Absolute Martian Manhunter is the best of DC’s Absolute books, and that’s saying something. The Absolute books have been fantastic, each of them taking their characters in directions that no one ever thought they could go. This book has been one of the biggest surprises of the last few years; everyone expects this kind of thing from the big-name characters, but to get a book like this starring Martian Manhunter is something else. The first six issues of the comic were more about the human condition than anything else, and the last three have been a bit darker, as writer Deniz Camp and artist Javier Rodriguez took a look at the realities of the United States with some deep metaphorical storytelling.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Absolute Martian Manunter #10, in a lot of ways, feels like a DC version of the last few issues of The Ultimates, Camp’s other alternate reality comic that went in directions no one expected (to the left). This issue is both the most action-packed of the series so far, but also one with unplumbed depths. Camp and Rodriguez gives readers a scathing indictment of the realities of American power, surrounded by the best action scenes you’ve ever witnessed.
Rating: 5 out of 5
| Pros | Cons |
| Camp serves readers a story about the “power” of the United States, indicting a system of violence and oppression | |
| Rodriguez’s art is everything you can want from an issue like this, giving readers the actions and the metaphor | |
| Camp and Rodriguez don’t beat readers over the head with the metaphor, but it’s also impossible to miss |
Camp Gives Readers Everything You Could Want From a Comic
Absolute Martian Manhunter has been amazing, so Camp dropping an issue like this on readers isn’t surprising. The writer has been using bestselling mainstream superhero books to talk about the realities of the United States for a couple of years now. The Ultimates has been obviously leftist since it began, but this one hasn’t. Sure, it follows an FBI agent, but the first story arc was more about the effect of his work on his family than the crimes of the Federal Bureau of Investigations; it was much more superhero-y. The current story arc, all about the Martian being captured and John Jones trying to find him and fight Despair-the-Zero, the Absolute Despero, was always going to go in his direction and it’s fantastic.
The issue kicks off with Rainbow of the Agency attacking John with psychedelic Vietnam flashbacks, a war known for its brutality and senselessness. It’s such a great way to do an action scene in a book like this, and it’s just the beginning. The Martian’s continuting interrogation talks about borders and what they mean, which is something that is heavily in the news lately. Camp’s message here is rather simple — the United States is an imperial power that enforces its desires with violence — and yet if you don’t get that from it (which would be hard, but not impossible; I guess if you don’t know the news and history, you wouldn’t get the subtext), you’re still going to get an amazing, action-packed yarn, with some darkness presaged for the book’s last two issues.
Rodriguez Stays Putting Out the Best Art in Comics
Javier Rodriguez has always been one of the greatest artists working in the modern comic industry, and Absolute Martian Manhunter is easily his greatest work (so far). This book’s visual identity has been a huge part of what makes it work, and this issue is no different. The opening action scene is everything you could want from an action scene, fluid, dynamic, and action-packed, while also illustrating the tragedies of American military violence, as John is forced to fight for his life against boys fooled into thinking he was the enemy, much like in Vietnam. There’s an inset panel of a bullet killing a black soldier, which is Vietnam in a nutshell (and ICE honestly): an oppressed person fighting someone who just wants to live and control their own destiny, dying for people who will never actually care about them. It’s one panel that says volumes.
This action scene is the centerpiece of the book, but everything else is also fantastic. John reconnecting with the power of the Martian is a moment of joy for readers, and Rodriguez nails it. The interrogation is a heady scene, its hallucinogenic imagery selling the horror of what’s going on. However, my favorite scenes of the issue are the ones between Bridget Jones and her son Tyler, under the control of the White Martian. It’s only three pages of the issue, yet it’s also the most frightening parts of the story, with Rodriguez perfectly capturing the terror and ominousness of these moments.
Absolute Martian Manhunter was 2025’s best book, and it’s been keeping that up since it returned for its final six issues. This issue is a flawless example of everything this book does well, with Camp and Rodriguez giving readers a tale that is full of meaning, pushing their story forward perfectly while saying something about the world we live in. This is everything a comic should be, an example of what a superhero comic can do with the right team behind it.
Absolute Martian Manhunter #10 is on sale now.
What do you think? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!
Most Viewed
-
Image Courtesy of TOHO
