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Dark Future
It’s June, 1963 and Jack Specter—writer/producer of the Twilight Zone-like television series The Third Eye—is going to mourning a wife lost to cancer, a daughter lost to politically-powerful relatives, haunted by memories of war and fiery holocaust.
But a phone call from his only remaining friend soon draws him into the heart of a bizarre hurled across time into a dark and terrible future, to the bleak, hopeless world of 2023.
Is it possible for a writer to rewrite the past, a dreamer to re-dream Creation Itself? Specter will learn the answer as he searches for his now-grown daughter and comes face to face with a cosmic entity that holds the key to time, space, life, death—and a possible rebirth for all humankind.
About the author
Eisner Award winner J. M. DeMatteis was a professional musician and rock music journalist, before launching a long career writing comic books, novels, television, and film.
But a phone call from his only remaining friend soon draws him into the heart of a bizarre hurled across time into a dark and terrible future, to the bleak, hopeless world of 2023.
Is it possible for a writer to rewrite the past, a dreamer to re-dream Creation Itself? Specter will learn the answer as he searches for his now-grown daughter and comes face to face with a cosmic entity that holds the key to time, space, life, death—and a possible rebirth for all humankind.
About the author
Eisner Award winner J. M. DeMatteis was a professional musician and rock music journalist, before launching a long career writing comic books, novels, television, and film.
204 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 13, 2026
3 people are currently reading
21 people want to read
About the author
J.M. DeMatteis
1,911 books236 followersAlso Credited As:
DeMatteis, John Marc
Ellis, Michael
Lombego, Wally
Bio:
J.M. DeMatteis was a professional musician/singer and rock music journalist before entering comics in the late 70's.
Credits include Spider-Man, Moonshadow, Brooklyn Dreams, Justice League, Abadazad, Hero Squared, the Life and Times of Savior 28.
Created I, Vampire , Creature Commandos, Moonshadow, Hero Squared (co-creator), Abadazad, Stardust Kid, Savior 28 and more.
DeMatteis, John Marc
Ellis, Michael
Lombego, Wally
Bio:
J.M. DeMatteis was a professional musician/singer and rock music journalist before entering comics in the late 70's.
Credits include Spider-Man, Moonshadow, Brooklyn Dreams, Justice League, Abadazad, Hero Squared, the Life and Times of Savior 28.
Created I, Vampire , Creature Commandos, Moonshadow, Hero Squared (co-creator), Abadazad, Stardust Kid, Savior 28 and more.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 9, 2026
Dark Future is a fairly slim novel, with a seemingly simple science fiction premise about time travel, in the tradition of old school sci-fi paperbacks. However, like many of those old books, what looks to be a light entertaining read actually holds a lot of depth.
J. M. DeMatteis is an experienced author, having written comic book scripts for decades which feature some of the most famous characters in the world. Let it be known that he is also the author of Moonshadow, which happens to be one of my favorite graphic novels of all time. The cosmic fairy tale, whimsical but also very adult, is the first ever painted comic and was originally published by Marvel under the Epic line in the 1980s, later reprinted by DC’s sophisticated Vertigo imprint, and the latest edition is published by Dark Horse. I’ve read and reread this story of a boy awakening into manhood via adventures in outer space many times, and so whenever J.M. DeMatteis has a new project I always pay attention.
A brief overview of the writer: He has had many successful runs for both mainstream comic companies throughout the 80s and 90s. He might be most famous for co-writing Justice League International, the comedic era of the League, which was a major inspiration in James Gunn’s new Superman film. He later received an Eisner award for the 2003 revival limited series Formerly Known as the Justice League.
He’s also well known for Spider-Man, authoring the classic storyline Kraven’s Last Hunt in 1987. While JLI was a funny and irreverent take on the superhero genre, DeMatteis’s comics are often dark and deal with psychological and philosophical issues. Kraven’s Last Hunt was about obsession, suicide, and full of literary references as the super-villain was reimagined via Dostoevsky. Later, DeMatteis would continue writing Spider-Man in the 90s with definitive stories about the death of the younger version of the Green Goblin as well as contributing to the various crossovers that defined that era. He currently writes Spider-Man ’94, which continues the animated series universe.
DeMatteis has a prolific bibliography, there’s also the Abadazad fantasy series, and he’s written children’s novels before, and many television scripts for animated shows. Prose is not his main forte however, and his latest novel Dark Future isn’t quite an opus for the acclaimed writer. The book is about an author—readers may wonder how much of it may be autobiographical—named Jack Specter who tells the story in the first-person. It takes place, at least in the beginning, in the year 1963. Specter is a kind of pulp fiction scifi writer who works for an anthology TV series in the vein of The Twilight Zone, and then finds himself caught up in a mysterious enterprise that eventually lands him in the dark future of the year 2023.
The character of Specter speaks a lot about his life, about his family and regrets. The core of it revolves around his daughter, left with cold relatives after the death of his wife. There’s also more than a bit of WWII trauma in there, as the man reflects on the dark side of his own history. The situation that sends him into the future, involving a secret conspiracy investigating a multi-dimensional Relic, is written in a very psychedelic way. I wouldn’t want to give too much away (even if I did, the trippy scenes would be difficult to express anyway), suffice to say he’s lost in the future for a while confused and trying to find his way while reconnecting with his last living relative.
For us modern readers, it makes for an interesting perspective to see how someone from that time would interpret our present. There’s good and bad, he acknowledges that directly, but overall his depiction of 2023 is mostly a disappointment. It’s an interesting concept, that our real world could be seen as one of those “futuristic dystopias” from the POV of those of other times.
I assume the novel was written over the year 2023, and it would be too much to expect it to have been published fast enough to take place in 2025/2026. If it was, the apocalyptic nature of the present would be even more poignant. In any case, the 2020s as a whole have so far turned out pretty bad and that’s in keeping with the theme of Dark Future…
Ultimately, it’s more about the underlying feelings of Jack Specter and how he deals with the loved ones he left behind, than it is about big picture geopolitics. In this way, it certainly doesn’t shy away from the cynicism that pervades the world of 2023, but there is still hope to be had in the end. DeMatteis has written a solid text with cerebral meditations on the issues that are important to him. It makes for a quick read, about complex issues but told in a fairly straightforward way. It doesn’t make for hard science fiction, with all those questions that remain unanswered, but in this way it is more about mystical experiences than about pedantic time travel rules. I hope J. M. DaMetteis’s comic book reading fans will give this book a chance, and read something unique that is truly from the author’s heart.
J. M. DeMatteis is an experienced author, having written comic book scripts for decades which feature some of the most famous characters in the world. Let it be known that he is also the author of Moonshadow, which happens to be one of my favorite graphic novels of all time. The cosmic fairy tale, whimsical but also very adult, is the first ever painted comic and was originally published by Marvel under the Epic line in the 1980s, later reprinted by DC’s sophisticated Vertigo imprint, and the latest edition is published by Dark Horse. I’ve read and reread this story of a boy awakening into manhood via adventures in outer space many times, and so whenever J.M. DeMatteis has a new project I always pay attention.
A brief overview of the writer: He has had many successful runs for both mainstream comic companies throughout the 80s and 90s. He might be most famous for co-writing Justice League International, the comedic era of the League, which was a major inspiration in James Gunn’s new Superman film. He later received an Eisner award for the 2003 revival limited series Formerly Known as the Justice League.
He’s also well known for Spider-Man, authoring the classic storyline Kraven’s Last Hunt in 1987. While JLI was a funny and irreverent take on the superhero genre, DeMatteis’s comics are often dark and deal with psychological and philosophical issues. Kraven’s Last Hunt was about obsession, suicide, and full of literary references as the super-villain was reimagined via Dostoevsky. Later, DeMatteis would continue writing Spider-Man in the 90s with definitive stories about the death of the younger version of the Green Goblin as well as contributing to the various crossovers that defined that era. He currently writes Spider-Man ’94, which continues the animated series universe.
DeMatteis has a prolific bibliography, there’s also the Abadazad fantasy series, and he’s written children’s novels before, and many television scripts for animated shows. Prose is not his main forte however, and his latest novel Dark Future isn’t quite an opus for the acclaimed writer. The book is about an author—readers may wonder how much of it may be autobiographical—named Jack Specter who tells the story in the first-person. It takes place, at least in the beginning, in the year 1963. Specter is a kind of pulp fiction scifi writer who works for an anthology TV series in the vein of The Twilight Zone, and then finds himself caught up in a mysterious enterprise that eventually lands him in the dark future of the year 2023.
The character of Specter speaks a lot about his life, about his family and regrets. The core of it revolves around his daughter, left with cold relatives after the death of his wife. There’s also more than a bit of WWII trauma in there, as the man reflects on the dark side of his own history. The situation that sends him into the future, involving a secret conspiracy investigating a multi-dimensional Relic, is written in a very psychedelic way. I wouldn’t want to give too much away (even if I did, the trippy scenes would be difficult to express anyway), suffice to say he’s lost in the future for a while confused and trying to find his way while reconnecting with his last living relative.
For us modern readers, it makes for an interesting perspective to see how someone from that time would interpret our present. There’s good and bad, he acknowledges that directly, but overall his depiction of 2023 is mostly a disappointment. It’s an interesting concept, that our real world could be seen as one of those “futuristic dystopias” from the POV of those of other times.
I assume the novel was written over the year 2023, and it would be too much to expect it to have been published fast enough to take place in 2025/2026. If it was, the apocalyptic nature of the present would be even more poignant. In any case, the 2020s as a whole have so far turned out pretty bad and that’s in keeping with the theme of Dark Future…
Ultimately, it’s more about the underlying feelings of Jack Specter and how he deals with the loved ones he left behind, than it is about big picture geopolitics. In this way, it certainly doesn’t shy away from the cynicism that pervades the world of 2023, but there is still hope to be had in the end. DeMatteis has written a solid text with cerebral meditations on the issues that are important to him. It makes for a quick read, about complex issues but told in a fairly straightforward way. It doesn’t make for hard science fiction, with all those questions that remain unanswered, but in this way it is more about mystical experiences than about pedantic time travel rules. I hope J. M. DaMetteis’s comic book reading fans will give this book a chance, and read something unique that is truly from the author’s heart.
February 26, 2026
Dark Future is exactly the kind of beautifully tempered, emotional ride that only J.M. DeMatteis can pull off. This isn’t genre-heavy sci-fi or fantasy; it’s sci-fi that doesn’t need warp cores, and fantasy without faerie wizards. What DeMatteis does best — themes of hope rising from hopelessness, a positivity clawed out of darkness — is on full display here, delivered in language that feels purposeful and measured, evoking a gravitas that made his Dr. Fate run feel like a meditation on meaning.
This novella isn’t just told — it’s crafted, word by deliberate word, with a clarity and grace that is deep, smart, and emotional.
At its heart, Dark Future is a story about loss and of a father’s love. In 2026, with headlines reading like dystopian campaigns, this story resonates deeper than most. DeMatteis doesn’t fix the world, but he throws out a lifeline. Dark Future deserves a much broader audience, especially for anyone who believes there’s light left, even when the future looks, well, dark.
This novella isn’t just told — it’s crafted, word by deliberate word, with a clarity and grace that is deep, smart, and emotional.
At its heart, Dark Future is a story about loss and of a father’s love. In 2026, with headlines reading like dystopian campaigns, this story resonates deeper than most. DeMatteis doesn’t fix the world, but he throws out a lifeline. Dark Future deserves a much broader audience, especially for anyone who believes there’s light left, even when the future looks, well, dark.
February 9, 2026
What if a man's hopefulness was put to the test? In the face of an almost certain terrible outcome, can someone still bet on human nature? This is what's at stake in this sci fi book. Although I'm also a fan of bleak sci-fi, I was delighted to read a speculative fiction that was rooted in love and optimism.
It's a quick read, for what that's worth. It felt more like a long short story rather than a short novel. When I was in high school I used to devour anthologies of science fiction stories, and crime fiction and fantasy stories. I'm thinking of things like those "Alfred Hitchcock Presents: A Collection Of Stories" type of things. Or when magazines like Esquire would just have a short story tucked in the back. This felt like one of those in that it's digestible.
But within that small scope, this story feels personal. DeMatteis is making the argument that people are good -- a sentiment that simultaneously simple and revolutionary.
It's a quick read, for what that's worth. It felt more like a long short story rather than a short novel. When I was in high school I used to devour anthologies of science fiction stories, and crime fiction and fantasy stories. I'm thinking of things like those "Alfred Hitchcock Presents: A Collection Of Stories" type of things. Or when magazines like Esquire would just have a short story tucked in the back. This felt like one of those in that it's digestible.
But within that small scope, this story feels personal. DeMatteis is making the argument that people are good -- a sentiment that simultaneously simple and revolutionary.
February 25, 2026
Another piece of magical writing from JM DeMatteis which sits neatly amongst the themes I’ve come to expect.
The idea of something greater than ourselves is never subsumed by his sense of humanity and hope.
The idea of something greater than ourselves is never subsumed by his sense of humanity and hope.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews