ABSOLUTE MARTIAN MANHUNTER #8 (DC COMICS)
Hell never left Middleton.
The White Martian looms in the background while John Jones tries salvaging his life back. His wife Bridget is further away from him than ever due to his secret life. There’s something not quite right with his son Tyler. Could it be the White Martian didn’t go away like Jones and his “partner” thought? Also, who was the group at the end of last issue? So many questions!
ABSOLUTE MARTIAN MANHUNTER #8 by Deniz Camp, Javier Rodríguez and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou continues its’ latest arc with a dark look at the present.
Let’s take a deeper dive into what is transpiring now!
ABSOLUTE MARTIAN MANHUNTER #8 by Deniz Camp, Javier Rodríguez and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou(DC COMICS)
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
Camp and Rodríguez continue to apply the insurmountable weight onto Jones’ life with this chapter. Returning to work at the FBI hasn’t been easy. The interaction with Nelson proves the difficulty with his new persona. Watching the Martian break down his lunch’s thoughts provides an awkward comedic moment. It lets readers into the trouble of balancing his own identity with a free spirit trying to adapt to the world at hand.
Even a simple night at a bar turns more complex than expected. Readers watch as Jones’ mentality becomes more cloudy after a few. It results in some uncomfortable moments. None more shocking than his choice to “tune out the noise”. This proves more difficult than one may think. Bridget’s reaction provides a pivot in direction. Just as one might think events level off, Camp takes the story into a completely new direction. This results in a dangerous landing spot for both. There’s no denying the ramifications are huge coming from this. None more devastating than the final page. A new element has cracked into view. This spells nothing good for John and the Martian. It’s nothing but win for readers and that’s what counts at the end of the day.
READ LAST ISSUE’S REVIEW HERE!
Rodríguez begins with a typical drive into work. This is anything but normal with this unlikely pair. Otsmane-Elhaou’s lettering brings out the complexity of the simple drive. It matches Rodríguez’s coloring as he meets with Nelson. The visuals of a lunch gone wrong spirals into a greater problem as events move on. The struggles of normalcy slip further out of grasp. This is never more clear than at the bar. No easy way to blow of steam for the over-stressed agent.
The creative ways to factor in both Jones and the Martian in these moments is brilliant. It brings out the distorted visuals while maintaining their strained partnership. It gives way to the more fractured status with Bridget. These panels firmly plant Jones back into the real world. The images allow the Martian to let loose for some quick comic relief before things turn fast. The closing pages turn into a rollercoaster of highs and lows. Once it finally levels, the last page crashes everything. It’s a haunting glimpse of what’s coming and there’s no way to prepare for this impact.
FINAL POINT: 9.6
The world of John Jones & the Martian swings to extreme highs and lows for this latest edition. Camp’s writing is deceptive until it knocks readers for a loop with its’ true form. Rodríguez’s art is unmatched in the boundaries it pushes every time out . Another phenomenal ride into the world of Absolute storytelling.
Let me know your thoughts on ABSOLUTE MARTIAN MANHUNTER #8 in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
