REVIEW: ‘Absolute Martian Manhunter’ Issue 3

Absolute Martian Manhunter Issue 3 is published by DC Comics. Written by Deniz Camp, with art and colors by Javier Rodríguez and letters by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.

In this issue, Detective Jones and his new Martian partner investigate a spate of brutal and widespread arson attacks. Absolute Martian Manhunter Issue 3 reveals what the world of Absolute Martian Manhunter will look like now that the confusion surrounding its arrival has passed. It’s a buddy cop story, featuring crime solving and investigations with a twist. Jones can read the minds of everyone around him, absorbing their thoughts. This power is somewhat uncontrollable, coming from everyone and everywhere.

Absolute Martian Manhunter Issue 3 unfolds two stories. The first is the story of the arsonist. This intriguing plot increases in ferocity and temperature as the book progresses. It’s both unsettling and upsetting, with unhoused people being the target. The Martian has also been talking about the White Martian who is coming. It has felt like part of its rambling madness or a myth, but there may be truth in its existence yet.

The use of fire is an intriguing choice because the Martian Manhunter of the main universe is terrified of fire. These two storylines start to merge by the end in a mesmerizing conversation. The finale is just as intense as the previous issue, but with entirely new circumstances. It blends the crime drama with the bizarre, cerebral alien storyline.

The script of Absolute Martian Manhunter Issue 3 is phenomenal. It’s much easier to process what is happening now that we know what the voices are. The pages can be busy, filled with thoughts and revelations about a person that Jones probably doesn’t want to know about. He is still somewhat of a blank slate, but he is starting to show more of a personality, or perhaps the world around him is.

The weight of hearing what everyone had to say about him is starting to crush him. His wife is thinking about leaving him, and it’s a haunting, devastating scene. Next to him is the chaotic Martian. It is constantly talking about everything and anything. Some parts make sense, providing insight into the crime scene, the others are incomprehensible. The fire at the end of the issue features some haunting pieces of dialogue, especially when Jones encounters something weird. The contrast between normal noir discussions with the freakiness of the Martian means you have to pay attention to every word. Even if you don’t understand it.

 The art toys with those two worlds, too. There is a gloomy comic on display. The crime scenes look classic and intriguing in their own right. There are chalk outlines and interrogation rooms. But also a giant Martian constantly capable of appearing. It is hulking and peculiar to look at, with just one large eye and a small eye. It’s often comforting itself or digging its fingers into the heads of suspects and anyone around Jones.

For much of Absolute Martian Manhunter Issue 3, the art is calm. But then the world melts away for a page, seeming to remind us how quickly the comic can devolve into a mind-melting experience. Smoke from the fires rises, but so does the rising stream of thoughts from passersby.

The last part of Absolute Martian Manhunter Issue 3 is frantic and fiery. Faces appear everywhere, more than just pareidolia. The Martian is actively working with Detective Jones, aiding him in saving lives and battling beings that may or may not truly exist. It’s jaw-dropping in its execution.

The colours are so integral to the storytelling. For much of this chapter of the series, the shades are dark and gloomy. This is Jones’ world, one filled with crime and darkness. But then there will be a sudden influx of those intensely bright primary and secondary colors. They are captivating, and it remains unclear what they represent. They appear when the world melts and fades away, leaving bizarre imagery in its place.

The streams of thought are also vibrant. The fires themselves are a terrific mixture of yellow and orange. They start on the edge of small matches, before becoming immolating infernos. The lettering is again experimental and imaginative. Words are written into smoke and other vapors. The text appears in the streams of thought, revealing an internal conflict that Jones isn’t meant to see.

Absolute Martian Manhunter Issue 3 expands the cerebral comic. The newer issue is easier to settle into and follow, but Camp and Rodrgíuez are still throwing curveballs that bend reality. There’s an engrossing plot, and the crime drama is exciting enough.

However, the series also features superpowers, aliens, and other outstanding elements that transcend it beyond anything else out there. Little details and faces are written into the background. Jones feels bland because the rest of his world is so fluid and unfathomable; therefore, he is the one anchor the readers have to cling to, and Absolute Martian Manhunter Issue 3 verifies this.

Absolute Martian Manhunter Issue 3 is available where comics are sold.