = 11210 , country ...

in Brooklyn in 1971. DeMatteis then turned from drawing to writing. He got his start in comic books at

DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...

in the late 1970s. After a number of rejected submissions, his first accepted story was "The Lady-Killer Craves Blood", but it would not be published until years later in ''

House of Mystery ''The House of Mystery'' is the name of several horror, fantasy, and mystery Mystery, The Mystery, Mysteries or The Mysteries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters *Mystery, a cat character in ''Emily the Strang ...

'' #282 (July 1980). His first published story for the company was "The Blood Boat!" in ''

Weird War Tales ''Weird War Tales'' was a war comic book title with supernatural overtones published by DC Comics. It was published from September–October 1971 to June 1983. Publication history The original title ran for 12 years and 124 issues. It was ...

'' #70 (Dec. 1978). He contributed to the company's line of

horror comics Horror comics are comic books, graphic novels, black-and-white comics magazines, and manga focusing on horror fiction. In the US market, horror comic books reached a peak in the late 1940s through the mid-1950s, when concern over content and the ...

notably with the creation of the

Creature Commandos The Creature Commandos are a fictional DC Comics team of military superhumans originally set in World War II. The original team was introduced in ''Weird War Tales'' #93 (November 1980), created by J. M. DeMatteis and Pat Broderick. The team was c ...

in ''Weird War Tales'' #93 (Nov. 1980) and I…Vampire in ''House of Mystery'' #290 (March 1981). He briefly wrote the

Aquaman Aquaman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in '' More Fun Comics'' #73 (November 1941). The character is a pastiche of Namor. Initially a ...

feature in '' Adventure Comics'' as well. DeMatteis and artist Brian Bolland produced a backup story titled "Falling Down to Heaven" in ''

Madame Xanadu Madame Xanadu is a comic book mystic published by DC Comics. The character is identified with Nimue, the sorceress from Arthurian mythology made popular by Sir Thomas Malory's '' Le Morte d'Arthur''. The character was played by Jeryl Prescott ...

'', DC's first attempt at marketing comics specifically to the " direct market" of fans and collectors. DeMatteis had long been eager to work for

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...

, and following roughly a year in which editor-in-chief

Jim Shooter James Shooter (born September 27, 1951) is an American writer, editor and publisher for various comic books. He started professionally in the medium at the age of 14, and he is most notable for his successful and controversial run as Marvel Comic ...

kept him busy with odd jobs and fill-ins, in 1980 he was made the lead writer for Marvel on '' The Defenders'', and had lengthy runs on '' Captain America'', paired with penciler

Mike Zeck Michael J. Zeck (born September 6, 1949), is an American comics artist. He is best known for his work for Marvel Comics on such series as ''Captain America'', ''Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars'', '' Master of Kung-Fu'', and ''The Punisher'' as we ...

, and ''

Marvel Team-Up ''Marvel Team-Up'' is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series featured two or more Marvel characters in one story. The series was originally published from March 1972 through February 1985, and featured Spider-Man as ...

''.

1980s

After writing a negative review of the Grateful Dead's 1980 album ''

Go to Heaven Go, GO, G.O., or Go! may refer to: Arts and entertainment Games and sport * Go (game), a board game for two players * ''Travel Go'' (formerly ''Go – The International Travel Game''), a game based on world travel * Go, the starting position lo ...

'' which was published in ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'', DeMatteis ended his career as a music critic. He explained, "Grateful Dead fans are like hardcore comic book fans, you know... and I know that when I sit down to write a review that I'm just some shmuck sitting down at a typewriter with an opinion—but then it's in print in something like ''Rolling Stone''. I got all these letters, which I saved, from all these hardcore Grateful Dead fans—wounded. ... I said if I'm gonna review at all I'm not gonna write negative reviews anymore..." Around this time he also surrendered his professional career as a rock musician, after years of playing in New York City–based bands. In 1984, DeMatteis and artist

Bob Budiansky Bob Budiansky (; born March 15, 1954) is an American comic book writer, editor, and penciller, best known for his work on Marvel's '' Transformers'' comic. He also created the Marvel character Sleepwalker and wrote all 33 issues of that comic. ...

produced a '' Prince Namor'' limited series. He saw the series as an opportunity to both delve more into the psychology of the title character than he had been able to in ''The Defenders'' and to continue his collaboration with Budiansky from the recently canceled ''Ghost Rider'', later recalling, "We'd get on the phone, start talking, and the stories would come so easily. We had a fantastic rapport, personally and professionally." DeMatteis had mixed feelings about the series itself, and said the one part of which he was unreservedly proud was the look into Namor's years as an amnesiac homeless man. DeMatteis and illustrator

Jon J. Muth Jon is a shortened form of the common given name Jonathan, derived from "YHWH has given", and an alternate spelling of John, derived from "YHWH has pardoned".graphic novel A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...

'' Moonshadow'', for Marvel's Epic line: the groundbreaking story was the first fully painted series in American comics. DeMatteis followed this with the 1986 Doctor Strange graphic novel '' Into Shamballa'' drawn by Dan Green and '' Blood: A Tale'', a hallucinatory vampire story drawn by Kent Williams. In 1987, DeMatteis and Zeck re-teamed for the "

Kraven's Last Hunt "Fearful Symmetry: Kraven's Last Hunt", or simply "Kraven's Last Hunt" is a comic book storyline by J. M. DeMatteis and Mike Zeck published in 1987, featuring the final battle between Marvel Comics characters Kraven the Hunter and Spider-Man. Co ...

" arc that ran throughout Marvel's then-three Spider-Man titles. The arc has been collected in multiple editions and remains one of the most popular, and respected, stories in Spider-Man's history. Moving back to DC, DeMatteis succeeded

Gerry Conway Gerard Francis Conway Thomas, Roy. "Roy's Rostrum" ("Bullpen Bulletins") in '' Marvel Super-Heroes'' #43 and other Marvel Comics cover-dated May 1974. (born September 10, 1952) is an American comic book writer, comic book editor, screenwriter, t ...

as writer of the superhero-team title ''

Justice League of America The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in '' The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceive ...

''. He used the pen name Michael Ellis on his first issue of the series. When that title was cancelled in the wake of the company-wide

crossover Crossover may refer to: Entertainment Albums and songs * ''Cross Over'' (Dan Peek album) * ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987 * ''Crossover'' (Intrigue album) * ''Crossover'' (Hitomi Shimatani album) * ''Crossover'' (Yoshino ...

Legends A legend is a historical narrative, a symbolic representation of folk belief. Legend(s) or The Legend(s) may also refer to: Narrative * Urban legend, a widely repeated story of dubious truth * A fictitious identity used in espionage Books, co ...

'', DeMatteis stayed through its relaunch as ''

Justice League International Justice League International (JLI) is a fictional DC comics superhero team that succeeded the original Justice League from the late 1980s to the early 2000s. The team enjoyed several comic books runs, the first being written by Keith Giffen and ...

'', scripting over the plots of

Keith Giffen Keith Ian Giffen (born November 30, 1952) is an American comics artist and writer. He is known for his work for DC Comics on their '' Legion of Super-Heroes'' and ''Justice League'' titles as well as for being the co-creator of Lobo. Biography ...

. ''JLI'' took such lesser-known DC characters as

Martian Manhunter The Martian Manhunter (J'onn J'onzz) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Joseph Samachson and designed by artist Joe Certa, the character first appeared in the story "The Manhunter from Mars" ...

Blue Beetle Blue Beetle is the name of three fictional superheroes who appear in a number of American comic books published by a variety of companies since 1939. The most recent of the companies to own rights to Blue Beetle is DC Comics, which bought the ri ...

Booster Gold Booster Gold (Michael Jon Carter) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Dan Jurgens, the character first appeared in '' Booster Gold'' #1 (February 1986) and has been a member of the Justice League. ...

Mister Miracle Mister Miracle (Scott Free) is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He first appeared in ''Mister Miracle'' #1 (April 1971) and was created by Jack Kirby. Publication history Mister Miracle debuted in ...

Captain Atom Captain Atom is a superhero appearing in American comic books, first in the 1960s by Charlton Comics before being acquired in the 1980s by DC Comics. Captain Atom has existed in three basic incarnations. Publication history Captain Atom was crea ...

, and

Power Girl Power Girl, also known as Kara Zor-L and Karen Starr, is a superheroine appearing in American comic books by DC Comics, making her first appearance in ''All Star Comics'' #58 (January/February 1976). Power Girl is the cousin of the superhero Supe ...

and turned the then-current preoccupation with "grim 'n' gritty" superheroes on its head. The lighthearted series emphasized the absurd aspects of people with strange powers, wearing colorful costumes, volunteering to fight evildoers. Although the League had its serious side and often faced world-threatening

villain A villain (also known as a " black hat" or "bad guy"; the feminine form is villainess) is a stock character, whether based on a historical narrative or one of literary fiction. ''Random House Unabridged Dictionary'' defines such a character ...

s, the stories included such characters as the lovably inept

G'nort G'nort (pronunciation: "nort") Esplanade G'neesmacher is a character appearing in DC Comics. He is a member of the Green Lantern Corps and later a Darkstar and a member of the Justice League Antarctica. He resembles an anthropomorphic dog and is ...

, the worst

Green Lantern Green Lantern is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. They fight evil with the aid of rings that grant them a variety of extraordinary powers, all of which come from imagination, fearlessness, ...

in the Green Lantern Corps, Mr. Nebula, the interplanetary decorator, the

Injustice League The following is a list of fictional criminal and terrorist organizations that have been published by DC Comics and their imprints. 0-9 100 Originally based in Metropolis, the 100 kept a firm grip on the city's criminal underworld for years, ind ...

, a bunch of bumbling losers and a flock of homicidal penguins who had been hybridized with

piranha A piranha or piraña (, , or ; or , ) is one of a number of freshwater fish in the family Serrasalmidae, or the subfamily Serrasalminae within the tetra family, Characidae in order Characiformes. These fish inhabit South American rivers, fl ...

s. The success of ''Justice League International'' led to a spin-off in 1989 titled ''

Justice League Europe ''Justice League Europe'' (''JLE'') is a comic book series published by DC Comics that was a spin-off of the comic book ''Justice League America'' (which was then named '' Justice League International'' (vol. 1) for issues #7 to #25). ''Justice ...

'' also co-written with Giffen and featuring art by

Bart Sears Bart Whitman Sears (born 1963) is an American comics artist, toy and packaging designer and author, known for his work on such books as '' Justice League Europe'', ''Legends of the Dark Knight'', '' X-O Manowar'', '' Turok'', '' Violator'', ''The ...

1990s

The Giffen/DeMatteis team worked on ''Justice League'' for five years and closed out their run with the "Breakdowns" storyline in 1991 and 1992. DeMatteis scripted ''Justice League'' spin-offs such as solo series for

and

Doctor Fate Doctor Fate (also known as Fate) is the name of multiple superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original version of the character was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Howard Sherman, debuting in ''More F ...

. Back at Marvel, DeMatteis again succeeded Conway, this time as writer of ''

The Spectacular Spider-Man ''The Spectacular Spider-Man'' is a comic book and magazine series starring Spider-Man and published by Marvel Comics. Following the success of Spider-Man's original series, ''The Amazing Spider-Man'', Marvel felt the character could support ...

'' in 1991, taking the series in a grimmer, more psychologically oriented direction. In collaboration with regular artist

Sal Buscema Sal Buscema (; ; born Silvio Buscema, January 26, 1936) is an American comics artist, primarily for Marvel Comics, where he enjoyed a ten-year run as artist of '' The Incredible Hulk'' and an eight-year run as artist of ''The Spectacular Spider-M ...

, DeMatteis' story arc "The Child Within" (#178–184) featured the return of the Harry Osborn

Green Goblin The Green Goblin is the alias of several supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first and best-known incarnation Norman Osborn, created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, is generally regarded as one of the a ...

. Spider-Man's battle with the Goblin continued in "The Osborn Legacy" in #189 and came to an end when Harry died in "The Best Of Enemies!" (#200). In 1994, DeMatteis took over from

David Michelinie David Michelinie (; born May 6, 1948) is an American comic book writer best known for scripting Marvel Comics' '' The Amazing Spider-Man'' and '' Iron Man'' and the DC Comics feature Superman in ''Action Comics''. Among the characters he create ...

as writer of ''

The Amazing Spider-Man ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' is an ongoing American comic book series featuring the Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man as its main protagonist. Being in the mainstream continuity of the franchise, it began publication in 1963 as a bimonthly per ...

'' #389–406 for a run that included the apparent death of

Peter Parker Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appearance, first appeared in the anthology comic book ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August ...

Aunt May Maybelle "May" Parker-Jameson (née Reilly), commonly known as Aunt May, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Spider-Man. Making her first full appeara ...

and the beginnings of the "

Clone Saga The "Clone Saga" is an extended comic-book storyline published by Marvel Comics, revolving around the superhero Spider-Man and clones of him, as well as of other characters. The second and best-known story arc of this name ran from October 1994 t ...

" arc. DeMatteis as well worked on such characters as Doctor Strange, Daredevil,

Man-Thing The Man-Thing (Dr. Theodore "Ted" Sallis) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writers Stan Lee, Roy Thomas, and Gerry Conway and artist Gray Morrow, the character first appeared in ''S ...

, and the

Silver Surfer The Silver Surfer is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character also appears in a number of movies, television, and video game adaptations. The character was created by Jack Kirby and first a ...

. DeMatteis helped launch DC's mature-audience

Vertigo Vertigo is a condition where a person has the sensation of movement or of surrounding objects moving when they are not. Often it feels like a spinning or swaying movement. This may be associated with nausea, vomiting, sweating, or difficulties w ...

imprint, writing the graphic novels ''

Mercy Mercy (Middle English, from Anglo-French ''merci'', from Medieval Latin ''merced-'', ''merces'', from Latin, "price paid, wages", from ''merc-'', ''merxi'' "merchandise") is benevolence, forgiveness, and kindness in a variety of ethical, relig ...

'' and '' Farewell, Moonshadow'' (a

sequel A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...

to the

Epic Comics Epic Comics (also known as the Epic Comics Group)Shooter, Jim. "Bullpen Bulletins: The Truth About the Epic Comics Group!" Marvel comics cover-dated November 1982. was an imprint of Marvel Comics from 1982 to 1996. A spin-off of the publisher's ...

series), the miniseries '' The Last One'', and the 15-issue series '' Seekers Into The Mystery'', the story of a Hollywood screenwriter on a journey of self-discovery and the search for universal truths. DeMatteis wrote an

autobiographical An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life. It is a form of biography. Definition The word "autobiography" was first used deprecatingly by William Taylor in 1797 in the English peri ...

digest-sized Digest size is a magazine size, smaller than a conventional or "journal size" magazine but larger than a standard paperback book, approximately , but can also be and , similar to the size of a DVD case. These sizes have evolved from the printin ...

miniseries '' Brooklyn Dreams'', published by DC's

Paradox Press Paradox Press was a division of DC Comics formed in 1993 after editor Mark Nevelow departed from Piranha Press. Under the initial editorship of Andrew Helfer and Bronwyn Carlton the imprint was renamed. It is best known for graphic novels like ' ...

imprint. DeMatteis' most personal work, it was later collected in one volume under the Vertigo imprint.

21st century

In the 2000s, DeMatteis redefined the

Spectre Spectre, specter or the spectre may refer to: Religion and spirituality * Vision (spirituality) * Apparitional experience * Ghost Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Spectre'' (1977 film), a made-for-television film produced and writ ...

, through the character of Hal Jordan, as a spirit of redemption rather than of vengeance. DeMatteis co-scripted the "Gods of Gotham" storyline in ''

Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byr ...

'' #164–166 (January to March 2001) with

Phil Jimenez Phil Jimenez (born July 12, 1970) is an award-winning American comics artist and writer known for his work as writer/artist on ''Wonder Woman'' from 2000 to 2003, as one of the five pencilers of the 2005–2006 miniseries ''Infinite Crisis'', his ...

. In 2003, with Giffen, he revived the Justice League International for the mini-series ''

Formerly Known as the Justice League Super Buddies are a team of comic book superheroes in the DC Comics universe who appear in the six-issue ''Formerly Known as the Justice League'' miniseries in 2003, and its 2005 sequel, ''I Can't Believe It's Not the Justice League'' (publishe ...

''. The series won Giffen, DeMatteis and artist Kevin Maguire an Eisner Award. The team followed this with " I Can't Believe It's Not the Justice League" arc in ''

JLA Classified The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceived b ...

'' and, at Marvel, a five-issue run of ''The Defenders''. In 2006, DeMatteis and Giffen began work on two original superhero comedy series, '' Hero Squared'' and '' Planetary Brigade'' for

Boom! Studios Boom! Studios (styled BOOM! Studios) is an American comic book and graphic novel publisher, headquartered in Los Angeles, California, United States. History Origins In the early 2000s, Ross Richie and Andrew Cosby had been working in Ho ...

. DeMatteis teamed with veteran artist

Mike Ploog Michael G. Ploog (; born July 13, 1940 or 1942) is an American storyboard and comic book artist, and a visual designer for films. In comics, Ploog is best known for his work on Marvel Comics' 1970s ''Man-Thing'' and '' The Monster of Frankenst ...

to create the CrossGen

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...

comic '' Abadazad'' (May 2004). The following year, Ploog and DeMatteis announced they were collaborating on a five-issue miniseries, '' Stardust Kid'', from the Image Comics imprint Desperado Publishing. The series moved to Boom! Studios in 2006.

The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Disney Stud ...

acquired ''Abadazad'' for its

Hyperion Books for Children Disney Publishing Worldwide (DPW), formerly known as The Disney Publishing Group and Buena Vista Publishing Group, is the publishing subsidiary of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. Its imprints inclu ...

imprint. The first two books in the series—''Abadazad: The Road to Inconceivable'' and ''Abadazad: The Dream Thief''—were released June 2006. The third book—''Abadazad: The Puppet, The Professor and The Prophet''—was released in the United Kingdom in 2007. In June 2010, DeMatteis's children's fantasy novel, ''Imaginalis'', was published by Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of

HarperCollins HarperCollins Publishers LLC is one of the Big Five English-language publishing companies, alongside Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, and Macmillan. The company is headquartered in New York City and is a subsidiary of News ...

. In 2008, DeMatteis became editor-in-chief of Ardden Entertainment, guiding the launch of a new '' Flash Gordon'' comic book series. In 2009, he wrote a five-issue comic book limited series, illustrated by Mike Cavallaro, '' The Life and Times of Savior 28'', which was released by IDW Publishing in 2009. He also wrote the

Metal Men The Metal Men are a group of superheroes that appear in DC Comics. The characters first appeared in ''Showcase'' #37 (March–April 1962) and were created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Ross Andru. Debuting in the Silver Age of Comic Boo ...

back-up story in the new ''

Doom Patrol Doom Patrol is a superhero team from DC Comics. The original Doom Patrol first appeared in ''My Greatest Adventure'' #80 (June 1963), and was created by writers Arnold Drake and Bob Haney, along with artist Bruno Premiani. Doom Patrol has appe ...

'' and returned to Marvel Comics for a number of new Spider-Man stories. In 2010, DeMatteis reunited once again with frequent collaborator Keith Giffen for a run on the comic book series ''

''. The two teamed on the '' DC Retroactive: JLA – The '90s'' one-shot in October 2011. Also in 2011, DeMatteis created the all-ages fantasy ''The Adventures of Augusta Wind'' for IDW Publishing. In 2013, he took over DC Comics' ''Phantom Stranger'' and launched the 12-issue ''Larfleeze'' series with Giffen. DeMatteis became the writer of ''

Justice League Dark The Justice League Dark, or JLD, is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team would make their debut appearance in ''Justice League Dark'' #1 (September 2011). The Justice League Dark team features some ...

'' in October 2013 and, again with Giffen, launched '' Justice League 3000'' in December. In 2015, DeMatteis teamed with animation legend Bruce Timm for ''Justice League: Gods and Monsters,'' a comic book prequel to the successful animated film. In 2016, Giffen and DeMatteis launched ''Scooby Apocalypse'' for DC—a more adult reimagining of the classic cartoon—and IDW published DeMatteis's ''Augusta Wind'' sequel ''The Adventures of Augusta Wind: The Last Story.'' 2018 saw the release of the IDW series ''Impossible, Incorporated,'' with another new creator-owned series, ''The Girl in the Bay,'' from Berger Books, announced for 2019. In 2021, Marvel announced a new limited series titled ''

Ben Reilly Benjamin "Ben" Reilly (), also known as the Scarlet Spider, is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Grown in a lab by the Miles Warren / Jackal, he is a clone of Peter Parker / Spider-Man tasked ...

: Spider-Man'' written by DeMatteis with art by David Baldeón, released in 2022. The same year, Marvel announced the forthcoming series ''Spider-Man: The Lost Hunt,'' which ties in to DeMatteis' Spider-Man classic, ''Kraven's Last Hunt.'' Also in 2022, DeMatteis, in collaboration with Spellbound Comics, launched The DeMultiverse, four new series written by DeMatteis and illustrated by Shawn McManus, Tom Mandrake, Matthew Down Smith, and David Baldeon. He also published a novella, the supernatural thriller, ''The Excavator''.

Spellbound Comics

In October 2022, DeMatteis announced the founding of his own publisher named Spellbound Comics. Through a Kickstarter campaign, he presented the "DeMultiverse", a collection of four initial limited comics titled ''Anyman,'' ''Godsend, Layla in the Lands of After'' and ''Wisdom''. In November, he presented a fifth series titled ''The Edward Gloom Mysteries''.

Other media

DeMatteis has also written for television, having scripted episodes of the 1980s incarnation of ''The Twilight Zone'', the syndicated series '' The Adventures of Superboy'' and '' Earth: Final Conflict'', as well as for the

animated series An animated series is a set of animated works with a common series title, usually related to one another. These episodes should typically share the same main characters, some different secondary characters and a basic theme. Series can have eith ...

The Real Ghostbusters ''The Real Ghostbusters'' is an American animated television series, a spin-off/sequel of the 1984 comedy film ''Ghostbusters''. The series ran from September 13, 1986, to October 5, 1991, and was produced by Columbia Pictures Television and DI ...

'', ''

Justice League Unlimited ''Justice League Unlimited'' (''JLU'') is a 2004–2006 American superhero animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe ...

'', '' Legion of Super Heroes'', '' Batman: The Brave and the Bold'', '' Ben 10: Ultimate Alien'', '' Sym-Bionic Titan'', '' ThunderCats'', ''

Teen Titans Go! ''Teen Titans Go!'' is an American animated television series developed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic for Cartoon Network. It premiered on April 23, 2013 and is based on the DC Comics fictional superhero team. The series was announce ...

'' and '' Marvel's Spider-Man''. DeMatteis also wrote the 2015 animated DTV movie '' Batman vs. Robin'' and its 2016 sequel, '' Batman: Bad Blood''. The same year, DeMatteis wrote multiple episodes of Cartoon Network's ''

Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! ''Be Cool, Scooby-Doo!'' is an American animated television series produced by Warner Bros. Animation as the twelfth incarnation of Hanna-Barbera's ''Scooby-Doo'' animated series. In the show, the ''Scooby-Doo'' gang decide to travel during their ...

''. In 2017, DeMatteis co-wrote the DTV movie ''

'' and, in 2018, he wrote all episodes of the CW Seed spin-off animated series '' Constantine: City of Demons'' and the expanded, DTV movie ''Constantine: City of Demons – The Movie.'' The same year he wrote animated shorts starring Adam Strange and Neil Gaiman's ''Sandman'' character, Death. In 2020 DeMatteis wrote the DTV movie ''Deathstroke: Knights & Dragons,'' as well as the animated adaptation of the celebrated graphic novel, ''Superman: Red Son.'' Also a musician, DeMatteis released one album in the late 1990s, ''How Many Lifetimes?''.

Awards

* 2004: Won the "Best Humor Publication" Eisner Award, for ''Formerly Known as the Justice League'', with Keith Giffen, Kevin Maguire, and

Josef Rubinstein Josef "Joe" Rubinstein (born 4 June 1958) is a comic book artist and inker, most associated with inking Marvel Comics' '' The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe'' and the 1982 four-issue ''Wolverine'' miniseries by Chris Claremont and Frank ...

Bibliography

Comics

IDW Publishing

* '' The Life and Times of Savior 28'' #1-5 (2009) * '' The Adventures of Augusta Wind'' #1-5 (2013) * '' The Adventures of Augusta Wind-The Last Story'' #1-5 (2016) * '' Impossible Inc.'' #1-5 (2019)

Dark Horse Comics

* ''

Dark Horse Presents ''Dark Horse Presents'' was a comic book published by American company Dark Horse Comics from 1986. Their first published series, it was their flagship title until its September 2000 cancellation. The second incarnation was published on MySpace, r ...

'' #2 (1986) * '' The Girl in the Bay'' #1-4 (2019)

DC Comics

* '' 9-11: The World's Finest Comic Book Writers & Artists Tell Stories to Remember, Volume Two'' (2002) * ''

Action Comics ''Action Comics'' is an American comic book/ magazine series that introduced Superman, one of the first major superhero characters. The publisher was originally known as National Allied Publications, and later as National Comics Publications ...

'' #517-520 (1981) * '' Adventure Comics'' #475-478 (1980) * '' Adventures of Superman'' #578-587 (2000-2001) * ''Adventures of Superman'' vol. 2 #2 (2013) * '' All Out War'' #1 (1979) * '' The Authority: The Lost Year'' #8-9 (2010) * '' Batman & Spider-Man: New Age Dawning'' (1997) * ''Batman: Absolution'' #1 (2003) * '' Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight'' #65-68, 149-153 (1994-2002) * ''Batman:

Two-Face Two-Face is a supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman. The character was created by Bob Kane and first appeared in ''Detective Comics'' #66 (August 1942). As one of Batman's ...

Crime and Punishment'' #1 (1995) * ''

'' vol. 2 #32-43 (2010-2011) * ''

The Brave and the Bold ''The Brave and the Bold'' is a comic book series published by DC Comics as an ongoing series from 1955 to 1983. It was followed by two mini-series in 1991 and 1999, and was revived as an ongoing title in 2007. The focus of the series has varied ...

'' #164 (1980) * ''

Convergence Convergence may refer to: Arts and media Literature *''Convergence'' (book series), edited by Ruth Nanda Anshen *Convergence (comics), "Convergence" (comics), two separate story lines published by DC Comics: **A four-part crossover storyline that ...

: Justice League International'' #2 (2015) * ''

DC Retroactive ''DC Retroactive'' is a line of one-shot comic book issues published by DC Comics. It revisited periods (grouped by decades) of the company's main characters: Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, the Justice League, and the Flash. T ...

: Justice League of America – The '90s'' #1 (2011) * '' Detective Comics'' #489, 493-495 (1980) * ''

'' #1-4 (1987) * ''Doctor Fate'' vol. 2 #1-24, ''Annual'' #1 (1988-1991) * ''

'' vol. 5 #1-7 (2009-2010) * '' Farewell, Moonshadow'' (graphic novel)(1997) * ''

Forever People Forever People are a fictional group of extraterrestrial superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. They first appeared in ''Forever People'' #1 ( cover-dated February–March 1971), and were created by Jack Kirby ...

'' vol. 2 #1-6 (1988) * ''

'' #1-6 (2003-2004) * '' Green Lantern: Willworld'' (graphic novel) (2001) * ''

Heroes Against Hunger ''Heroes Against Hunger'' is a 1986 all-star benefit comic book for African famine relief and recovery. Published by DC Comics in the form of a "comic jam" or exquisite corpse, the book starred Superman and Batman. Spearheaded by Jim Starlin and B ...

'' #1 (1986) * ''

'' #270, 272, 274, 282, 284, 287-291, 293, 295, 297-298, 321 (1979-1983) * '' JLA'' #35 (1999) * ''JLA Classified'' #4-9 (2005) * ''JLA/The Spectre: Soul War'' #1 (2003) * ''

Justice League The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceived b ...

'' (a.k.a. ''Justice League International'', ''Justice League America'') #1-60 ''Annual'' #1-5 (1987-1992) * '' Justice League 3000'' #1-15 (2014-2015) * ''Justice League 3001'' #1-12 (2015-2016) * ''

'' #24-40, Annual #1-2, ''Futures End'' #1 (2013-2015) * ''

'' #1-9, 13Annual #1 (1989-1990) * ''

'' #256-261 (1986-1987) * ''

Justice League Quarterly ''Justice League Quarterly'' (''JLQ'') was a quarterly American comic book series published by DC Comics from Winter 1990 to Winter 1994; it lasted 17 issues. It had a variable cast, pulling from the Justice League membership. The title centred o ...

'' #1-2, 4 (1990-1991) * '' Justice League: Gods and Monsters'' #1-3 (2015) * ''Justice League: Gods and Monsters - Batman'' #1 (2015) * ''Justice League: Gods and Monsters - Superman'' #1 (2015) * ''Justice League: Gods and Monsters -Wonder Woman'' #1 (2015) * ''Justice League Infinity'' #1-5 (2021) * ''

Larfleeze Larfleeze, also known as Agent Orange, is a supervillain appearing in comics published by DC Comics, usually as an antagonist in books featuring Green Lantern and the Green Lantern Corps. He is the primary wielder of the orange light of avarice, d ...

'' #1-12 (2013-2014) * ''Legends of the DC Universe'' #33-36 (2000-2001) * '' Legion of Super-Heroes'' vol. 2 #265, 268 (1980) * ''

'' #1 (1981) * ''

'' #1-4 (1988) * ''

'' vol. 2 #1-8 (1989) * ''

Mystery in Space ''Mystery in Space'' is the name of two science fiction American comic book series published by DC Comics, and of a standalone Vertigo anthology released in 2012. The first series ran for 110 issues from 1951 to 1966, with a further seven issues ...

'' #112-113, 116-117 (1980-1981) * ''

Phantom Stranger The Phantom Stranger is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, of unspecified paranormal origins, who battles mysterious and occult forces, sometimes under their Vertigo imprint. The character first appeared in an ...

'' vol. 4 #4-8 (2013) * ''Realworlds: Justice League of America'' #1 (2000) * ''

Scooby Apocalypse ''Scooby Apocalypse'' is a monthly comic book series published by DC Comics, which began in May 2016. It re-imagines the characters from the ''Scooby-Doo'' franchise, particularly the 1969 TV series ''Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!'', setting them in ...

'' #1-7 (2016) * '' Secret Origins'' vol. 2 #34 (1988) * ''Secret Origins'' vol. 3 #6 (2014) * ''

Secrets of Haunted House ''Secrets of Haunted House'' was a horror-suspense comics anthology series published by American company DC Comics from 1975 to 1978 and 1979 to 1982. Publication history The series began in April–May 1975. Like its predecessor '' Secrets of ...

'' #26 (1980) * ''

'' vol. 4 #1-27 (2001-2003) * '' Supergirl: Wings''(2001) * ''Superman: Speeding Bullets'' (1993) * ''Superman: The Kansas Sighting'' #1-2 (2004) * '' Superman: The Man of Tomorrow'' #15 (1999) * ''Superman: Where Is Thy Sting?'' #1 (2001) * ''

Time Warp Time travel is a common theme in fiction, mainly since the late 19th century, and has been depicted in a variety of media, such as literature, television, film, and advertisements. The concept of time travel by mechanical means was popularize ...

'' #2-4 (1979-1980) * ''Trinity of Sin'' #1-6 (2014-2015) * ''Trinity of Sin: Phantom Stranger'' #9-22, ''Futures End'' #1 (2013-2014) * '' The Unexpected'' #199-200, 205 (1980) * ''

'' #70, 72, 76, 79, 85, 91, 93-97, 102, 105, 108 (1978-1982) * ''

'' vol. 2 #164-166 (2001) * ''

World's Finest Comics ''World's Finest Comics'' was an American comic book series published by DC Comics from 1941 to 1986. The series was initially titled ''World's Best Comics'' for its first issue; issue #2 (Summer 1941) switched to the more familiar name. Michael ...

'' #262, 264-268 (1980-1981)

=Paradox Press

= * '' Brooklyn Dreams'' #1-4 (1995)

=Vertigo

= * ''The Last One'' #1-6 (1993) * ''Mercy'' (1993) * ''Seekers into the Mystery'' #1-15 (1996-1997)

=WildStorm

= * ''Wetworks'' #10-15 (2007-2008)

Marvel Comics

* ''Amazing Adventure'' #1 (1988) * ''

'' #293-294, 368-370, 389-406, 634-637, 700, ''Annual'' #24 (1987-2013) * ''

The Amazing Spider-Man Family ''Spider-Man Family'' (later retitled ''The Amazing Spider-Man Family'') is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It began as a series of one-shots written and penciled by various writers and artists before becoming a bi-monthly ongoin ...

'' #1, 3-4 (2008-2009) * ''The Amazing Spider-Man: Soul of the Hunter'' #1 (1992) * '' The Avengers'' #209, 219, ''Annual'' #11 (1981-1982) * ''Ben Reilly: Spider-Man'' #1-5 (2022) * ''

Bizarre Adventures ''Marvel Preview'' is a black-and-white comics magazine published by Magazine Management for fourteen issues and the affiliated Marvel Comics Group for ten issues. The final issue additionally carried the imprint Marvel Magazines Group. Publica ...

'' #29, 33 (1981-1982) * '' Captain America'' #261-264, 267-270, 272, 275-290, 292-300, ''Annual'' #6 (1981-1984) * '' Captain Justice'' #1-2 (1988) * ''

Chaos War "Chaos War" is a Marvel Comics storyline that began publication in October 2010 across nine comic book series: the five-issue miniseries ''Chaos War'', written by Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente, supplemented by seven branded miniseries or one-sho ...

Thor Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred groves and trees, strength, the protection of humankind, hallowing, an ...

'' #1-2 (2011) * ''

Conan the Barbarian Conan the Barbarian (also known as Conan the Cimmerian) is a fictional sword and sorcery hero who originated in pulp magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, films (including '' Conan the Barbarian'' and '' Conan the Destroyer'') ...

'' #118-130 (1981-1982) * '' Daredevil'' #344-350 (1995-1996) * ''Daydreamers'' #1-3 (1997) * '' The Defenders'' #92-118, 120-131 (1981-1984) * ''Defenders'' vol. 3 #1-5 (2005-2006) * ''Doctor Strange: Into Shamballa'' (part of

Marvel Graphic Novel ''Marvel Graphic Novel'' (''MGN'') is a line of graphic novel trade paperbacks published from 1982 to 1993 by Marvel Comics. The books were published in an oversized format, 8.5" x 11", similar to French albums. In response, DC Comics establi ...

series) (1985) * '' Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme'' #84-90 (1995-1996) * ''

Gargoyle In architecture, and specifically Gothic architecture, a gargoyle () is a carved or formed grotesque with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building, thereby preventing it from running down masonry walls ...

'' #1-4 (1985) * ''

Ghost Rider Ghost Rider is the name of multiple antiheroes and superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Marvel had previously used the name for a Western character whose name was later changed to Phantom Rider. The first s ...

'' #67, 71, 74-81 (1982-1983) * ''Greenberg the Vampire'' (part of

series) (1985) * '' The Hulk!'' #26-27 (1981) * '' Iceman'' #1-4 (1984-1985) * '' Longshot'' #1 (1998) * ''

'' vol. 2 #9 (1981) * ''Man-Thing'' #1-8 (1997-1998) * ''Marc Spector: Moon Knight'' #26-32 (1991) * ''Marvel Adventures Spider-Man'' #19 (2011) * ''Marvel Adventures Super Heroes'' #21 (2012) * ''

Marvel Fanfare ''Marvel Fanfare'' was an anthology comic book series published by American company Marvel Comics. It was a showcase title featuring a variety of characters from the Marvel universe. Volume one ''Marvel Fanfare'' featured characters and settings ...

'' #9, 31-32, 39 (1983-1988) * ''Marvel Holiday Special'' #4 (1995) * ''

Marvel Super Special ''Marvel Comics Super Special'' was a 41-issue series of one-shot comic-magazines published by Marvel Comics from 1977 to 1986. They were cover-priced $1.50 to $2.50, while regular color comics were priced 30 cents to 60 cents, Beginning with issue ...

'' #17 (" Xanadu"); #37 (" 2010") (1980-1985) * ''

'' #101, 111-112, 114-133 (1981-1983) * '' Peter Parker: Spider-Man Annual 1999 (1999) * ''Prince

Namor Namor (), also known as the Sub-Mariner, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Debuting in early 1939, the character was created by writer-artist Bill Everett for comic book packager Funnies Inc ...

, the Sub-Mariner'' #1-4 (1984) * ''Pro Action Magazine'' #1 (1994) * '' Savage Sword of Conan'' #65-66 (1981) * ''

The Sensational Spider-Man ''The Sensational Spider-Man'' is a comic book series starring Spider-Man published by Marvel Comics for 35 issues (#0–33, with # -1 published in July 1997 between #17 and #18), from January 1996 until November 1998. Publication history '' ...

'96'' #1 (1996) * ''

'' #126-145, #-1 (1997-1998) * ''Silver Surfer '97'' #1 (1997) * ''

Solo Avengers ''Solo Avengers'' was an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics, and was a spin-off from the company's superhero team title '' The Avengers''. It was published for 20 issues (December 1987–July 1989) until it was renamed ''Avenge ...

'' #9 (1988) * ''

'' #131-132, 178-203, 217, 223, 241-257, #-1, ''Annual'' #13-14 (1987-1998) * '' Spider-Man'' #37-40, 51, 57 (1993-1995) * ''Spider-Man Team-Up'' #6 (1997) * ''Spider-Man: Redemption'' #1-4 (1996) * ''Spider-Man: The Lost Years'' #1-3 (1995) * ''

Spider-Woman Spider-Woman is the code name of several fictional characters in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first and original version is Jessica Drew (later impersonated by Veranke), the second version is Julia Carpenter, and the third vers ...

'' #33 (1980) * '' Star Trek'' #18 (1982) * '' Star Wars'' #46 (1981) * ''

Strange Tales ''Strange Tales'' is a Marvel Comics anthology series. The title was revived in different forms on multiple occasions. Doctor Strange and Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. made their debuts in ''Strange Tales''. It was a showcase for the science ...

'' vol. 3 #1-2 (1998) * ''Strange Tales: Dark Corners'' #1 (1998) * ''Tales of the Marvel Universe'' #1 (1997) * '' Thor Annual'' #1 (2012) * ''

Valkyrie In Norse mythology, a valkyrie ("chooser of the slain") is one of a host of female figures who guide souls of the dead to the god Odin's hall Valhalla. There, the deceased warriors become (Old Norse "single (or once) fighters"Orchard (1997: ...

'' #1 (1997) * ''

Web of Spider-Man ''Web of Spider-Man'' is the name of two different monthly comic book series starring Spider-Man that have been published by Marvel Comics since 1985, the first volume of which ran for 129 issues between 1985 and 1995, and the second of which ran ...

'' #31-32, 117 (1987-1994) * ''Web of Spider-Man'' vol. 2 #1, 3, 5 (2009-2010) * '' Webspinners: Tales of Spider-Man'' #1-3 (1999) * ''

X-Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003) ...

'' #92-104, ''Annual'' #9 (1993-1994) * '' X-Men '95'' #1 (1995)

=Epic Comics

= * '' Blood: A Tale'' #1-4 (1988) * '' Moonshadow'' #1-12 (1985-1987)

Direct-to-video movies

* '' Deathstroke: Knights and Dragons'' (2020) * ''Superman: Red Son'' (2020) * '' Constantine: City of Demons'' (2018) * ''

'' (2017) * '' Batman: Bad Blood'' (2016) * '' Batman vs. Robin'' (2015)

DC Showcase

* ''

Death Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...

'' (2019) * ''Adam Strange'' (2019)

Television

* '' Batman: The Brave and the Bold'' ** "Day of the Dark Knight!" ** "Hail the Tornado Tyrant!" ** "Revenge of the Reach!" ** "Scorn of the Star Sapphire!" ** "Shadow of the Bat!" ** "The Eyes of Despero!" ** "The Last Patrol!" ** "Time Out for Vengeance!" * '' Be Cool Scooby-Doo!'' ** "Me, Myself and A.I." ** "Be Cold, Scooby-Doo" ** "Giant Problems" ** "Worst in Show" ** "Greece is the Word" * '' Ben 10: Ultimate Alien'' ** "Ultimate Sacrifice" * '' Earth: Final Conflict'' ** "The Sleepers" ** "Moonscape" * ''

'' ** "For the Man Who Has Everything" ** "Shadow of the Hawk" ** "The Return" ** "Clash" ** "The Ties That Bind" ** "Ultimatum" ** "Grudge Match" * '' Legion of Super Heroes'' ** "Cry Wolf" ** "Dark Victory (Part I)" ** "Dark Victory (Part II)" ** "Who Am I?" * ''

'' ** "The Devil in the Deep" * '' Spider-Man: The Animated Series'' ** "The Mutant Agenda" * '' Spider-Man'' ** "Bring on the Bad Guys, Part 1" ** "The Road to Goblin War" ** "Vengeance of Venom" * ''

Superboy Superboy is the name of several fictional superheroes appearing in American comicbooks published by DC Comics. These characters have been featured in several eponymous comic series, in addition to ''Adventure Comics'' and other series featuring ...

'' ** "Know Thine Enemy" (Part 1) ** "Know Thine Enemy" (Part II) ** "Into the Mystery" ** "To Be Human" (Part I) ** "To Be Human" (Part II) * '' Sym-Bionic Titan'' ** "I Am Octus" * ''

'' ** "Artful Dodgers" ** "No Power" ** "The Mask" * '' ThunderCats'' ** "Survival of the Fittest" ** "New Alliances" ** "Song of the Petalars" * ''

The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology television series created by Rod Serling. The episodes are in various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, absurdism, dystopian fiction, suspense, horror, sup ...

'' ** " The Girl I Married"

References

External links

*
Creation Point
(DeMatteis' blog)
J. M. DeMatteis
at Mike's Amazing World of Comics *

at the Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators *
Spellbound Comics
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dematteis, J. M. 1953 births American comics writers Followers of Meher Baba Living people Marvel Comics writers Writers from Brooklyn 20th-century American screenwriters 20th-century American male writers 21st-century American screenwriters 21st-century American male writers Screenwriters from New York (state) American male screenwriters American male television writers American television writers