This issue feels like the morning after a massive, world-altering party where everyone woke up with the worst hangover of their lives. Absolute Martian Manhunter #7 officially kicks off the series’ second act. While the first six issues were a beautiful, slow-burning masterclass in world-building, Deniz Camp and Javier Rodríguez are now shifting gears. The shadows are receding, the stakes are getting loud, and John is no longer just an observer—he’s a target.
Relatable Midlife Crisis in a Rundown Motel
The story opens with a jarring shift in John’s personal life. He and Bridget are on a break, and John has moved into a rundown motel that feels like the physical embodiment of a midlife crisis. It is human nature at its lowest on full display. While John is surrounded by the chaos of a messy world, the Martian is constantly in his ear, trying to get him to engage, to fight, or at least to cheer up. John, in a very relatable move, just tunes him out.
Meanwhile, Bridget is holding it down on her own. She is used to being alone, but there is a creeping unease regarding Tyler. He is acting different. Rodríguez uses Tyler’s putty toys as a brilliant visual outlet here; they are abstract, colorful, and just weird enough to be terrifying if they ever actually took a breath.
The Psychic Hangover in Middleton
One of the most insightful parts of Camp’s writing this issue is how he handles the aftermath of the White Martian. Even though the villain was defeated, he still won in a way. The town of Middleton is suffering from a collective psychic hangover.
After the literal euphoria of being high on shared thoughts in the previous arc, the air has turned sour. There is a lingering shame polluting the streets. People are hiding because being seen is now the ultimate fear. It is a fascinating take on trauma: when we don’t have answers to a traumatic event, we don’t stop to figure it out; we just table it and try to move on. As this issue shows, those unresolved issues always crawl back out in the weirdest ways.
Javier Rodríguez’s Grids and Psychedelics
Javier Rodríguez took a short break, and it was clearly worth it because he hasn’t missed a beat. His use of color continues to be the best in the business. I love the random pops of rainbow colors in food and thought bubbles that give the book a psychedelic, tactile feel.
When John returns to the office, the palette shifts to rigid blacks, greys, and reds, perfectly capturing the boxed-in feeling of corporate life and bureaucracy. There is also a full-page splash of John doing desk work that uses a 16-grid box to show the sheer monotony of the grind. Seeing John and the Martian try and fail to make progress on paperwork is both hilarious and deeply relatable.
Verdict & The Martian Color Spectrum
The big moment comes with the revelation that we aren’t just dealing with Green and White Martians. It seems there is a whole spectrum of colors out there, and so far, the others aren’t nearly as friendly as our resident green alien. Camp is throwing massive, abstract ideas our way here (concepts almost too grand for the mind to grasp), and I’m here for every second of it.
Absolute Martian Manhunter #7 is a brilliant return to form. It is trippy, grounded in emotional failure, and it expands the mythos in a way that makes you realize we’ve only scratched the surface of what this Absolute reality is capable of.
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‘Absolute Martian Manhunter’ #7 Dawns a Deadly Second Act
Absolute Martian Manhunter #7 is a brilliant return to form. It is trippy, grounded in emotional failure, and it expands the mythos in a way that makes you realize we’ve only scratched the surface of what this Absolute reality is capable of.
