Written by: Deniz Camp
Art by: Javier Rodriguez
Colors by: Javier Rodriguez
Letters by: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Cover art by: Javier Rodriguez
Cover price: $4.99
Release date: February 25, 2026
First Impressions
The issue grabs with raw urgency right from the vivisection opener, panels slicing tension like a scalpel through pretense. John's fractured psyche hits hard, blending mundane fieldwork with cosmic dread in a way that feels oppressively real, pulling you into his unraveling world without mercy.
Recap
Absolute Martian Manhunter #8 saw a town gripped by reporting frenzy, drawing John Jones into FBI tips amid splintering reality hints from a shadowed gray figure. He failed to reconnect with wife Bridget amid family tension, as agents snared the Green Martian with mythic gunfire symbolism, shifting to John at the Starlight Motel where Despair introduced itself as his new partner.
Plot Analysis (SPOILERS)
Agents vivisect a green Martian body, its voice pleading for John amid ideological dungeon cries, before an energy burst overwhelms them with quantum visions of "green eggs and man." John's green iris reflects as he questions wife Tiffany about her steamy dream interrupted by a red-eyed figure, sparking marital discord where Despair whispers of shaky ground and toxicity.
John probes dreamers like cheating Mr. Aksul, then meets death row inmate fixated on execution horrors, Despair amplifying worst imaginings. Late for therapy, he enters counseling ambushed by wife Bridget and Doctor, who label his alien communications schizophrenic delusions amid family intervention fears.
Visions parallel: vivisection sparks colorful explosion as High babbles quantum overload. Despair urges self-harm on John's drive, then in session, it accuses betrayal while Bridget demands truth about D.C. shadows and powers.
Confrontation peaks with John's outburst over gun fears and son Tyler, Despair framing him as monster; parallel vivisection cleanup notes the "interesting" blast, underscoring John's isolation.
Writing
Pacing masterfully alternates intimate interrogations with explosive visions, building dread through clipped dialogue that mirrors John's fraying mind. Camp's structure layers personal unraveling atop cosmic hints, dialogue authentic in its raw domestic barbs yet laced with thematic depth on isolation's toll.
Thematic depth shines in Despair's insidious narration, probing human frailties without overt exposition; structure avoids filler by intercutting family therapy with alien autopsy, heightening stakes organically. Pacing falters slightly in repetitive psychic taunts, yet sustains electric momentum.
Art
Rodriguez's layouts flow dynamically from tight close-ups on eyes and hands to explosive full-page bursts, guiding the eye through John's paranoia with unflinching precision. Character acting excels in subtle expressions: Tiffany's defensive flinch, prisoner's haunted stare, conveying volumes through micro-gestures.
Color theory deploys stark greens against desaturated grays for alien intrusion, mood shifting to psychedelic swirls in visions that evoke mental fracture vividly. Composition synergizes with script via symbolic motifs like Operation-game parallels, tonality darkening progressively to mirror despair's creep.
Character Development
John Jones emerges consistently tormented yet resolute, motivations rooted in desperate normalcy amid alien burdens; his relatability spikes through paternal fears and marital regrets, evolving from detached agent to cornered everyman. Despair's manipulative consistency as anti-partner heightens his internal schism.
Originality & Concept Execution
Fresh twist on Martian Manhunter swaps telepathic aid for despair embodiment, executing premise through grounded interrogations laced with multiversal echoes. Delivers anti-life infection via intimate human failures, originality bolstered by vivisection motif tying personal to cosmic rupture.
Pros and Cons
What We Loved
- Kinetic panel rhythms amplify vivisection tension seamlessly.
- Despair's voiceover taunts deepen psychological layering.
- Eye-motif compositions unify alien-human psyche bleed.
Room for Improvement
- Repetitive self-harm whispers dilute early dread buildup.
- Therapy dialogue edges toward melodramatic confrontation.
- Vision parallels occasionally overshadow interpersonal beats.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
Follow @ComicalOpinions on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TwitterThe Scorecard
Writing Quality (Clarity & Pacing): 3/4
Art Quality (Execution & Synergy): 3.5/4
Value (Originality & Entertainment): 1/2
Final Verdict
Absolute Martian Manhunter #9 carves deep into Martian Manhunter's fractured core, blending cerebral chills with family implosion in a package that demands attention yet leaves threads dangling just enough to hook the next read. Does it claim shelf space in your pulls amid endless event churn? For cerebral DC devotees wrestling isolation themes, yes; casuals might find the despair too oppressively intimate.
7.5/10
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