'Absolute Martian Manhunter' #10 Balances Psychedelic Visuals With Story Depth
TL;DR
Absolute Martian Manhunter #10 is a complex, visually stunning, and thought-provoking chapter that rewards patient readers. Deniz Camp and Javier Rodriguez continue to prove this is one of the most ambitious books DC has put out in years. With only two issues left, the pieces are falling into place for what promises to be a memorable finish.
Full Review
If you told someone a few years ago that a Martian Manhunter comic would be the crown jewel of DC's Absolute line, they'd have looked at you sideways. Absolute Martian Manhunter has quietly become one of the most daring superhero books on the shelves, and issue #10 makes a strong case that it's only getting sharper as it closes in on the finish line.
This issue finds John Jones squaring off against the Agency while the walls close in on his family back home. The main story line’s action sequences are the most kinetic the series has delivered, framed through psychedelic Vietnam flashbacks as John is under attack. It's a disorienting, visceral sequence that works both as a superhero set piece and as something heavier underneath. Camp has been layering social commentary into this book for a while, and this issue probes ideas about borders, power, and national identity.
Meanwhile, the scenes between Bridget and Tyler are the issue's quiet gut punch. They account for only a few pages, but the moments are steeped with a dread that lingers. It's a reminder that for all of the book's psychedelic spectacle, its emotional core has always about family.
And Javier Rodriguez, as always, is doing extraordinary work. This issue is as visually complex as anything he's produced on the series, balancing fluid action with hallucinogenic imagery without either element undermining the other. The color work is simply magical. This is a book that genuinely rewards a second read, not just for the story, but for everything Rodriguez embeds in the panels. Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou's lettering keeps all of it grounded, threading cleanly through purposefully chaotic visual environments.
That said, Absolute Martian Manhunter remains one of the best arguments going that superhero comics can operate at a genuinely literary level.
Rating: 4.5/5
