J. M. DeMatteis, whose birth name is John Marc DeMatteis, arrived into the world on December 15, 1953. Predominantly known as a comic book author, he once adopted the alias Wally Lombego for Star Wars (1977) 46. This was because Lucasfilm altered his original narrative, specifically regarding Lando Calrissian's potential acceptance of Cody Sunn-Childe's pacifistic beliefs, a concept that Lucasfilm rejected, leading to a revised conclusion.
Before entering the comic book industry, DeMatteis initially worked as a music critic. His comic career commenced in the late 1970s at DC Comics, where he was a contributor to their horror comic book series. By 1980, he had begun writing for Marvel Comics, including titles such as Defenders and Spider-Man. He also collaborated with penciler Mike Zeck on an extended run of Captain America.
DeMatteis and Zeck reunited in 1987 to create "Kraven's Last Hunt", a story arc featured across three of Marvel's Spider-Man comic series at the time. Additionally, DeMatteis and artist Jon J. Muth collaborated on the graphic novel Moonshadow, which was the first entirely painted comic series in American comics, published under Marvel's Epic line. Following this, DeMatteis created Blood: A Tale, a vampire story with hallucinatory elements illustrated by Kent Williams, as well as the Dr. Strange graphic novel Into Shambhala in 1986.
DeMatteis transitioned back to DC, taking over the writing duties for the superhero team title Justice League of America from Gerry Conway. Despite the cancellation of the series after the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event, DeMatteis continued as a writer for its successor, Justice League International, where he wrote scripts based on plots by Keith Giffen.
JLI highlighted previously obscure DC characters like Martian Manhunter, Blue Beetle, Booster Gold, Mister Miracle, Captain Atom, and Power Girl, subverting the prevailing trend of "grim 'n' gritty" superheroes. The series, known for its levity, underscored the eccentricities of individuals with extraordinary abilities who donned vibrant costumes and dedicated themselves to combating evil. While the League addressed serious issues and confronted formidable adversaries, it also introduced comical figures such as the endearingly inept G'Nort, considered the Green Lantern Corps' worst member, Mr. Nebula, an interplanetary interior designer, the Injustice League, a group of incompetent villains, and a group of murderous penguins crossbred with piranhas.
DeMatteis' involvement with JLI spanned five years, during which he frequently wrote scripts for its various spin-offs, including a Mister Miracle solo series and a European branch of the Justice League. Returning to Marvel, DeMatteis once again succeeded Conway, this time as the writer for The Spectacular Spider-Man in 1991, shifting the series towards darker, more psychologically complex themes. Collaborating with regular artist Sal Buscema, DeMatteis crafted the story arc The Child Within, which marked the return of Harry Osborn as the Green Goblin. The conflict between Spider-Man and the Goblin persisted through The Osborn Legacy in issue #189 and culminated in Harry's demise in The Best Of Enemies!.
In the mid-1990s, DeMatteis replaced David Michelinie as the writer of The Amazing Spider-Man, overseeing storylines that included the supposed death of Peter Parker's Aunt May and the inception of the "Clone Saga" arc. Additionally, DeMatteis contributed to the development of characters such as Doctor Strange, Daredevil, Man-Thing, and the Silver Surfer.
DeMatteis played a role in launching DC's mature-themed Vertigo imprint, authoring the graphic novels Mercy and Farewell, Moonshadow, the miniseries The Last One, and the 15-issue series Wikipedia:Seekers Into The Mystery, a narrative centered on a Hollywood screenwriter's quest for self-discovery and universal truths.
DeMatteis contributed stories featuring Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Doctor Fate. He also redefined the Spectre, through Hal Jordan, as a spirit focused on redemption rather than vengeance. In 2003, he reunited with Giffen to revive the Justice League International for the miniseries Formerly Known as the Justice League. This series earned Giffen, DeMatteis, and artist Kevin Maguire an Eisner Award. The team followed up with the "I Can't Believe It's Not The Justice League" arc in JLA Classified and, at Marvel, a five-issue run of The Defenders. In 2006, DeMatteis and Giffen embarked on creating two original superhero comedy series, Hero Squared and Planetary Brigade, for Boom! Studios.
Later, DeMatteis collaborated with seasoned artist Mike Ploog to produce the CrossGen fantasy comic Abadazad (May 2004). The following year, Ploog and DeMatteis revealed their collaboration on a five-issue miniseries titled Stardust Kid, published under the Image Comics imprint Desperado Publishing. The series transitioned to Boom! Studios in 2006.
DeMatteis' writing credits extend to television, where he penned episodes for the 1980s revival of The Twilight Zone, the syndicated series The Adventures of Superboy, and Earth: Final Conflict. He also contributed to the animated series The Real Ghostbusters, Justice League Unlimited, and Legion of Super-Heroes. Furthermore, he has written unproduced screenplays for Twentieth Century Fox, Disney Feature Animation, and producer/directors Chris Columbus and Dean Devlin.
- Star Wars (1977) 46
- Star Wars: A Long Time Ago... Volume 3: Resurrection of Evil
- J. M. DeMatteis' Profile at Desperado Publishing
- How to do Star Wars the Marvel Way , by Glenn Greenberg, Back Issue Magazine #9
- J. M. DeMatteis' page on Wikipedia
- Fanboy Radio Interview