Martian Manhunter #1 Review

by Davies Green | December 5, 2018 8:00 am

 

 
A fan favorite DC green martian superhero is back in a 12 part mini series! Thats right, I am talking about Martian Manhunter. What better way to see the trials and tribulations of J’onn J’onzz than having him in his own series. In Martian Manhunter #1, writer Steve Orlando (Supergirl Rebirth) is constructing two stories at once. One in the present day and one in the past when he was a Manhunter on Mars. Its definitely early but, Orlando is definitely setting up something that happened in the Manhunter’s past that will haunt him in the present day. 

Martian Manhunter #1 shows J’onn J’onzz picking up his detective partner, Diane, to a gruesome crime scene. While investigating the scene, there is something that triggers a memory in his past and it clearly bothered him throughout the rest of the issue. Steve Orlando brings the reader in the Manhunter’s previous life by showing his past. One of the hardest things I feel a comic book writer could do is to keep the story moving or interesting when inserting flashbacks. In Martian Manhunter #1, it was very mediocre. Its understandable that this is the first issue of the mini series but, the intro point Steve Orlando puts the reader in the flashback felt a little inconsequential. Out of everything that I got from the flashback, there was one solid thing that the reader would need to remember. 

On the current day storyline however, Steve Orlando shines brightly. He gave John’s partner Diane a great personality that does not make her feel like a sidekick but rather, on an equal playing ground with John Jones’s detective skills. Some of the best parts of the book is the banter between the two of them. 

The art in Martian Manhunter #1 was done by Riley Rossmo. He known for his amazing cover art styles and abstractness. For the most part, the two cover spreads in the book are great but there were some parts that made it a little difficult to know what was going on. The colors in the book were super vibrant at times but was also alright overall. 

Martian Manhunter #1 was an OK read overall. Let us see where the next issue will take us.

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