''Absolute Martian Manhunter'' is a

psychological thriller Psychological thriller is a Film genre, genre combining the thriller (genre), thriller and psychological fiction genres. It is commonly used to describe literature or films that deal with psychological narratives in a thriller or thrilling setting ...

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a fictional character who typically possesses ''superpowers'' or abilities beyond those of ordinary people, is frequently costumed concealing their identity, and fits the role of the hero, typically using their ...

comic book A comic book, comic-magazine, or simply comic is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are often accompanied by descriptive prose and wri ...

miniseries In the United States, a miniseries or mini-series is a television show or series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. Many miniseries can also be referred to, and shown, as a television film. " Limited series" is ...

published by

DC Comics DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...

, based on its character

Martian Manhunter The Martian Manhunter (J'onn J'onzz) is a superhero in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Joseph Samachson and artist Joe Certa, the character first appeared in the story "The Manhunter from Mars" in ''Detective Comics ...

. The series is written by

Deniz Camp Deniz Camp is a Turkish- Filipino comics writer who has written for independent comics, Marvel Comics, and DC Comics. His most notable works are ''20th Century Men'', ''Children of the Vault'', and ''The Ultimates''. Career The first profession ...

and illustrated by Javier Rodríguez, and was released on March 26, 2025 as part of DC's

Absolute Universe The Absolute Universe (AU) is an imprint of American comic books overseen by writer Scott Snyder and published by DC Comics. The comics take place in a shared universe designated Alpha-World as part of the DC Comics multiverse, featuring reimag ...

(AU) imprint. It is the fifth series from the imprint released in order, and is second in the second batch of Absolute titles, following ''

Absolute Flash ''Absolute Flash'' is a superhero comic book series published by DC Comics, based on the character of The Flash. The series is written by Jeff Lemire and illustrated by Nick Robles, and began publication on March 19, 2025, as part of DC's Absolut ...

'' and continuing with ''

Absolute Green Lantern ''Absolute Green Lantern'' is a superhero horror comic book series published by DC Comics. It is based on the character Green Lantern, presenting a reinterpretation of the character's mythos. The series is written by Al Ewing and illustrated by J ...

''.

Premise

The series focuses on

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...

agent John Jones as his body is taken over by an alien consciousness referred to as a "

Martian Mars, the fourth planet from the Sun, has appeared as a setting in works of fiction since at least the mid-1600s. Trends in the planet's portrayal have largely been influenced by advances in planetary science. It became the most popular celes ...

", causing him to slowly go insane, and being dragged into an intergalactic war. This bears many differences from the main continuity, with the human John and the 'Martian' being two separate beings.

Publication history

By July 2024, a

-focused

series written by

was in the works as part of

(AU) imprint, titled ''Absolute Martian Manhunter''. Javier Rodríguez is the illustrator of the comic, and Camp described the title as "one of the most dramatic re-imaginings in the Absolute Universe". The design for the 'Martian' was created by Rodriguez as a clay sculpture. Camp cited various sci-fi works and authors that inspired the title, such as '' 2001: A Space Odyssey'', the writings of

Ursula K. Le Guin Ursula Kroeber Le Guin ( ; Kroeber; October 21, 1929 – January 22, 2018) was an American author. She is best known for her works of speculative fiction, including science fiction works set in her Hainish universe, and the ''Earthsea'' fantas ...

and

J. G. Ballard James Graham Ballard (15 November 193019 April 2009) was an English novelist and short-story writer, satirist and essayist known for psychologically provocative works of fiction that explore the relations between human psychology, technology, s ...

, but the primary influence of the book came from writer

Thomas Pynchon Thomas Ruggles Pynchon Jr. ( , ; born May 8, 1937) is an American novelist noted for his dense and complex novels. His fiction and non-fiction writings encompass a vast array of subject matter, Literary genre, genres and Theme (narrative), th ...

, especially his works ''

Inherent Vice ''Inherent Vice'' is a novel by the American author Thomas Pynchon, originally published on August4, 2009. A darkly comic detective novel set in 1970s California, the plot follows sleuth Larry "Doc" Sportello whose ex-girlfriend asks him to i ...

'' and ''

The Crying of Lot 49 ''The Crying of Lot 49'' is a novel by the American author Thomas Pynchon. It was published by J. B. Lippincott & Co. on April27, 1966. The shortest of Pynchon's novels, the plot follows Oedipa Maas, a young Californian woman who begins to embr ...

''. He described the book as "psychedelic noir that tackles the big human questions through a small, personal lens". ''Absolute Martian Manhunter'' was released in March 2025. Originally a six-issue miniseries, the book was extended to twelve issues, with the same creative team working on all issues with no fill-ins. The first issue of ''Absolute Martian Manhunter'' #1 sold over 120,000 pre-orders in March 2025.

References

{{Martian Manhunter 2025 comics debuts Comics about extraterrestrial life Superhero comics