The Martian Manhunter Finale is Just a New Beginning

Writer: Steve Orlando / Artist: Riley Rossmo / DC Comics The Martian Manhunter finale is here. And while it wrapped up its story pretty well, its end really serves as a beginning for the character. That doesn’t mean we’re getting more issues from this series or this creative team. A 12-issue maxi-series is exactly what it sounds like. But it does mean we have a new modern-day origin for our sad, emo, green friend that dives deep into the trauma that he had to overcome to become the Martian Manhunter. Issue #12 featured the final showdown between Manhunter & the Martian criminal Charnn, Detective Meade and the Midleton police vs. The Vulture Gang, and J’onn once and for all vs. his mind. J’onn is a proven fighter, but what he’s had issues with is using the powers within his mind to help him out. Because whenever he does, he does a deep dive into the past and becomes otherwise incapable. Over the course of the series, he’s had a lot of unresolved trauma that he’s pushed to the back of his mind and hasn’t dealt with properly. And now that there’s conflict directly related to the trauma he’s neglecting, he’s had a hard time getting up to speed.

I’ve really loved how this series was, at the base level, just about dealing with your issues. It humanizes a shape-shifting green alien in the simplest of ways. We resonate with J’onn because we kind of are J’onn. Our family didn’t burn to death on Mars, but we, like J’onn, don’t deal with our issues. It’s all too easy to just ignore…