In this review of Absolute Martian Manhunter #9, John’s having issues with his new partner, and the family therapy appointment goes a bit awry.
ABSOLUTE MARTIAN MANHUNTER #9
Written by DENIZ CAMP
Art and Main Cover: JAVIER RODRÍGUEZ
Variant Covers: WERTHER DELL’EDERA, DAN HIPP, MATIAS BERGARA
Page Count: 32 pages
Release Date 2/25/26
This review contains spoilers
We Absolute Martian Manhunter #9 with the Martian in a lab, being vivisected, as he still tries to reach John. John’s been trying to find any trace of his prior partner, because Desparo is definitely not helpful. Desparo’s the ultimate pessimist (though he claims that he’s just telling the truth at all times).
During one interview, John gets an alert on his phone…he’s late for an appointment with Dr. Trapp. Meanwhile, the doctors cutting into the Martian are seeing all kinds of the beautiful, trippy stuff inside of him and seem to even be getting high off of it.
At the therapist’s, John wants to see Tyler…but instead, he’s being asked about his alien sightings. He starts to talk about the explosion at the coffee shop, but Bridget mentions that he’d been acting weird before that. He mentions having gotten transferred from DC. The doctor shows concern over an apparent psychotic break on John’s part.
Thanks to Despero’s egging him on, John’s upset at Bridget for setting this whole thing up, for claiming he’s not safe for their son to be around… He figures that White Martian has to be behind everything that’s going wrong for him right now.
Orderlies try to drag him off, but he makes a run for it. The White Martian, at this point, is basically puppeting everyone.
The government scientists, meanwhile, figure out that the Martian has a human host. And that he’s been staying at the Starlight Motel…
This series has always been a trip, but I think they outdid themselves this time, and I’m here for it.
Between the scenes at the government lab and John at the therapist’s office, it feels like a perfect time to go all-out with the visuals, and the artists delivered.
First off, the vivisection scenes…The setting itself has an appropriately oppressive nature to it, while all of the eye-catching color that’d followed the Martian and John throughout their time together is contained within the Martian himself. And the doctors bring that spewing right out.
I’m also rather entertained at these doctors apparently snorting some of the Martian’s insides. Psychic protections were mentioned, sure…getting THAT close to something that came out of a dude one’s cutting open? It doesn’t feel lke the most advisable thing, but damn, if it doesn’t make for some great visuals.
On to Despero, now that the reader’s gotten to know him a little better… He claims to be truthful. What he definitely isn’t is helpful, though. Not when he starts going all “Call of the Void” on his partner while said partner is on his way to a shrink. Bridget may have told the therapist about John’s issues. But it’d been done with the best of intentions for their family, not as the personal attack Despero was twisting it to be.
John figures out that White Martian’s got to be involved somehow: the timing of it all is too suspicious to be a coincidence, of course.
The back-and-forth between the Martian in the lab and Tyler playing a game of Vivisection (and John at the therapist’s office, complete with a him-themed Vivisection game, as well) was a nice touch. Drove home just how horrific and nerve-wracking their situations are.
The doctor’s last name being “Trapp”, by the way? That’s one of those things that feels intentional in a writer sense (but might be a coincidence in-universe).
I love the contrast between Martian-Vision and Desparo-Vision, as well. Whereas one was all about color and possibility, the other is dark, at times freakish, and pushes the hopelessness angle to great effect.
Final Thoughts
Well-written, excellently-drawn, and weird as hell. And that’s what makes Absolute Martian Manhunter such a delight. Absolute Martian Manhunter #9 leaves off on a cliffhanger that makes me eager for what’s next, and is, as always, a mind-screwy delight to read.
