Martian Manhunter #2 Review and *SPOILERS*

Written By: Rob Williams
Art By: Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira, Gabe Eltaeb
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: July 15, 2015

"C" Is For Cookie, It's Also For Courageous

*Non Spoilers and Score At The Bottom*

You know what the first issue of Martian Manhunter was?  It was solid.  Now I'm not going to lie to you and say that is was amazing, spectacular or you'll pay for the seat, but you'll only need the edge.  What I will tell you is that it really set up an interesting story that got me really interested in a Martian Manhunter solo book that I've been a naysayer about whenever the subject was brought up.  So yeah, I'm interested and Rob Williams is definitely someone I trust to rock this title, especially after he set up a world wide terrorist attack being perpetrated by disguised White Martians and speculating that J'onn J'onzz has one of hell of a Secret Origin.  We've always known J'onn as the last Martian, but in the pages of this book we find out that he's more than that, he's also a weapon.  Let's get into this story and find out more about the White Martian attack and the strange character of Mr. Biscuits.  Let's check it out.

Explain It!:

Our issue begins with a very cool page of Martian Manhunter floating above Earth's atmosphere like we've seen Superman do in the movies, but instead of listening to the suffering of the people, J'onn hears their suffering inside his head and while it's only a page, this scene really sets up the feeling of the rest of the issue.  So we jump back to where we left off at the end of the previous issue, where we saw J'onn go to Helen Demoff of NASA and ask her to kill him.  Now, knowing that this hero wants you to help them die, I don't think that showing him a device that you're working on that's supposed to open wormholes for interstellar travel, but only vaporizes objects instead is such a good idea.  Who knows though?  Since we're dealing with Martian Manhunter, she might have had the idea of showing him this device implanted in her mind and she's really an unknowing puppet.  Before J'onn can go and vaporize himself, he's interrupted by an intruding Superman, who wants answers on how J'onn knew about the terrorist attacks before they happened.

This section of the book seriously amps up the already great issue by not only pitting Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash and Cyborg against Martian Manhunter and by telling us that J'onn's memories of his family who were killed on Mars were merely implanted in his mind by the White Martians, but it also begins funny as well.  When Superman initially shows up, Martian Manhunter remarks to Dr. Demoff, saying "Look, a spaceman".  I don't know, you guys at home might not find this funny, but it tickled me.  Anyway, the fight becomes epic as J'onn decides that if he was created for war and the Justice League won't simply back off and let him die, then he'll give them war.  He then transforms into a huge monster ready for a fight.  The only problem with this section is that we have to step away from it to deal with another character in the book, who I felt was so insignificant that I didn't even bother to mention her in the review of last issue.  The character I'm talking about is a thief from Dubai named Pearl and after witnessing the murder of a Sheik in the last issue, she's now being pursued by disguised White Martians, who apparently want her dead for what she's seen.  Now, I don't know what it means but right before Pearl is about to get all..........well, dead.  She hears Martian Manhunter in her head telling her to run and then proceeds to jump hundreds of yards onto a cargo vessel.  Well, that's the end of Pearl's story and as of right now, it's the least interesting part of this book, but I guess we'll have to wait and see how her character develops.

In the end, we find out that the huge, epic, no holds barred battle between the Justice League and Martian Manhunter was just a thought implanted into our heroes by J'onn, while he set up the vaporizing device and before our heroes could get to him, we watch Martian Manhunter die............Well, that was certainly unexpected for a second issue.  At the same time of J'onn's death we have Mr. Biscuits say that it was brave of him to do and that he certainly did not see that coming......... You and me both Mr. Biscuits.  As the issue closes, Mr. Biscuits grabs the girl from the first issue, Alicia and runs off saying that they need to stop the Martians.

That's it for this issue of Martian Manhunter and hot damn has Rob Williams made me a believer in a Martian Manhunter solo book.  Not only was this book full of action and excitement, but it also had heart.  Yeah, that's a corny thing to say, but seriously, if this series was the first time that you ever saw Martian Manhunter and you only read this and the previous issue, you would totally feel for J'onn in this story and maybe even cry..........I'm not saying that I did, but if we were alone and had a few drinks, I might let it slip that I shed a tear.  This is a brilliant looking book that is telling an awesome story that I can't wait to see where it goes.  I don't have a lot to say about this because it seems for the first time this week that I don't have anything to bitch about, but if you read one book this week, it should be Martian Manhunter............ but you should also check out Justice League because..........it's Justice League and it's telling an epic story.  I was really under the impression in the first issue that Mr. Biscuits was a flashback of what J'onn was when he first came to Earth, but this issue seriously stuck a wrench in that theory, but I'm still not convinced it isn't somehow still J'onn.  Just something I wanted to point out.  Go get this book!

Bits and Pieces:

What asshole was out there saying that Martian Manhunter couldn't hold a book on his own?  Oh yeah, that was me.  Well, that should go to show you how much this book rocks because I hate to be proven wrong and that's exactly what Rob Williams has done with this issue.  It's an amazingly told and drawn story that is action packed, but will still totally give you the feels.  What more could you ask for?  While we're still dealing with a subplot that isn't as interesting "yet" as our Main Martian, the rest will more than make up for it.  Go check it out.

9/10