Everything We Know About Absolute Martian Manhunter

[[{“value”:”

After the DC Universe was split in their 2024 All-In event, the Absolute DC Universe was born, featuring new takes on classic heroes like Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman. In a world created by Darkseid energy, everything in the Absolute Universe is much darker than the main DC Universe. As this new universe expands, new heroes are beginning to emerge that will have massive effects across the entire Absolute line.

With the first wave of the Absolute Universe well underway, DC has announced three new titles that will continue to flesh out this new world: Absolute Flash (by Jeff Lemire, Nick Robles, Adriano Lucas, and Tom Napolitano), Absolute Green Lantern (by Al Ewing, and Jahnow Lindsay), and Absolute Martian Manhunter (by Deniz Camp, Javier Rodíguez, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou). While not much is known about Camp’s Martian Manhunter series, the acclaimed Ultimates writer promises it to be the most radical reinvention of the Absolute line thus far.

Deniz Camp Enters Into The DC Universe

One of Marvel’s most talented new writers looks to put his stamp on the Absolute Universe

Deniz Camp has recently skyrocketed to one of the most well-known and inspiring writers at Marvel with his hit series The Ultimates. To say that Marvel’s Ultimates line has been a hit would be an understatement, and Camp continues to be the driving force behind its success.

With his introspective and socially relevant writing style, Deniz Camp has taken the core group of heroes of the Ultimate Universe and delivered some of the best and most inspired reinterpretations of classic Marvel characters in years.

Marking his debut at DC Comics, Camp wants to make his mark on this new Absolute Universe and deliver a series unlike anything else on the shelves. When discussing how this series came about with CBR, Camp explained that he had a three-hour conversation with Batman writer and architect of the Absolute Universe, Scott Snyder.

Snyder gave Camp his pick of any DC character outside the Big 5. With the entire DC catalog at his disposal, Camp chose Martian Manhunter himself, with his only condition being that Javier Rodriguez would draw it.

Deniz Camp and Javier Rodríguez Are A Dream Team

The writer-artist duo look to bring readers something they’ve never seen before

Speaking on Rodríguez doing the art for the book, Camp expressed that he believes Rodríguez is one of the greatest artists currently working in comics and had written him into his pitch, complete with pieces of his work, before they had ever spoken to each other.

Camp also discussed how essential his collaboration with Rodríguez is in the book. He stated that it’s not just his ability to draw but also his philosophy and ability to balance multiple elements into something trippy and psychedelic but also clear.

Javier Rodríguez broke into the comic industry primarily doing colors but quickly became one of the unique and talented artists with a distinctive style. Recently working on DC’s Zatana Bring Down the House series and a long catalog of other iconic characters from both DC and Marvel make it easy to see whyJavier Rodríguez is a perfect fit for this new series.

The extraterrestrial hero gets a complete makeover

Promising the series to be a massive reinvention of the classic alien hero, this will not be the J’onn J’onzz fans remember. In the Absolute Universe, Martian Manhunter isn’t just an alien, but an interdimensional consciousness who possesses an FBI agent, John Jones, after a terrorist explosion nearly kills him.

This version of the character isn’t even from Mars. Camp explained that the alien consciousness chose the word “Martian” because it was the only word it could find in John’s mind to describe itself. Speaking on this new version of the Martian, Camp expressed how focusing on the alien perspective of humanity was the key to this reinvention.

By separating the two characters, Camp can explore the human side of this equation through John while keeping the Martian completely alien with its own thoughts and opinions. When asked about certain themes the writer wants to tackle during a Reddit AMA, Camp responded that the series will explore “all the big questions, crime and punishment, guilt and innocence, free will, and determinism.”

Camp also mentioned that the series is heavily influenced by Thomas Pynchon’s Inherent Vice, with an old-school detective feel but modern, psychedelic, and philosophical. At the 2024 New York Comic Con’s All In/Absolute Universe panel, Camp further described the series as a book about a complete outsider’s perspective on the world combined with a complete insider’s view of the world.

The Absolute Big Swing is Already Getting Massive Praise

Fans are already loving the new Martian

While the series doesn’t release until March 2025, Absolute Martian Manhunter is already proving to be a massive success, surpassing 120,00 pre-orders and dozens of glowing reviews from the press and other writers in the comic book industry. DC’s architect of the Absolute Universe, Scott Snyder, also praised the series, calling it universal yet timely and a book about making sense of the trauma of living in time.

However, Snyder also noted that the book is bombastic. In an interview with the Comic Watchers podcast, Snyder even said it would win the Eisner and challenge readers. Other comic book writers have also been praising Camp and Rodríguez’s new series, with Marvel Comics writer Jackson Lanzing calling it “Absolute perfection. So quietly beautiful that it feels like a miracle” and Uncanny X-Men writer Gail Simone saying that the book is “so masterful it makes me want to puke.”

The first three titles of the Absolute line have all been contained to a darker and more brutal tone than their All-In counterparts. Still, Absolute Martian Manhunter is by far the most unconventional title in the universe thus far and can push the new line forward into new and daring directions. While the series is currently slated for six issues, Camp has said there is potential for the series to be extended or become an ongoing series if sales are high enough.

Absolute Martian Manhunter will be released in comic shops everywhere on March 26th, 2025, with the official synopsis reading, “Deniz Camp and Javier Rodríguez transform the Absolute Universe! Beyond Mars…beyond physical form…beyond Human Understanding… all that’s left is the ultimate alien: the Absolute Martian Manhunter!”

“}]] Deniz Camp and Javier Rodíguez’s Absolute Martian Manhunter series aims to be the wildest reinvention in DC’s incredibly successful Absolute Universe.  Read More