ABSOLUTE MARTIAN MANHUNTER #9 (DC COMICS)
The devil on John Jones shoulder.
After a falling out with his Martian partner, Jones has linked up with a darker force. Despair-The-Zero has been the voice in John’s ear. It may not be the one Jones needs to help put his life back together. This is a time where the tables are turned.
The Martian has been capture by the Agency. They have plans and none of them are very nice.
ABSOLUTE MARTIAN MANHUNTER #9 by Deniz Camp, Javier Rodríguez and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou sets forth on a dangerous course.
Let’s take a closer look at one of comics’ best series.
ABSOLUTE MARTIAN MANHUNTER #9 by Deniz Camp, Javier Rodríguez and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou(DC COMICS)
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
Camp and Rodríguez blaze a dark tightrope for Jones to walk inside these pages. His partner is being torn apart (literally) by the mysterious group. The writing leans into the quirky dynamics before sending a loud message. This falls on deaf ears to John Jones. His interactions with Despair-The-Zero prove to be filled with more growing anger. No matter who the conversation is with, Jones’ will is being broken down slowly.
This becomes very clear when he arrives for a couples therapy meeting. Camp spins a paranoid web of deceit into John’s thoughts. Despair-The-Zero’s influence shines in this aspect. Every word is amplified even larger, much to John’s dismay. Readers get more insight into John’s past with a startling discovery. This changes the perception of his moral code. It results in an explosive outburst, doing more damage than originally thought possible. Jones descents further into darkness with more visions coming to life. The dialogue doesn’t hold back on his corruption. It adds more fire to it. The end results look to bring more danger up close and personal. Another superb read.
READ LAST ISSUE’S REVIEW HERE!
Rodríguez ushers in a horrifying autopsy via near full page image. This leads into a more grounded, yet still depressing scenario. Jones’ influence from Despair-The-Zero leads seeing the absolute worst in humanity. This aura festers over the panels as Jones looks for some clues. Readers watch as the slide into madness becomes fast. A half panel shows Despair-The-Zero trying to “befriend” Jones. It is clearly visible this isn’t well received.
The homages to “Operation” soften the horrible actions being done to the Martian. Coloring makes these panels pop off the page easily. This is a stark contrast form the couples therapy session. Readers watch as the mood is very cold. Jones’ interpretation of events is jumbled. Once Jones’ past comes into focus, the reveal is presented in such a unique style. Seeing the darkness inside his mind, readers get a glimpse of how damaged Jones truly is. This is upended with a full shot from the autopsy. In some ways, it mirrors the release of what’s been building inside both leads. It spins into a disturbing “heart to heart” of where Jones is at now. The pages tease more reveals before crashing down on the final page. Once here, the situation goes from bad to much worse. A chilling reminder of how dismal this universe can truly be.
FINAL POINT: 9.6
Sometimes, you can’t say “they’re a friend from work.” This is the case with John Jones’ new partner. Camp takes a deep journey into the fragile psyche of John Jones via the writing. Rodríguez’s art continues to raise the bar with no signs of slowing down. AMM makes a case for DC’s best book on the market with this high level of storytelling. Don’t miss it!
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