Absolute Martian Manhunter #12: The End of Something Special

Absolute Martian Manhunter #12’s biggest surprise is how easy it is to understand. This isn’t to say that the series’ final issue isn’t still loaded with metaphor. It is. But it’s relatively easy to grapple with. Compare this to Absolute Martian Manhunter #11 which required extreme familiarity with the series to properly engage with. Camp and Rodriguez take a lot of the bigger notions, such as the Green Martian’s lifelong connection to John, and distill them into easy-to-digest nuggets. The issue remains complex but is never indecipherable.

The main emotional thrust of Absolute Martian Manhunter #12’s story is in how it addresses ideas of depression, desperation, and despair. These thematic elements date all the way back to the first issue, but they jumped front and center a few issues ago with the introduction of Despero whose entire purpose has been to manipulate and accentuate John’s negative thoughts. The White Martian’s plot to destroy the world remains the overarching threat, but unlike the first six issues, the use of Despero makes the stakes far more personal. Indeed, this literal manifestation of despair ties directly into Tyler’s corruption. This is part of why Absolute Martian Manhunter #12 is, as was noted earlier, so easy to understand. Despite all the flashy Martian action, the chief conflict is easy to understand.

Ultimately, and somewhat unexpectedly, Absolute Martian Manhunter #12 reveals the bonds of family–specifically John, Bridgett, and Tyler–to be central to everything that’s going on. Camp dispenses with metaphor entirely in the final pages and distills the entire big picture narrative down to a very small, very human drama. It’s unexpected, but is immediately obvious as the correct choice. And perhaps even more surprisingly, the series goes out on a note of extreme optimism–even potentially in a kind of rebirth.

Rodriguez’s art and use of color is as dynamic here as it has been in every preceding issue in the series. Particularly noteworthy is John’s final “confrontation” with Tyler that takes place after his Martian Vision reaches its greatest strength. John is depicted in all white against a background of solid yellow. It’s a visual banishment of the despair that John has been confronting for the last few issues during which the color schemes have grown darker.

Most impressive, though, is how Rodriguez reinforces the optimistic note that the series strikes in the end. After twelve issues of sometimes abstract art and seemingly uncontrolled vibrant color, the final pages are visually quiet. Rodriguez finishes with a comparatively “normal” color scheme. Indeed, the thick outlines, lighter yet rich colors, and higher contrast call to mind classic romance comics. The world is at peace, and everything is going to be all right.

Otsmane-Elhaou manages to strike a balance of chaos and organization in his placement of dialogue bubbles and caption boxes. As the world starts to fall apart, some of these start to almost overlap. It adds a kind of frenetic energy to everything, helping to drive up the urgency. Yet at the same time, the text is never difficult to follow.