Peter J. Tomasi is an American comic book editor and writer, best known for his work for DC Comics. As an editor, he oversaw numerous comic books featuring the Justice League, including series starring various members of that team such as Batman, Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, Green Lantern, and the Flash. As a writer, he has written titles featuring Batman-related characters, such as Batman and Robin and The Outsiders, and Green Lantern-related series such as Blackest Night (alongside Geoff Johns), Brightest Day and Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors. He also wrote the screenplay for the animated movie The Death of Superman.
Early life Peter Tomasi became a fan of comics at a young age through the Batman comic books his father bought him, and through TV shows such as the Super Friends animated series and the Adam West Batman series. Batman was the first superhero who entered his consciousness, as it was the first character he dressed up as for Halloween, and the first comic book whose creators he recognized. Specifically he cites the work of Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams as the first to draw him into the character, as well as Bob Haney's work on The Brave and the Bold and that of Jim Aparo.
Career Starting as an editor at DC Comics in 1993, and working on such titles as Green Lantern, the Batman titles, Aquaman, Hawkman, and JSA, Tomasi was an occasional writer on various titles, including JSA, The Outsiders, Steel, and The Light Brigade. In 2003, DC promoted him to Senior Editor.
In 2007, Tomasi left his 14-year role as an editor and transitioned to writing. He began on the limited series Black Adam: The Dark Age. In 2008, he wrote Requiem, a tie-in to Final Crisis that paid tribute to the fallen Martian Manhunter. Tomasi wrote the Nightwing title for 14 issues until its cancellation in April 2009 due to events in the "Battle for the Cowl" storyline. In 2011, Tomasi took over as writer on Batman and Robin with issue No. 20 from Paul Cornell, writing the three part "Tree of Blood" storyline that ran until issue No. 22.
From 2009 to 2010, Tomasi co-wrote the creator-owned title The Mighty with Keith Champagne, as well as Green Lantern Corps through the "Blackest Night" storyline.
Tomasi co-wrote the "Blackest Night" follow-up maxiseries Brightest Day in 2010–2011, with Geoff Johns. During that same period, he was the regular writer on the monthly Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors and The Outsiders, which ended in 2011 as part of DC's The New 52 line-wide relaunch. As part of that relaunch, Tomasi became the writer on the relaunched volumes of Batman and Robin and Green Lantern Corps which were released in September 2011. As part of the 2016 DC Rebirth relaunch of DC's titles, Tomasi and artist Patrick Gleason became the creative team on Superman vol. 4 in June 2016. Tomasi and Jorge Jimenez produced a new version of the Super Sons beginning in 2017. The two new super-kids are Damian Wayne, son of Bruce Wayne and Talia al Ghul, and Jonathan Kent, son of Superman and Lois Lane. The series ran for 16 issues and one annual. Tomasi and Gleason crafted the "Never-Ending Battle" chapter in Action Comics #1000 (June 2018). Tomasi launched the Adventures of the Super Sons limited series in August 2018.
Tomasi penned the screenplay for the 2018 animated feature film The Death of Superman. Directed by Jake Castorena and Sam Liu, this is the eleventh film in the shared animated film continuity series: The DC Animated Movie Universe and the first of a two-part animated feature based on the comic book story arc of the same name, with part one released on August 7, 2018.
That same year, Tomasi became the new writer for Detective Comics as of issue No. 994. He concluded his run with Detective Comics issue No. 1033.
On October 12, 2023, Tomasi and a group of colleagues announced at the New York Comic Con that they were forming a cooperative media company called Ghost Machine which would publish creator-owned comics, and allow the participating creators to benefit from the development of their intellectual properties. The company publishes its books through Image Comics, and its founding creators include Geoff Johns, Brad Meltzer, Jason Fabok, Gary Frank, Bryan Hitch, and Francis Manapul, all of whom would produce comics work exclusively through that company. Tomasi's inaugural work for the company would be writing The Rocketfellers, with Manapul providing the art. The series' premise is based on the idea that Manapul explains thus: "The best place to hide when you're in the Witness Protection Program perhaps is through a different time." The story depicts a 26th century dysfunctional family who when threatened, flee by traveling through time to the year 2024, where they to encounter the strange inhabitants and culture of that era, only to find that the threat they thought they had escaped has followed them.
Personal life Tomasi has a son. In a February 2011 interview with Comic Book Resources, Tomasi discussed how his then-eight-year-old son influenced his approach to writing Damian Wayne in Batman and Robin. Tomasi also spoke about his son's influence on the way he writes Superman's son, Jon.
Bibliography DC Comics Showcase '95 #7–9, "Exit to Eden", "Deep Down" (with Scot Eaton and Eduardo Barreto, June–August 1995) The Lobo Gallery: Portraits of a Bastich, one-shot, "Portraits of a Bastich" (with among other artists, July 1995) The Flash Annual vol. 2 No. 9, "Silent Running" (with J. H. Williams III, 1996) Steel vol. 2 No. 28, "The Drowning Room", No. 33, "Withdrawal Symptoms" (with Andrew Robinson and Jim Aparo, May–October 1996) Showcase '96 No. 9, "Honor Bound" (with Eduardo Barreto, July 1996) The Light Brigade (four-issue limited series, with Peter Snejbjerg, December 2003 – March 2004, collected in Light Brigade, hc, 224 pages, 2014, ) Outsiders vol. 3 #26–27, "Tick Tock" (with Will Conrad, July–August 2005) JSA Classified #8–9, "The Spear and the Dragon" (with Don Kramer, February 2006) collected in JSA Classified: Honor Among Thieves (tpb, 125 pages, 2007, ) Black Adam: The Dark Age (six–issue limited series, with Doug Mahnke, August 2007 – January 2008, collected in Black Adam: The Dark Age, tpb, 144 pages, 2008, ) Infinite Halloween Special, one-shot, "The 13 Stories of Halloween" (with among other artists, October 2007) Green Lantern Corps vol. 2 #18–46 (November 2007 – April 2010) "The Sinestro Corps War: Hammer to Fall" (with Patrick Gleason and Jamal Igle, in No. 18, 2007) collected in Green Lantern: The Sinestro Corps War vol. 2 (hc, 192 pages, 2008, ) Ring Quest (tpb, 144 pages, 2008, ) collects: "Liberty's Light" (with Patrick Gleason, in #19, 2007) "Ring Quest" (with Patrick Gleason and Carlos Magno, in No. 20, #23–26, 2008) Sins of the Star Sapphire (tpb, 144 pages, 2009, ) collects: "Eye of the Beholder" (with Luke Ross, in #27–28, 2008) "Sins of the Star Sapphire: Love on the Air" (with Patrick Gleason, in #29, 2008) "Sins of the Star Sapphire: Empty Handed Heart" (with Patrick Gleason, in #30–31, 2008) "Sins of the Star Sapphire: Hearts and Minds" (with Patrick Gleason, in #32, 2009) Emerald Eclipse (hc, 160 pages, 2009, ) collects: "Emerald Eclipse" (with Patrick Gleason, in #33–38, 2009) Blackest Night (hc, 264 pages, 2010, ) collects: "Fade to Black" (with Patrick Gleason, in #39, 2009) "Heart of Darkness" (with Patrick Gleason, in #40, 2009) "Hungry Heart" (with Patrick Gleason, in #41–42, 2009) "Red Badge of Rage" (with Patrick Gleason, in #43–44, 2009–2010) "Red Dawn" (with Patrick Gleason, in #45, 2010) "Black Dawn" (with Patrick Gleason, in #46, 2010) "Goodbye Darkness" (with Patrick Gleason, in #47, 2010) Nightwing vol. 2 #140–153 (January 2008 – February 2009) Freefall (tpb, 168 pages, 2008, ) collects: "Freefall" (with Rags Morales and Don Kramer, in #140–146, 2008) The Great Leap (tpb, 192 pages, 2009, ) collects: "The Great Leap" (with Don Kramer and Rags Morales, in #147–150, 2008) "The Great Leap Epilogue:...And Into the Black" (with Doug Mahnke, in #151, 2008) "Eminence Front" (with Don Kramer, in #152, 2009) "Black Dawn" (with Don Kramer, in #153, 2009) "Origins & Omens" (with Joe Bennet, in No. 153, 2009) Final Crisis: Requiem, one-shot (with Doug Mahnke, July 2008) Justice Society of America Kingdom Come Special: Magog, one-shot, "Magog: The Real Me" (with Fernando Pasarin, November 2008) Outsiders vol. 4 #15–25 (February 2009 – December 2009) The Deep (tpb, 192 pages, 2009, ) collects: "The Deep" (with Lee Garbett and Fernando Pasarin, in #15–20, 2009) "Origins & Omens" (with Lee Garbett, in No. 15, 2009) The Hunt (tpb, 144 pages, 2010, ) collects: "The Hunt" (with Fernando Pasarin, in #21–23, 2009) "Matter of Trust" (with Fernando Pasarin, in #24, 2009) "Turn to Stone" (with Fernando Pasarin and Derec Donovan, in No. 25, 2009) The Mighty #1–12 (February 2009 – January 2010) The Mighty (tpb, 304 pages, 2014, ) collects: "The New World" (with Keith Champagne and Peter Snejbjerg, in No. 1, 2009) "New Blood" (with Keith Champagne and Peter Snejbjerg, in No. 2, 2009) "Dirge" (with Keith Champagne and Peter Snejbjerg, in No. 3, 2009) "Everybody Pays" (with Keith Champagne and Peter Snejbjerg, in No. 4, 2009) "World Gone Wrong" (with Keith Champagne and Chris Samnee, in No. 5, 2009) "Blue Moon" (with Keith Champagne and Chris Samnee, in No. 6, 2009) "Ring of Fire" (with Keith Champagne and Chris Samnee, in No. 7, 2009) "Wide Awake" (with Keith Champagne and Chris Samnee, in No. 8, 2009) "Chums" (with Keith Champagne and Chris Samnee, in No. 9, 2009) "Gates of Eden" (with Keith Champagne and Chris Samnee, in No. 10, 2009) "Twilight of the God" (with Keith Champagne and Chris Samnee, in No. 11, 2009) "And in the End" (with Keith Champagne and Chris Samnee, in No. 12, 2010) Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps limited series (July 2009) Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps (hc, 176 pages, 2010, ) collects: "Tales of the Sinestro Corps: Mongul – For Your Love" (with Chris Samnee, in #1, 2009) "Tales of the Orange Lanterns: Blume Godhead" (with Tom Mandrake, in No. 2, 2009) "Tales of the Green Lantern Corps: Kilowog in New Blood" (with Chris Samnee, in #3, 2009) "Tales of the Green Lantern Corps: Arisia in Daddy's Girl" (with Mike Mayhew, in No. 3, 2009) Blackest Night: Batman limited series (August 2009 – October 2009) Blackest Night: Black Lantern Corps (hc, 256 pages, 2010, ) collects: "Who Burns Who" (with Ardian Syaf, in #1–3, 2009) The Phantom Stranger vol. 2 No. 42, "Deadman Walking" (with Ardian Syaf, January 2010) Brightest Day #0–24 (April 2010 – April 2011) Volume 1 (hc, 256 pages, 2010, ) collects: "Carpe Diem" (with Geoff Johns and Fernando Pasarin, in No. 0, 2010) "Second Chances" (with among other artists, in No. 1, 2010) "Nuclear Options" (with among other artists, in No. 2, 2010) "Revelations" (with among other artists, in No. 3, 2010) "Thresholds" (with among other artists, in No. 4, 2010) "Under Pressure" (with among other artists, in No. 5, 2010) "Dead Zone" (with among other artists, in No. 6, 2010) "The Secret of Life, Part One" (with among other artists, in No. 7, 2010) Volume 2 (hc, 240 pages, 2011, ) collects: "The Secret of Life, Part Two" (with among other artists, in #8, 2010) "Lost & Found" (with among other artists, in #9, 2010) "A Change is Gonna Come" (with among other artists, in #10, 2010) "Father's Day" (with among other artists, in #11, 2010) "All This Useless Beauty" (with among other artists, in #12, 2010) "Under a Blood Red Sky" (with among other artists, in #13, 2010) "Acrobats" (with Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis and Joe Prado, in No. 14, 2010) "Whatever Happened to the Manhunter from Mars?" (with Geoff Johns, Patrick Gleason and Scott Clark, in No. 15, 2010) "Short Fuse" (with among other artists, in No. 16, 2010) Volume 3 (hc, 280 pages, 2012, ) collects: "Homecoming" (with among other artists, in #17, 2011)