As DC launches its bold new Absolute UniverseJustice League icon Martian Manhunter is undergoing a radical reimagining, as the ‘Soul of the League’ grapples with an entire reality built on Darkseid’s evil. First appearing in 1955, Martian Manhunter is a longtime member of the Justice League with incredible powers including telepathy, shapeshifting, and intangibility. In fact, the Manhunter’s powers are so extensive that Superman named him as the only hero he would be afraid to fight, calling him, “the most powerful being on the face of the Earth.”
Announced at New York Comic Con, Absolute Martian Manhunter will be released in March 2025, from writer Deniz Camp and artist Javier RodrÃguez. The series will see an FBI agent possessed by an alien consciousness, granting him immense powers. DC’s new Absolute Continuity completely reinvents the hero’s design, emphasizing his mutable nature as a being who is not confined to a single form.
The news was shared at DC’s All In/Absolute Universes panel, with a selection of character designs showing the titular character in different forms. Camp stated:
Martians, in this world, they are not really from Mars. This is one of the most dramatic reimaginings of the Absolute Universe. An FBI agent is invaded by an alien consciousness that selects “Martian” from his mind to describe what he is. The book is about an outsider’s complete worldview combined with an insider’s complete worldview.
Absolute Martian Manhunter reinvents the alien hero
This Manhunter isn’t even from Mars
DC’s Absolute Universe was officially introduced in DC everything in special #1which saw Darkseid killed by a combination of Superman and the Spectre. Unfortunately, this only freed the God of Evil to escape DC’s mainstream reality, reshaping an entire alternate universe with evil as the fundamental force in existence. The heroes of this world are stripped of every advantage they ever had – Batman has no fortune, Wonder Woman was raised in hell itself, and Superman never met the Kents as a child. Absolute Continuity started with three new series Absolute Batman, Absolute Supermanand Absolute Wonder Womanbut NYCC has confirmed that these will be followed in 2025 by Absolute Green Lantern, Absolute Flash and Absolute Martian Manhunter.
While Martian Manhunter is a fan favorite, he doesn’t have the same cultural footprint as many of his Justice League allies, mainly because he’s been much less represented in live-action. Despite that, DC heroes and fans often refer to Martian Manhunter as the heart of the Justice Leagueand their presence has been used in the past to legitimize unusual team lineups. So it’s only fitting that he makes his Absolute debut alongside the Flash and Green Lantern.
Javier Rodriguez is the perfect choice for Absolute Martian Manhunter
DC gives creators the mandate to do something new
In terms of doing Martian Manhunter justice, Javier RodrÃguez is ideal news for fans. RodrÃguez’s bold use of colors and unusual page layouts make his art instantly identifiable, with previous projects such as Defenders and Zatanna: burning down the house showing fans what to expect Absolute Martian Manhunter. Interestingly, Manhunter’s redesign is based on a Play-Doh sculpture of Javier RodrÃguezwho shared on X that he used the substance to capture the hero’s inhuman, malleable form.
The Absolute Universe is already a huge success, as DC promises fans creative, high-quality new versions of beloved heroes. Although few fans expected Martian Manhunter sharing top billing with the rest of Justice League’s A-list, is a very welcome surprise, especially since the hero’s reinvention perfectly captures the spirit of how radically the Absolute Universe is being allowed to reinterpret DC lore.
Absolute Martian Manhunter #1 will be released by DC Comics in March 2025.