Absolute Martian Manhunter #2: Streams of Colorful Consciousness

John isn’t crazy after all. The Martian in his head asserts itself in Absolute Martian Manhunter #2. Something is stimulating humanity’s most toxic traits, and it’s that something that the Martian in John’s head hopes to stop. It offers some proof, leading John to the neighborhood called Little Damascus where a shooter has taken to the streets. He is killing people he is convinced are aliens pretending to be human. The Martian might be the only thing that can stop him.

Coloring steals the show in Absolute Martian Manhunter #2 just as it did in the series’ first issue. But unlike the first issue where it was more nebulous as John experienced an awakening that he didn’t understand, here it comes into greater focus. Streams of color flowing out of characters’ heads are a medium for the text of their thoughts, literal colorful streams of consciousness. When people die, these colorful streams cease holding text and instead are shaped into aspects of their lives–the stream of blue flowing out of a dead man makes itself into someone at the steering wheel of a boat while the pink one shapes itself into someone cutting down a tree. Now John perceives meaning in the colors around him.

That idea is then seen on a larger scale within the mind of the shooter. The shooter’s head fills most of one page, and in similar fashion to his victims, is filled with parts of himself defined by different colored mists–in yellow he is a Boy Scout, in orange he is working at a fast food joint, and so on. This then becomes a battleground where the Martian, all in green with his distinctive red eye, fights all the color surrounding him. Over the course of two issues, Rodriguez has turned the ethereal into something more real, and that transition is easily understood because of his use of color.

The Martian functions as a real character in Absolute Martian Manhunter #2. It is powerful, certainly. But Rodriguez gives it a of kind whimsy as well. Though the situation it is describing is dire, the Martian is always drawn with a smile. Sometimes it comes off as self-satisfied such as when it is reclining in John’s passenger seat. Other times it looks happy and playful, best on display when its head is sitting atop a religious idol. The juxtaposition makes a serious threat unconventionally fun.

Rodriguez’s work isn’t limited just to playing with colors and finding symbolism. John is a well-realized and easy to understand character in his expressions and overall physicality. For instance, he conveys strength when he takes charge as a FBI agent despite the seeming insanity around him. Rodriguez conveys John’s emotions with little more than eye and mouth shape. Shading is minimal to non-existent. He also doesn’t use subtle transitions from panel to panel. Changes in appearance are sometimes abrupt. It’s an effective style.

Absolute Martian Manhunter #2 is almost as busy with text in some places as it is with art. The at times chaotic “conversation” between John and the Martian is an effective expression of John’s growing understanding. Some will argue that the best lettering is lettering that largely goes unnoticed. That is to say, it doesn’t distract. The lettering for the Martian’s side of the discourse is distracting. And it should be.

The Martian is assertive, invading John’s sense of awareness. It is interfering with John’s perception. The at times totally disorganized text successfully communicates to the reader what is going on in John’s head. This contrasts with how Otsmane-Elhaou handles John’s internal monologue which is neatly organized in easy to track caption boxes.

Narratively, Absolute Martian Manhunter #2 is relatively light. As fascinating as the back and forth discourse between John and the Martian is, the scheme that the Martian discusses could have been explained much more efficiently. So far as the plot is concerned, this issue is primarily setup, putting larger events in motion and establishing what the Martian’s role is. The real strength is the discourse between John and the Martian.

Camp’s dialogue between the two main characters, alongside John’s internal monologue, makes for a page-turner of an issue. The visuals are going to dominate any reading of Absolute Martian Manhunter #2, but without compelling dialogue they could come across in many places as merely sound and fury.