Exclusive DC Comics Preview: Justice League Dark #36 With Comments From J.M. DeMatteis

DC Comics has provided ComicBook.com with an exclusive preview of next week's Justice League Dark #36, from writer J.M. DeMatteis and artists Walden Wong and Andres Guinaldo.

The issue, which comes in the midst of an ongoing arc for the team, is nevertheless structured as a stand-alone story that's both a contained tale and one that picks up from and leaves off on story beats for the rest of the arc.

We asked DeMatteis to tell us why you should be reading this comic.

While this comes in the middle of a larger story, the issue itself is a fairly self-contained one. What do readers need to know to get up to speed?

All you need to know is that a massive, magical event has scattered the Justice League Dark through time. In part one, we discover that Zatanna has found herself billions of years in the past, when magic is new (and incredibly powerful) and time itself is young. This issue picks up with Nightmare Nurse, Frankenstein, Swamp Thing and my old friend Andrew Bennett (I created I…Vampire way back at the very beginning of my career) billions of years in the future at the end of time, where they encounter…well, I don't want to spoil it.

Outside of Boosterizing the future of the DC Universe, it seems between this and Trinity of Sin that you're the go-to guy for the supernatural side of things. How'd that happen?

It started with Phantom Stranger, when Dan Didio invited me to co-write the book with him, and that led to Justice League Dark which in turn led to Trinity of Sin. I love the supernatural corners of the DCU and I guess (hope) that love showed through in my stories.

How happy are you with the way this storyline is coming out in JL Dark?

Very. For one thing, our artist, Andres Guindaldo, is really hitting his stride here, doing remarkable work. I think this current issue is his best yet…and I'd go so far as to say it may be my favorite issue of Justice League Dark since I took over the writing. So, yeah, very happy.

You can check out the preview pages and solicitation text below. Justice League Dark is in stores on Wednesday.

Separated and scattered across the time stream in the wake of their most recent battle, can the team find a way to reunite? Or will they perish when faced with surroundings specifically picked to neutralize their abilities?

Art by: Walden Wong, Andres Guinaldo
Cover by: Guillem March, Walden Wong, Andres Guinaldo
Written by: J.M. DeMatteis
Series: JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK 2011
U.S. Price: 3.99
On Sale Date: Nov 26 2014
Volume/Issue #: 36
Color/B&W: Color
Trim Size: Comic
Page Count:32