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.