Absolute Martian Manhunter, Vol. 1: Martian Vision

Absolute Martian Manhunter (2025) #1-6

by Deniz Camp, Javier Rodriguez (Artist)

FBI agent John Jones has a problem. His brain has been infected by an alien consciousness calling itself “the Martian,” and its perception of reality is utterly incomprehensible to the human psyche. Now he must navigate this new status quo, all while balancing the deeply grounded and important duties of his day job! Reinvented from top to bottom by Deniz Camp (Ultimates, 20th Century Men) and Javier Rodríguez ( Bring Down the House), Absolute Martian Manhunter takes Justice League’s resident Martian on a mind-bending, psychedelic journey that transcends dimensions. Collects Absolute Martian Manhunter #1-6

Genres: Comics, Dc Comics, Graphic Novels, Comic Book, Fiction, Superheroes, Graphic Novels Comics

Kindle Edition

First published November 18, 2025

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolute-ly worth it.



Is that too corny?
Yes. Absolutely! <--I can't stop. I'm trying, really.
Ok, so I actually read these as individual issues, and I've left links for those reviews at the bottom. The main thing I would stress about this volume is that it's quite a breath of fresh air. It's outside of the canonical DC Universe in some kind of crazy Elseworlds land, and Deniz Camp was able to run with an entirely different comic here. Bright colors lend to the overall mesmerizing visuals, and give the storyline the feeling of a mellow trip.
Well, sort of mellow.



The tension ratchets up somewhat slowly as John tries to decide whether or not he's got a brain injury that is causing him to hear a voice in his head and see people in a different way.
All this while trying to solve a rash of inexplicably hateful crimes being committed by seemingly average people. Did I mention his marriage is on the rocks, too?
Well, it is.



Explosions in the city and explosions at home leave John and the Martian vulnerable to the White Martian's emotional manipulations. Which then leads to darkness, chaos, shadows, and maybe one of the best big bad reveals I've read in a while.
Highly Recommended.



Issue #1
Issue #2
Issue #3
Issue #4
Issue #5
Issue #6

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

"I was . . . I was trippin' balls pretty hard, man." -- slacker-stoner Dave (as portrayed by Bill Hader in the minor cinematic comic masterpiece Hot Rod from 2007), providing an absolute apropos quote here

Absolute Martian Manhunter ??? More like absolutely messing with my mind, and leaving me unsure of what to think about this graphic novel. Using the telepathic / telekinetic / shapeshifting green-skinned extraterrestrial - probably best known as a founding member of DC's Justice League back in 1960 - as an inspiration, writer Camp rockets off in oddball directions to present a completely new interpretation of the character. John Jones is a decidedly earthbound federal agent handling various traumas in his professional and personal lives - non-stop violent crimes and a strained marriage - who suddenly now has a super-powered martian 'assisting' him in his mind as things go increasingly sideways in the town of Middleton. While mixing the hard-boiled aspect with sci-fi was an inspired choice, some of the harsh scenes depicted and insinuated throughout the latter half of the plot were downbeat and often just downright uncomfortable. (Although Jones' shotgun-wielding wife Bridget boldly protecting the family's house from intruders while he was away was an indelibly awesome little scene.) Possibly the most memorable part of this adventure were Jorge Rodriguez's day-glo illustrations, which propel the bizarre storyline forward with vibrant and, yes, 'trippy' style.

[Jim Ef · Rating 5 out of 5]

8.6/10
This could have easily come out as a confusing, nonsensical mess. What we actually get, is a story that, sure it's a bit trippy and weird, but also compelling.

The writing is obviously good, but i have to give extra credit to the artist here. Javier Rodriguez' art is beautiful with captivating colours. What's most impressive however, is his storytelling ability.

DC has something special here.

[M. J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm speechless, still processing one of the best comic books I've read this year. More than an update for the character, this is less about superheros and more about our struggle to put into words, metaphors and comprehensive systems what is only felt, subjectively perceived. Conscious vs. Unconscious. And the dangers of nihilism, the bizarre appeal of nothingness. It sounds like a pretentious description, but this is also the coolest looking mainstream comic book out there right now, Javier Rodríguez is a revelation, his use of colors and art history knowledge makes his art not only pretty, but instigating.

The character work is subtle and efficient, despite the noir-ish tone of the narrative, the story avoids many of the genre pitfalls, effectively subverting some of them, like the misogynistic roles of the love interests and the ultimately pessimistic perspective of the main character. The alien feel of the writing is balanced by the clear art of the lettering. Everything works like in a fine-tuned orchestra.

There is a lot going on in this book, but I never felt like I was confused about the story, however this is for sure a book that can benefit from a rereading due to the amount of details in the pages and the amount of ideas packed in it. This is probably my favorite comic book of the year and that is saying a lot from all the good releases we have had lately.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can understand why other readers might not like this, possibly because they're more into the classic portrayal of the Martian Manhunter than me, more into straight up super heroes, or just not into this but Absolute Martian Manhunter ticked a lot of boxes for me. Psychedelic, retro-influenced art, a high weirdness factor, and a touch of cosmic horror. Absolute Martian Manhunter feels like a lost Steve Ditko project or a Vertigo take on J'Onn J'Onzz in 1994.

In this iteration, FBI agent John Jones barely survives an explosion and now has a passenger in his mind, The Martian. As John's life and career unravel, it's pretty clear that something is afoot in town and it's not friendly. I wasn't crazy about Deniz Camp's 20th Century Men but I love his writing here, part noir, part craziness. Javier Rodriguez's art and coloring do a lot of the heavy lifting to make it feel otherworldly and unsettling at times.

Bring on issues 7-12!

[Benji's Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worth the hype! Loved the art by Javier Rodriguez and story by Deniz Camp. Will have to check out volume two once it's fully released...

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

Visually stimulating, narratively limp.

It's always fun to look for influences/homages in current works. Tom King and Geoff Johns keep remixing Alan Moore's greatest hits from the 1980s, for instance, in their superhero books. And now it looks like this series is a retro wannabe for the 1990s Vertigo imprint, hoping to be shelved between Grant Morrison's Doom Patrol and Peter Milligan's Shade the Changing Man.

FBI agent John Jones is traumatized and losing his grip amid a wave of terrorist attacks in Middleton, USA. Is he in a mental health crisis, or is he a pawn in a telepathic alien civil war that has one side trying to invade while the other side uses him as a mental toehold to launch a resistance?

Do I care?

Nah.

It's too far removed from my favorite version of J'onn J'onzz to activate my goodwill and too much like a fever dream to be an enjoyable narrative on its own.

Nice pictures though.

[Logan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disco Elysium (Martian Manhunter Edition)

So ya, like Absolute Green Lantern Vol. 1: Without Fear this book ultimately isn't for me, however I can see many people loving this one and it will probably win tons of awards. I will say off the bat, the art is incredible as it it just looks like a full on LED trip. Great use of color and trippy visuals to make something that looks like abstract art, you'd find in an art museum.

The plot is decent too even though the art can make it hard to keep track of what's happening half of the time. It reminded me of playing Disco Elysium, which for those who don't know is a detective RPG video game, that is such a hard game to describe, but this book had such a similar vibe. Great book for some, and an interesting take on Martian Mahunter, but I need something a little more digestable in my superhero comics.

[Maurice Africh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Astounding. The art is beautiful, psychedelic, wacky. The writing is top-notch. A little reminiscent of Watchmen (in a good way) but still very much its own thing. This story turns the story of Martian Manhunter on its head, mixes in a cosmic twist, turns the Martian into a creature of pure thought from a faroff dimension (?), and creates a touching story about the dark side of humanity. You can feel the chaotic mess of mankind oozing off the page.

Not like any superhero comic I've ever read.

Also. I'm obsessed with how the Martian looks!

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trippy, man. Definitely the kind of Absolute DC Police Procedural I can get behind.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deniz Camp's take on Martian Manhunter is more focused on John Jones, an FBI anti-terrorism agent, whose home life is falling apart as his city of Middleton begins to tear itself to pieces. It's okay though, John's got an alien living in his head that lets him read thoughts and feelings.

Camp's plot builds to a superb crescendo over these first six issues, tying into the whole idea of the Absolute universe itself neatly, while examining the human condition and how easily we can be manipulated, and keeping John and his family front and centre the entire time.

Javier Rodriguez's artwork also does a lot of heavy lifting, with some psychedelic layouts and spreads that sell the mindscape stuff, and even the interactive Martian Vision pages, which are a little gimmicky, work to give two of the six final pages an extra punch.

Another massive swing and a home run for the Absolute universe.

[Sjgomzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

My kind of weird! Insanely inventive and trippy as hell. The page layouts are spectacular, and the creativity exhibited throughout is on a whole other level. Deniz Camp and Javier Rodriguez really craft something special here!

[Jiro Dreams of Suchy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A high rating for a high read- really feels out there and weeks, for being a main line DC book, it allows a ton of unanswered questions and just overall insanity to take over the pages. It reminds me of Doom Patrol, where the actual book itself is a piece of the story.

This is a great FBI detective story, trying to figure out why these random (but extremely horrible) crimes are happening, and getting a difficult answer (aliens). I have high hopes for this series, the art is a standout- some of these new DC absolutes are just gorgeous to look at. They’re stepping up their game, allowing books to look and feel different.

[Raul Reyes · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series is way too overhyped. It spends 5 out of its 6 issues just spinning in circles around its plot, without exploring anything in-depth, just to have an incredible basic conclusion. It never looks at from different angles, and I just don’t think the writing was that clever. It just vignette after vignette of violence, and we never get to know and care about John and his family, something incredibly odd considering how important they are in the 6th issue The art is obviously gorgeous, but I truly do not understand what has made so many people give this 5 stars.

[kesh · Rating 4 out of 5]

absolute cinema 🙌

[Julian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Consistently one of the best comic books you can pick up on any given week.

[Nocthonax · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful, but bit of a nothingburger plot-wise

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.8 stars

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

An absolute BONKERS book! The most trippy of the new Absolute books, so much throughout you'd think it was deliberate. Now when I read my comics, I like to understand most of what's happening. when I don't it tends to dampen some of my enjoyment.

This book has a incredible range of colors used, and very stylized art throughout. I loved how it looked throughout, especially when visuals would come up you'd only see in a comics. Takes the cake for most interesting looking book going.

The actual plot feels a tad scatter shot. John and the Martin tend to jump from crime scene to crime scene with less connective tissue than you'd expect, and in the miasma you lose character development. Thematically it's also a much darker book than you'd expect, between violence, theft, assault, persecution, and arson. For all the colors and panels taking you for a ride, it's a rough one that could stand to maybe make a little more sense.

[Lashaan Balasingam · Rating 5 out of 5]

By far the best Absolute series that I've read. From the character study to the abstract artwork, the originality of this retelling of the Martian Manhunter's lore is brilliant ! I need more !

[Hannah Call · Rating 3 out of 5]

The artwork is absolutely gorgeous but I sadly couldn’t connect to the story. I had been looking forward to reading this with the hype surrounding it but sadly ended up disappointed. I do, however, understand that this type of story may just not be for me. I do also love to see a title like this being loved and appreciated by such a large audience especially with its unique style and take on Martian Manhunter.

[Viktor Logi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cool comic!

The story is quite interesting and moves at a clip but the real star is the art by Javier Rodríguez!

The basic concept of this comic is that an alien being that calls itself "Martian" that's sort of incomprehensible by humans infects an FBI agents brain and he starts seeing people's thoughts and memories and it's all shown through a bunch of trippy, psychedelic art and it's absolutely gorgeous!

The visuals are so incredibly striking and most of the time I just spent looking at each frame catching all kinds of little details.

The story is fun, though I hope that the next issues or next volume gives a bit more time to smaller more emotional moments like John's marriage as that was a big part of this story that I felt could be expanded upon.

If at all possible, I'd reccommend buying a physical copy of this comic simply for the little "Martian Vision" thing that this comic does. It's simple but such a fun little detail. I don't know if that effect works on digital versions.

Very excited to keep reading more of this story when the next volume comes out!

4,5☆

[Andy · Rating 2 out of 5]

beautiful art, but fundamentally a story that spins it's wheels and you end up feeling like you never went anywhere.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fireeeeeeee I def like Wonder Woman more than this but wow was this excellent

[Paul W. · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's very abstract. The art is wonderful and evocative but the story is too meandering. It's not for me but I can see it being amazing for someone.

[Guilherme Smee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Já desenvolvi um texto maior e mais detalhado sobre o Absolute Caçador de Marte no Substack. Aqui vale dizer o quanto a linguagem dos quadrinhos, dos roteiros às cores, passando pelos desenhos e pela narrativa visual, é plenamente utilizada em um quadrinho experimental dentro da lógica mainstream. Trata-se de uma prova de que é possível inovar mesmo dentro das desgastadas e direcionadas grandes indústrias de quadrinhos mundiais. Também é uma prova de que o gênero super-herói também ainda tem suco a ser colhido de sua fruta. Nessa direção, o quadrinho explora os poderes do então Ajax, como a telepatia e a mudança de forma, além do fato de ser um outsider, de uma forma como, acredito eu, nenhum outro quadrinho de super-herói fez igual. Fiquei bastante empolgado com essa leitura e posso dizer que ela é tudo o que se tem dito sobre ela ou ainda mais. Foi uma ótima experiência de leitura.

[Lucas Savio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uma masterpiece mesmoo na arte e roteiro que ornam muito bem, difere de tudo e consegue realmente entender a linha absolute

[Anna Quilter · Rating 3 out of 5]

certainly not what I was expecting..but it kept my interest with its unique art and I will try to stick with it.

[Igor Vita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sinestésico

[Rory Wilding · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since his comics inception in 1955, J'onn J'onzz/Martian Manhunter has been one of the most beloved characters in the DC Universe, starting as one of the seven original members of the Justice League of America, to appearing in various DC media projects, most notably the Justice League cartoon during the 2000s, voiced by Carl Lumbly. Even though he has made the jump to live-action film and television, J'onn J'onzz has never really gained popularity for an audience outside the DC mindset, and based on the first volume of Absolute Martian Manhunter, that might still be the case, but that’s okay.

Released as part of DC's Absolute Universe, the story centres on FBI Agent John Jones who miraculously survives a suicide bombing. To the dismay of his wife Bridget, John decides to continue working, investigating the case of the bomber, only to realise that his brain has been infected by an alien consciousness calling itself “the Martian”, giving John the ability to see inside the thoughts and memories of the people around him.

Usually when it comes to Martian Manhunter, when he isn’t hovering around the Justice League Watchtower, he is the alien walking among us as he shapeshifts himself as a human in order to understand us. However, writer Deniz Camp shakes up the mythos by presenting John Jones as the human who shares this mental bond with this otherworldly consciousness, conceptualised in John's head as the familiar imagery of a green alien from Mars. Considering that some of DC’s most iconic characters are otherworldly beings trying to understand humanity, Camp seems to be taking cues from Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing about the human become less humane is a world that is drenched in psychological and supernatural horror.

As well as currently writing The Ultimates as part of Marvel’s Ultimate Universe, Camp embraces how to radically reproach well-established superheroes, especially in how they are adapted into a world that feels more oppressive and not about the bright optimism of heroism. We've seen that in The Ultimates, which is about a superhero team in conflict with the world that they are trying to save, and in the case of Absolute Martian Manhunter, John investigates a series of cases that makes him question why do people do the things they do, despite the eventual reveal of another conscious being with heavy ties to DC history.

Right away, what will capture readers’ attention is the art by Javier Rodriguez, who had previously established his visual motifs at DC with Zatanna: Bring Down the House. Considering the trippy visuals he achieved on that book, Rodriguez pushes them further here and in doing so, pushes the boundaries about what you can do in a comic book. Due to some of the surreal ideas that Camp presents, most notably the concept of “Martian Vision”, Rodriguez experiments with panel layouts and psychedelic colouring to create pages where characters and locations blend together that you don’t know where one ends and the other begins. While the horror and violence are present, the abstract artistry gives it a look that isn’t gratuitous or for the sake of edginess.

Considering there is still a semblance of a superhero comic in some of the Absolute titles like Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman, Absolute Martian Manhunter has zero interest in feeling like one, with a surreal tone that blurs the line between genres, whether it is noir thriller, domestic family drama and multiple forms of horror. Halfway through the series, it’ll be interesting to see how Camp and Rodriguez will wrap things up.