Absolute Martian Manhunter #6 – Deniz Camp, Writer; Javier Rodriguez, Artist
Ray – 10/10
Ray: This series was initially only planned for six issues, unlike the rest of the Absolute line – who knew a Martian Manhunter book could be such a big hit? So it’ll be back in a few months for the second half of its story, but this issue is its first grand finale, and what a finale it is. The tension has been building for months, as John Jones and his Green Martian partner deal with the effects of a White Martian psychic attack on the city. Now, the effects have spun out of control, with the whole city essentially turning into Purge Night as psychos target the innocents. John’s wife and son, who have left him due to his wife’s inability to deal with his secrets, are under attack from one of these psychos, while John finds himself targeted by a trio of deranged would-be surgeons as he tries to make it home before it’s too late. And high above the city, two titans battle for the future of humanity.
This series has always leaned towards the surreal, but Javier Rodriguez’s art this issue is truly out of this world. The depictions of the Green and White Martians are incredibly haunting, and the way they fight – pulling fear and hope out of the minds of people in the city and using them to create and neutralize psychic projections – is one of the most unique things I’ve ever seen in a comic. At the same time, there’s a deeply personal story in this epic-scale comic, as John makes his way home and he and his wife find a new balance as they battle to survive and eventually come out stronger as a team. The end of the issue has an amazing effect that can only be fully appreciated in a paper comic, with an experimental twist that was truly unexpected. I was not expecting this book to be nearly as creative or spectacular as it was, but it’s maybe the best example of how the Absolute Universe is showing off DC at its best.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes
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