Absolute Martian Manhunter #3 Review- The Hero Within
From DC Comics
Written by Deniz Camp
Art by Javier Rodriguez
DC’s new “Absolute” Universe and the “All In” initiative promised fresh jumping on points for fan favorite characters and in the case of the “Absolute” titles, promised innovative reinventions/interpolations of some cult favorite characters. Now that we are three issues into what is perhaps the boldest entry into the “Absolute” Universe helmed by the creative forces of superstars Deniz Camp and Javier Rodriguez, it is clear that no other title is testing the notion of “new life” and “new ground” as profoundly as Absolute Martian Manhunter.
If you are unfamiliar with other works by Camp and Rodriguez than I have to seriously question your creative tastes- but also want to comment that this is certainly one of the most exciting creative pairings in recent comic book history, with two of the most unique minds in the business collaborating to push the boundaries of the medium even further than they already have in the past.
Furthermore, if you are unfamiliar with the creative concept behind Absolute Martian Manhunter, then I would first refer you to the now infamous announcement post by artist Javier Rodriguez, in which he displayed the titular hero sculpted out of Play-Doh like a superpowered Gumby. Which is honestly about as much key information you need to enter the series with, implying the malleability and otherworldly strangeness of our “martian” protagonist. For added context however, I will elaborate that this iteration of the character seems to be entirely “alien” in form, choosing to inhabit the mind of an overworked FBI Agent named John Jones who has recently been placed on leave after a dangerous field incident.
What I believe is most important to understand as a new reader of this series is that few titles from either of the “big two” companies in comics have shown as much promise, artistic integrity, and vision as Absolute Martian Manhunter has in such a short amount of time. If you are a longtime comic book fan looking for that proverbial editorial palate cleanser from DC Comics that feels like something truly fresh and new, then boy do I have news for you. Additionally, if you are a younger reader who has never picked up a title that really delved into the character of J’onn J’Onnz, the Martian Manhunter, then rest assured that this new iteration from Deniz Camp is a safe place to become acquainted with the character (and just might even be the coolest he has ever been in modern media, despite being one of the most frequently occurring iconic DC characters.)
Let’s talk about the series thus far, and the mind bending events of Issue #3 which means,
WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD!
Issue #3 opens with the harrowing imagery of an innocent homeless man being set on fire while he sleeps with the smoke of his last thought lingering in the air until Agent Jones arrives at the crime scene of over a dozen other random burnings. For the first time in this series, we see the Martian Manhunter much more clearly, with the hulking, clay-like figure of the strange offworlder remaining physically projected outside of Jones for the majority of the issue. It is a subtle, but no less rewarding, indication of the union between Agent Jones and the Martian, who were previously psychically at odds in Issue #1 and #2.
After inspecting the scene with his trusty invisible Martian companion and finding little connection or reason behind the killings, Agent Jones interrogates the perpetrators of the murders, allowing the Martian Manhunter time to penetrate each of their minds and discover the very idea that incited the violence in the first place and snuff it out (god, just trying to describe this comic is hard…)
From here, we follow Agent Jones home as the Manhunter in his head tries its best to explain the overarching impending crisis that we have only narrowly glimpsed thus far in the series, attempting to instil Jones with the notion that the rogue “White Martian” that it has come to Earth to intercept is a “cosmic predator” that has “decided on tragedy.” Once inside, Agent Jones is forced to sit in the living room with his wife as he sees her thoughts float throughout the room, knowing that she is contemplating leaving him, that she is lonely, that he should say something- anything.
It is scenes like this that really allow Javier Rodriguez insightful eye for composition to shine. First of all, layering a complex series of bizarre imagery of a colorful cataclysm over the scene in progress like a war of paint and yet still managing somehow for the image to make sense. Then, placing the idea of the Martian Manhunter throughout Agent Jones’ house in evocative, specific context that makes for the kind of iconic imagery he is known for in the industry (such as the Manhunter lounging on the sofa.)
Next we transition to even more profound territory from both writer and artist as Agent Jones runs outside and witnesses the smoke rising from a city on fire below, collecting in the air above into the visage of the sinister White Martian. Cutting to the scene of the fire, Jones tries once more to rationalize what the goal of the “random” fires could be, until the Martian takes over Agent Jones’ mind, granting him “Martian Vision” as he did so stunningly in Issue #1. This glimpse into a broader, less sociologically jaded and conditioned, inhuman perspective, allows Agent Jones to consider that the White Martians true goal that is represented here, is to destroy the concept of a home, of safety itself. This mental awakening allows Jones to determine the White Martian’s next target- a shelter. Inside the burning homeless shelter nearby, we watch as various people trapped inside confront the physical manifestation of their fears and regrets chasing them through the flames. Mercifully, upon Agent Jones and the Martian Manhunter’s arrival, Jones is able to rescue the individuals as the Manhunter strangles and crushes the thoughts chasing them out of existence.
Issue #3 functions as the true proof of concept for Absolute Martian Manhunter, where fans are rewarded with action sequences and psychedelic displays of power that finally showcase what makes the Absolute Martian Manhunter a superhero story. More thrillingly, this more grounded, tangible execution of the story in this issue from Camp feels like a sudden climax of ideas and foreshadowing that most readers were only semi-conscious of in the first place. This feels like the kind of layered, nuanced, thematically gripping story that Camp has made evident that he is capable of writing across multiple titles in his career- and yet it also feels like something entirely new and magical. Oftentimes, superhero-centric stories from Marvel and DC are written off as pure ephemeral spectacle or lacking some nebulous universal substance for real readers. In which case, Absolute Martian Manhunter must be the exception to the rule, with a narrative that consistently expounds on the confounding nature of the soul, on the hypocrisy of society at large, and on numerous other psychological principles that don’t have clear answers. This is a challenging series that relishes in offering more questions than it does answers, but Issue #3 certainly feels like the most solid, clear payoff to our collective emotional investment yet.
In the final pages, some key details are clarified even further, as Agent Jones and the Manhunter are confronted by an emissary of the White Martian. This possessed manifestation says that it knows that the “green one” is watching and that “it loves an audience,” before allowing the body to burn to ash with the chilling parting words, “it not about the fire- it’s about the smoke,” which is then rendered literally in the smoldering smoke of the corpse in calligraphic writing.
The effective combination of intelligent, atypical writing and plotting, in addition to stylized, distinctive, quirky artwork makes this series a holistic sensory experience to read and understand. Furthermore, the cascading, slowly blossoming approach to the larger story within, makes this a title that fans want to invest their time and energy in, promising a truly remarkable tale unlike anything we have seen before in the tale of The Martian Manhunter. What is the story of Absolute Martian Manhunter? Thus far in our story, it seems to this reader that it may be about discovering hope and heroism within yourself, against the overwhelming tide of hopelessness and modernity, and perceiving intention in a world that does its damndest to conceal the truth.
Please support your local comic book stores and the impressive, deep storytelling evident in the pages of Absolute Martian Manhunter #3 on shelves now!
-Nicholas Aaron Hodge
