Absolute Martian Manhunter #12 Review

 

Absolute Martian Manhunter #12 Review

Writer: Deniz Camp

Artist & Cover Artist: Javier Rodríguez

Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

Variant Cover Artists: Andrew Robinson, Werther Dell’Edera & Seba Fiumara

Editors: Sabrina Futch & Katie Kubert

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $5.99 US/$5.99 US Card Stock

Release Date: July 1, 2026

 

It took John a long time to accept the Green Martian in his life. Doing so helped him prevent Middleton from descending into chaos. But when he told his wife what happened, the truth tore his family apart. The Green Martian wants to help John turn his life around. But the Blue Martian reminds John of all the bad things he's endured. Everywhere he goes, tragedy follows. What's the point of going on?

 

Yet as John falls, Bridget rises. Instead of pushing John away, she runs to find him. But is it too late for John and Bridget? And if the couple cannot reunite, will the Blue Martian unleash his Despair-O-Vision on everyone in Middleton? Let's leap into Absolute Martian Manhunter #12 and see!

 

Story

The Blue Martian has told John the story of his life. Unable to refute his companion’s views on his past, John collapses under the weight of his memories, failures, and revelations. The world has always been against him. John has ruined everything he has touched. Still, the Blue Martian has shown him who is really to blame.

 

While John faces the inevitable result of ignoring the difficult aspects of his life, Bridget realizes she can no longer conform to others' standards to find happiness and fulfillment. As she attempts to comfort John, Bridget discovers the truth of his assertions. But in Absolute Martian Manhunter #12, Bridge confronts not one figment of her husband’s imagination, but two.

 

The Blue and Green Martians each play a role in helping the couple assess their lives. Despite living under the same roof and enduring similar struggles, they have been worlds apart. Now, as they review key moments from John’s life, the couple also studies Bridget's past to understand why she eventually shut John out of her life with Tyler.

 

While Deniz Camp focuses on John and Bridget's struggles, he delves into the difficulties we all face. As John and Bridget confront the truth of their existence, they must determine what led to their current impasse. The couple must also decide if they can remake their lives and save their son in Absolute Martian Manhunter #12.

 

Art

John stands before an open casket, surrounded by regularly spaced pews, on a checkerboard of black and white square tiles. The couple's life together may be nearing its end. Yet, other people, oblivious to their struggles, lose themselves in revelry. As much as she loves John, he threatens how Bridget perceives the world around her. So, as she cradles him like she would a child, Bridget imagines ending his suffering.

 

As Javier Rodríguez lavishes a palette of bright colors on Absolute Martian Manhunter #12, white suffuses John. Locked in his mind, the green light streaming through the stained-glass windows turns the Blue Martian indigo. While Bridget wears a violet jacket, the Blue Martian plucks the knife from her mind. Its handle changes from green to indigo as he presses it into her hand. The white energy arcing from John's eyes mirrors the cracks tearing through the ground and sky. Yet amid the couple's struggles, violet and blue uphold Agent Lowe’s world.

 

Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou places uppercase black letters in cream dialogue balloons and boxes. Lowercase letters suggest lowered voices, while enlarged uppercase words deform balloons. White letters appear in dark backgrounds, while sound effects accompany a child’s wailing and reality fragmenting. Yet giant colorful words appear when a red beam of light erupts from a character’s head. Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this story with us.

 

Final Thoughts

We each stand in the center of our universe. But when the Green Martian showed John another way to perceive reality, he upset the order of creation. The Blue Martian has done his best to put John back in his box. But as Bridget gains a more complete understanding of the universe, the White Martian reaches the endgame of its Crisis of Absolute Worlds in Absolute Martian Manhunter #12.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

For a look inside see my preview of Absolute Martian Manhunter #12.

 

For what happened last time, see my review of Absolute Martian Manhunter #11.

For what happened before that, see my review of Absolute Martian Manhunter #10. 

For how this story arc started, see my preview of Absolute Martian Manhunter #7.

For the first story arc of this Eisner nominated series, see my review of Absolute Martian Manhunter: Martian Vision Vol 1. 

 

 

Absolute Martian Manhunter #12 Preview

 

 

It took John a long time to accept the Green Martian in his life. Doing so helped him prevent Middleton from descending into chaos. But when he told his wife what happened, the truth tore his family apart. The Green Martian wants to help John turn his life around. But the Blue Martian reminds John of all the bad things he's endured. Everywhere he goes, tragedy follows. What's the point of going on?

Yet as John falls, Bridget rises. Instead of pushing John away, she runs to find him. But is it too late for John and Bridget? And if the couple cannot reunite, will the Blue Martian unleash his Despair-O-Vision on everyone in Middleton? 

Here's all the info from DC Connect:

 

Absolute Martian Manhunter #12 Preview

Writer: Deniz Camp

Artist & Cover Artist: Javier Rodrígez

Variant Cover Artists: Andrew Robinson, Werther Dell’Edera & Seba Fiumara

Publisher: DC Comics

Issue Length: 48 Pages

Price: $5.99 US/Variant $5.99 US

Release Date: July 1, 2026

 

 

The Jaw-Dropping Final Issue!

 

 

It all comes together here: green and white, life and death, husbands and wives, fathers and sons, free will and fate, crime and punishment. Beginnings and endings. Why do people do the things they do? Read this issue to find out.

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

 

For what happened last time, see my review of Absolute Martian Manhunter #11.

For what happened before that, see my review of Absolute Martian Manhunter #10. 

For how this story arc started, see my preview of Absolute Martian Manhunter #7.

For the first story arc, see my review of Absolute Martian Manhunter: Martian Vision Vol 1. 

Absolute Martian Manhunter #11 Review

 

Absolute Martian Manhunter #11 Review

Writer: Deniz Camp

Artist & Colorist: Javier Rodríguez

Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

Cover Artists: Javier Rodríguez, Mike Del Mundo, Dave Johnson & Werther Dell’Edera

Editors: Sabrina Futch & Katie Kubert

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $4.99/$5.99 Card Stock

Release Date: May 13, 2026

 

Despite Bridget's love for him, John Jones hid the truth from her. Yet when the FBI Agent finally confessed the truth about his relationship with the Green Martian, Bridget shut him out of her life. As his wife withdraws to their home, her overwhelming love for her son is a lie. Yet John braves the dangers of non-Euclidean space to rescue the Green Martian from Americans who love their country.

 

Will Marco's musings on love in the Starlight Motel bar prove prophetic for John's relationship with Bridget and Tyler? And after the White Martian’s attack on Middleton, can John and the Green Martian convince everyone to sing "All You Need Is Love"? Let's leap into Absolute Martian Manhunter #11 and see!

 

Story

After rescuing the Green Martian from a black hole, FBI Agent John Jones returns to Middleton. While he is happy to have rescued the person who gives him hope, John wishes he could have left behind the Martian that fills him with despair. Yet the Green Martian and the Blue Martian remain by his side. He realizes his wife and child are in the clutches of the White Martian. And as John races to reach Bridget and Tyler, the mysterious government agents lie in wait.

 

While the Green Martian tries to protect John from the Blue Martian, he also shields them from the agents' attacks. Yet no one can shield John from the Blue Martian's Despero-Vision in Absolute Martian Manhunter #11. Amid the gunfire and the Green Martian's energy beams, the Blue Martian revisits key moments from John's past. It also ponders the efficacy of John's actions. As an FBI agent, John has dedicated his life to safeguarding society. Yet the Blue Martian makes John wonder if, instead of keeping people safe, he's made things worse for everyone.

 

After a visit to a coffee shop left John in the hospital and other patrons dead, Deniz Camp's story ponders the role of free will in our lives. John's claims about the Green Martian helping him remake his life made his wife fear for his sanity. But while John races to rescue Bridget and Tyler, battling forces within and without, Bridget also begins to ponder her choices. Conformity to societal norms should make her happy. Yet, in Absolute Martian Manhunter #11, Bridget yearns for completeness.

 

Art

Despite John's determined expression as he charges down the street, a close-up reveals the tiny Green and Blue Martians clinging to opposite sides of his head. Memories obscure his features, and Green tries to pull Blue away when it clings to John's ear. Subjects climb from cinema posters to threaten John, while Bridget cleans up after Tyler's colorful visitors.

 

Javier Rodríguez's palette suggests why Darkseid created this universe. Bridget's colorful visitors produce white smoke filled with symbols of empty happiness, sorrow, and death. Despite her multicolored thoughts, Bridget wears a yellow scarf over her head. John senses the Green Martian's rage as he shoots red beams at their attackers. Behind him, the Blue Martian cradles John in his arms, as if soothing him with despair instead of hope. A black-and-white government agent launches a red, white, and blue attack. Yet as the Blue Martian forces John to relive the memories that torment him, the green background and ground cracks in Absolute Martian Manhunter #11.

 

Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou places uppercase black letters in cream dialogue balloons and boxes. Lowercase letters suggest lowered voices, while enlarged uppercase words deform balloons. White letters appear in dark backgrounds, while yellow sound effects suggest what provokes violence. Green letters shine amid black splotches, reminding us how easy it is to talk ourselves into despair. Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this story with us.

 

Final Thoughts

After John Jones and the Green Martian repulsed his frontal attack on Middleton, the White Martian crept into the residents' homes. This time, it doesn't urge them to destroy their multicultural city through violence and terrorism. Instead, it induces lethargy and suspicion among its captives. But the White Martian reserves its primary efforts for John's household, knowing that, separated from the people who support him, John will eventually weaken and die. As the Blue Martian urges John to reevaluate his life, Bridget strives to defeat the fear that traps her in Absolute Martian Manhunter #11. 

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To look inside see my preview of Absolute Martian Manhunter #11.

 

For what happened last time, see my review of Absolute Martian Manhunter #10.

 

Absolute Martian Manhunter #11 Preview

 

Despite Bridget's love for him, John Jones hid the truth from her. But when the FBI Agent finally confessed the truth about his relationship with the Green Martian, she shut him out of her life. As his wife withdraws to their home, her overwhelming feelings of love for her son are a lie. Yet John braves the dangers of Non-Euclidean space to rescue the Green Martian from Americans who claim they love their country. 

Will Marco's musings on love in the Starlight Motel bar hold true for John's relationship with Bridget and their son? And after what the White Martian did to Middleton, can John and the Green Martian convince the Agency and their world to sing "All You Need Is Love?"

Here's all the info from DC Connect: 

Absolute Martian Manhunter #11 Preview

Writer: Deniz Camp

Artist: Javier Rodríguez

Cover Artist: Javier Rodríguez

Variant Cover Artists: Dave Johnson, Werther Dell-Edera & Mike Del Mundo

Publisher: DC Comics

Issue Length: 32 Pages

Price: $4.99/$5.99 Card Stock

Release Date: May 13, 2026

 

Who’s behind the Agency?!

 

As relationships and reality crumble around him, John comes face-to-face with the Agency’s mysterious boss!

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us. 

 

For what happened last time, see my review of Absolute Martian Manhunter #10.

 

For how this series started, see my review of Absolute Martian Manhunter: Martian Vision Vol 1. 

Absolute Martian Manhunter #10 Review

 

Absolute Martian Manhunter #10 Review

Writer: Deniz Camp

Artist & Colorist: Javier Rodríguez

Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

Cover Artists: Javier Rodríguez, Declan Shalvey, Werther Dell’Edera & James Harren

Editors: Sabrina Futch & Katie Kubert

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $4.99/$5.99 Card Stock

Release Date: March 25, 2026

 

You can't have beauty without ugliness. Peace doesn't exist without war. Love always combats hate, while good and evil are eternal. But how much longer John Jones can survive without the Green Martian seems very much in question. While John is on the run from the people in white coats, Agent Lowe conducts a vivisection on John's former partner. Can the troubled FBI agent win back Bridget and Tyler? Or will John give in to his new partner's Despero-Vision? Let's leap into Absolute Martian Manhunter #10 and see!

 

Story

When Agent Rainbow and his troops descend on the Starlight Motel, John Jones takes refuge in the motel bar. After Bridget conspired with the "counselors" to lock him away, another branch of the government besieged the motel. John vows to quit drinking if he survives the assault. Yet while the bartender muses on how something new can overturn your understanding of the world, John makes Molotov cocktails.

 

As John fights for freedom in Absolute Martian Manhunter #10, his former companion struggles to continue living. Agents Lowe and High strive to contain the Green Martian's influence. Tyler, or the spirit within him, captures Bridget in a euphoria as he exerts his influence beyond their home. Yet Agent Rainbow, who leads the assault at the Starlight Motel, claims his experience has made him impervious to influence.

 

In Deniz Camp's story, John and the Green Martian prevented the White Martian from tearing Middleton apart. Yet the town's civil war drew the government's attention. While John argues that success can only come by working together, Agents Rainbow, Lowe, and High believe the FBI Agent is conspiring against the federal government.

 

In a larger sense, John Jones is conspiring against his world. As Marco in the Starlight Bar argues, sometimes people don't know what's good for them. Still, John’s new dark Martian companion intends to keep John's feet firmly on the ground in Absolute Martian Manhunter #10.

 

Art

As John works on the bottles set beside his handguns on the bar, Marco studies the firefly trapped within an overturned glass. A flaming bottle flies past the motel sign, initiating gunfire and explosions. Tracer fire chases John as his Martian shadow races along a nearby wall. Skulls form amid an explosion as John fires his pistols while running. Soldiers wearing steel helmets and wielding swords and rifles fight and die. Bullets rain down from a helicopter skirting the top of the swaying palm trees.

 

Javier Rodríguez's fluorescent colors recall when Americans' attempts to cast off the shackles of the past clashed with their leaders' intention to police the world. Agent Rainbow's long hair flows on unseen air currents like the words carried by the smoke surrounding Bridget and Tyler in Absolute Martian Manhunter #10. As the battle-hardened soldier operates his strip-fed machine gun, he kneels upon the heads of his victims. While Agent Rainbow speaks of when he began his career, Agent Lowe and High's clothing and the interior design of their control room evoke an earlier era.

 

Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou places uppercase black letters in cream dialogue balloons and boxes. Lowercase letters suggest lowered voices, while enlarged uppercase words deform balloons. White letters fill dark backgrounds and dripping splotches, as the barrage of sound effects recalls the smell of napalm in the morning. Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this story with us.

 

Final Thoughts

John Jones fights for his life at the Starlight Motel. Yet the FBI Agent also fights for everyone's right to think their own thoughts, rather than accept whatever the gatekeepers tell them in Absolute Martian Manhunter #10. 

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To look inside see my preview of Absolute Martian Manhunter #10. 

 

For what happened last time, see my preview of Absolute Martian Manhunter #9.

Absolute Martian Manhunter #10 Preview

 

You can't have beauty without ugliness. Peace doesn't exist without war. Love always combats hate, while good and evil are eternal. But how much longer John Jones can survive without the Green Martian seems very much in question. While John is on the run from the people in white coats, Agent Lowe conducts a vivisection on John's former partner. Can the troubled FBI agent win back Bridget and Tyler? Or will John give in to his new partner's Despero-Vision? 

Here's all the info from DC Connect:

 

Absolute Martian Manhunter #10 Preview

Writer: Deniz Camp

Artist: Javier Rodríguez

Cover Artists: Javier Rodríguez, Werther Dell’Edera, Declan Shalvey & James Harren

Publisher: DC Comics

Issue Length: 32 Pages

Price: $4.99/$5.99 Card Stock

Release Date: March 25, 2026

 

The Truth of the Green Martian!

 

John takes on the Agency while his family—and his world—crumbles around him! Bridget starts to see through the smoke to the malevolent force inside her own house! And where exactly is the Green Martian?!

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

 

Absolute Martian Manhunter #9 Preview

 

 

When the boss grants his wish, John doesn't spend his reprieve from paperwork in the field. Instead of investigating the flurry of FBI reports about alleged wrongdoing, John slinks off the motel bar. But the Green Martian won't let John sink into a sea of oblivion. So, even though they're stronger together, John asks his consciousness-sharing friend for a night alone. Can John repair his fractured relationship with Bridget? And how will the Green Martian fare when investigating the toxic anti-life overexposure afflicting Middleton?

Here's all the info from DC Connect: 

Absolute Martian Manhunter #9 Preview

Writer: Deniz Camp

Artist: Javier Rodríguez

Cover Artists: Javier Rodríguez, Werther Dell’Edera, Dan Hipp & Matias Bergara

Publisher: DC Comics

Issue Length: 32 Pages

Price: $4.99/$5.99 Card Stock

Release Date: February 25, 2026

 

Alien Autopsy!

 

What Martian secrets will the Agency discover as they peel back layers of mystery, metaphor, and fascia? Meanwhile, John searches for his missing partner as his word continues to crumble around him!

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

Absolute Martian Manhunter #8 Review

 

Writer: Deniz Camp

Artist & Colorist: Javier Rodríguez

Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

Cover Artists: Javier Rodríguez, Eric Canete, Werther Dell’Edera & Bengal

Editors: Sabrina Futch & Katie Kubert

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $4.99/$5.99 Card Stock

Release Date: January 28, 2026

 

John Jones thought his life would improve after he defeated the White Martian. Instead, his colleagues drown him in paperwork. His son seems to be drawing inward. And the wife John thought he had reconciled with hasn't welcomed him back into their home.

 

As John spends his days at the FBI office and his nights at the Starlight Motel, the Green Martian tells him he still needs to process the trauma from his battle with the White Martian. Worse, the Green Martian delivers a bombshell: the White Martian didn't die. Can John gain the trust of his colleagues and win back his family? And can he help the citizens of Middleton get on with their lives after the White Martian nearly destroyed their city? Let's leap into Absolute Martian Manhunter #8 and see!

 

Story

While the Green Martian sought unity with John, the White Martian reminded people of their differences. As tensions rose in the multicultural community of Middleton, people attacked and killed each other. After accepting the Green Martian's presence in his life, John rose to the challenge of defending his community and his family. But the cost was a moment of shared consciousness with the city, when everyone knew everyone else's thoughts, feelings, and secrets.

 

John is a naturally private person. He works for an agency that protects secrets. But in Absolute Martian Manhunter #8, John has shared too much. The agency distrusts him, but they need his help to keep the peace in Middleton. His wife is another story. Bridget finds John’s story about a Martian living inside him difficult to accept. She endured events she cannot explain. But John’s story seems more akin to science fiction than the world she inhabits. Worse, if it is true, the Green Martian has a closer relationship with John than Bridget does.

 

As tensions rise between the FBI agent and his otherworldly partner, Deniz Camp splits the point of view between John and the Green Martian in Absolute Martian Manhunter #8. The story illustrates how truth is a two-edged sword. We dislike people keeping secrets from us. Still, that doesn't mean we should know the thoughts and feelings they repress. The people of Middleton got along before the White Martian arrived. Now, everyone's prejudices are laid bare.

 

Art

Smoke rises from buildings as neighbors become informants. John’s boss deals with stress by eating while working. As John gazes through the blinds, shadows play across his face like tiger stripes. After his boss orders him to shape up, John ships out to the local bar, where he sinks into glasses of alcohol, and a fellow drinker reminds him of Bridget.

 

Inside the sunburned buildings of Middleton, psychedelic colors adorn people, food, drinks, TV screens, and furnishings. Colored thoughts arise from bar patrons like cigarette smoke. While the Green Martian's likeness invades the things around John, smoke rises from Tyler’s mouth and eyes as he plays with his clay figurines. Yet in Absolute Martian Manhunter #8, Javier Rodríguez keeps changing the color of John's cosmic partner.

 

Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou places uppercase black letters in off-white dialogue balloons and boxes, while lowercase letters suggest lowered voices. White letters fill dark backgrounds, and people's thoughts appear in clouds. Even food testifies to its origins in splotchy balloons. Sound effects accompany drinking, a moment of realization, and a desperate attempt at connection. Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this story with us.

 

Final Thoughts

John's job is to assess when the next terrorist event may occur and communicate the dangers to his superiors. Yet a barrier of understanding separates John and his wife. While his depression prevents John from helping his community reclaim its euphoria, it also robs him of the ability to discern who can best help him get his life back on track. And in a universe built on domination, the authorities know the best way to conquer strife-torn Middleton in Absolute Martian Manhunter #8. 

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

To look inside see my preview of Absolute Martian Manhunter #8. 

Absolute Martian Manhunter #8 Preview

 

 

John Jones thought his life would improve after he defeated the White Martian. But his superiors drown him in paperwork. His son seems to be drawing inward. And his wife, who he thought he had reconciled with, hasn't welcomed him back into their home. 

As John spends his days at the FBI office and his nights at the Starlight Motel, the Green Martian tells him he still needs to process the trauma from his battle with the White Martian. Worse, the Green Martian delivers a bombshell: the White Martian didn't die. Can John gain the trust of his colleagues and win back his family? And can he help the citizens of Middleton get on with their lives after the White Martian nearly destroyed their city?

Here's all the info from DC Connect:

 

Absolute Martian Manhunter #8 Preview

Writer: Deniz Camp

Artist: Javier Rodríguez

Cover Artists: Javier Rodríguez, Werther Dell’Edera, Eric Canete & Bengal

Publisher: DC Comics

Issue Length: 32 Pages

Price: $4.99/$5.99 Card Stock

Release Date: January 28, 2026

 

A Hunt for the White Martian!

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.