What do you think?
Rate this book
Martian Manhunter (2015) #2
Martian Manhunter, Volume 2: The Red Rising
MARS REBORN!
He was the last son of a dead world. But now that world lives again.
Mars has risen from the ashes, and J’onn J’onzz, the Martian Manhunter, has returned to a life he never thought he’d lead. But even though his world and his people have come back from the dead, they’ve brought nothing but trouble with them.
Somehow alive on this strange new world, the disparate aspects of J’onn’s fractured personality are not all on board with his plan to forsake his adopted home. Meanwhile, a tyrant rules the Red Planet with an iron fist. And for Mars to live, Earth needs to die.
It’s up to the Martian Manhunter and his motley crew of allies to save two races and two worlds from annihilation. While the war rages from planet to planet, who will win the war within—the Martian, or the man?
Find out in MARTIAN MANHUNTER VOL. 2, the explosive next chapter in the acclaimed series from red-hot writer Rob Williams (SUICIDE SQUAD) and acclaimed illustrator Eddy Barrows (DETECTIVE COMICS)!
Collects: Martian Manhunter 7-12 and Justice League of America #5.
He was the last son of a dead world. But now that world lives again.
Mars has risen from the ashes, and J’onn J’onzz, the Martian Manhunter, has returned to a life he never thought he’d lead. But even though his world and his people have come back from the dead, they’ve brought nothing but trouble with them.
Somehow alive on this strange new world, the disparate aspects of J’onn’s fractured personality are not all on board with his plan to forsake his adopted home. Meanwhile, a tyrant rules the Red Planet with an iron fist. And for Mars to live, Earth needs to die.
It’s up to the Martian Manhunter and his motley crew of allies to save two races and two worlds from annihilation. While the war rages from planet to planet, who will win the war within—the Martian, or the man?
Find out in MARTIAN MANHUNTER VOL. 2, the explosive next chapter in the acclaimed series from red-hot writer Rob Williams (SUICIDE SQUAD) and acclaimed illustrator Eddy Barrows (DETECTIVE COMICS)!
Collects: Martian Manhunter 7-12 and Justice League of America #5.
166 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 20, 2016
6 people are currently reading
70 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
September 14, 2025
(B) 72% | More than Satisfactory
Notes: Drab, no shine, a steep decline, characters get wrecked, an ending twist that gets you pissed, just raison d'être neglect.
Notes: Drab, no shine, a steep decline, characters get wrecked, an ending twist that gets you pissed, just raison d'être neglect.
March 18, 2022
Well, that was a steaming pile of crap. The Martian Manhunter and all the people on an air flight are now living on Mars. Mars was brought from the past by martian magic. But all the humans have been there for 20 years and Martian Manhunter just got there. I presume so Alicia could now be an adult. Living Mars is going to crash into Earth unless some martian child sends living Mars back to the past. God, this is dumb. The whole thing makes zero sense and is a complete and utter waste of time. It is a waste of good Eddy Barrows and Ben Oliver art.
February 5, 2017
The last time I read a book with “Red Rising” in the title was a pretty awful experience. Martian Manhunter, Volume 2: The Red Rising is better than Pierce Brownpants’ crummy novel but not by much which is disappointing as the first volume was really good.
The second volume sees Mars somehow resurrected and on a collision course with Earth - J’onn must decide which planet to save.
Honestly, I feel like nobody needs to read this one, even those who enjoyed the first book. Read that and leave it there – you can guess how it’s going to play out from that point and that’s exactly how it goes here. There’s a lot of running about and fighting that I didn’t really care for or completely understand (let’s throw Constantine in there for no reason - and giant mech warriors, really?), and J’onn’s contrived choice was totally predictable - you knew what he was going to do.
J’onn’s origin wasn’t that interesting nor was seeing the various versions of him come to terms with their true identities which is particularly boring to see repeated multiple times. I still like the cast though; they’re an imaginative direction to take the character, especially the endearing Mr. Biscuits.
That ending was pretty damn ballsy! It’s a helluva downer, which you don’t often see in superhero books, and Rob Williams reveals something about J’onn’s character that I doubt will stick and might upset some fans but I really liked it.
Ultimately this second volume was crappier than the first because it was more rushed. The action cascades across the pages, sometimes incoherently but always without being the least bit compelling, and the end reveals make the preceding story feel largely pointless. There’s also an issue from Justice League of America included for some reason - J’onn fights some silly alien; it’s terrible.
Williams’ ambitious and complex story falls apart in this second volume becoming dull and forgettable in the process. The first book was fresh, exciting and unpredictable; the second descends into standard superhero territory with the hero fighting X, Y, Z, etc. until the end. Unfortunately The Red Rising is not the triumphant finale to what I hoped would be one of the best Martian Manhunter stories yet.
The second volume sees Mars somehow resurrected and on a collision course with Earth - J’onn must decide which planet to save.
Honestly, I feel like nobody needs to read this one, even those who enjoyed the first book. Read that and leave it there – you can guess how it’s going to play out from that point and that’s exactly how it goes here. There’s a lot of running about and fighting that I didn’t really care for or completely understand (let’s throw Constantine in there for no reason - and giant mech warriors, really?), and J’onn’s contrived choice was totally predictable - you knew what he was going to do.
J’onn’s origin wasn’t that interesting nor was seeing the various versions of him come to terms with their true identities which is particularly boring to see repeated multiple times. I still like the cast though; they’re an imaginative direction to take the character, especially the endearing Mr. Biscuits.
That ending was pretty damn ballsy! It’s a helluva downer, which you don’t often see in superhero books, and Rob Williams reveals something about J’onn’s character that I doubt will stick and might upset some fans but I really liked it.
Ultimately this second volume was crappier than the first because it was more rushed. The action cascades across the pages, sometimes incoherently but always without being the least bit compelling, and the end reveals make the preceding story feel largely pointless. There’s also an issue from Justice League of America included for some reason - J’onn fights some silly alien; it’s terrible.
Williams’ ambitious and complex story falls apart in this second volume becoming dull and forgettable in the process. The first book was fresh, exciting and unpredictable; the second descends into standard superhero territory with the hero fighting X, Y, Z, etc. until the end. Unfortunately The Red Rising is not the triumphant finale to what I hoped would be one of the best Martian Manhunter stories yet.
February 3, 2018
Another comic book omnibus? Yep.
More great artwork and storylines? Yes.
The usual profanity and freaky visuals? Yep, that too.
More great artwork and storylines? Yes.
The usual profanity and freaky visuals? Yep, that too.
September 19, 2016
(A review of the whole series, read in single issues.)
When the bold but doomed DCYou initiative was announced, Martian Manhunter looked like it might be the sop to traditionalists - DCU mainstay, founder member of the Justice League, blah blah blah. Instead J'onn J'onzz' solo title turned out to be one of the strangest DCYou books: a single, fragmented storyline (about a single, fragmented character) that doubled as a revisionist exploration of this alien hero and his weird powers. Like Tom King's writing on Omega Men, Rob Williams' Martian Manhunter felt like the passionate work of revivalists, writers keen to pull DC back to its late 80s heyday of clever, canon-defying comics that reworked icons from the ground up to win an assumed new audience. If Pete Milligan had pitched a Martian Manhunter series in 1989, it might have read a little like this.
Unlike in the 80s, the new audience for DCYou didn't really materialise, though to their credit the company let the stories on the books run their course. Williams' Martian Manhunter is already so compressed - with the entire assumptions of the plot shifting regularly, and the stakes continually rising - that to lose an issue or two would have been disastrous. Even as it is, once the story passes its midpoint and hits a ludicrous frenzy of sci-fi action, there's a sense of parts coming loose after the tightness of the first half, particularly as the plot starts to juggle technology, shapeshifting and magic. And - trying to obscure spoilers - many of the characters face broadly the same kind of internal conflict and reach broadly similar conclusions about it, so the character work gets foggier as things progress, too.
So this isn't the Martian Manhunter Masterpiece you might have hoped for. But it's not a bad try. The central ideas are bold (and ultimately rather bleak), the characters are endearing - particularly the strange Mr Biscuits, who was obviously as fun to write as he is to read, and whose galloping, gangly form is an excellent showcase for penciller Eddy Barrows' flair for the grotesque. And some of the sequences - the extended chase scenes of the first volume - are a rollicking success. J'onn is likely to return to stolid, second-stringer obscurity after this: credit to Williams and Barrows for making him interesting (and alien) for a while.
When the bold but doomed DCYou initiative was announced, Martian Manhunter looked like it might be the sop to traditionalists - DCU mainstay, founder member of the Justice League, blah blah blah. Instead J'onn J'onzz' solo title turned out to be one of the strangest DCYou books: a single, fragmented storyline (about a single, fragmented character) that doubled as a revisionist exploration of this alien hero and his weird powers. Like Tom King's writing on Omega Men, Rob Williams' Martian Manhunter felt like the passionate work of revivalists, writers keen to pull DC back to its late 80s heyday of clever, canon-defying comics that reworked icons from the ground up to win an assumed new audience. If Pete Milligan had pitched a Martian Manhunter series in 1989, it might have read a little like this.
Unlike in the 80s, the new audience for DCYou didn't really materialise, though to their credit the company let the stories on the books run their course. Williams' Martian Manhunter is already so compressed - with the entire assumptions of the plot shifting regularly, and the stakes continually rising - that to lose an issue or two would have been disastrous. Even as it is, once the story passes its midpoint and hits a ludicrous frenzy of sci-fi action, there's a sense of parts coming loose after the tightness of the first half, particularly as the plot starts to juggle technology, shapeshifting and magic. And - trying to obscure spoilers - many of the characters face broadly the same kind of internal conflict and reach broadly similar conclusions about it, so the character work gets foggier as things progress, too.
So this isn't the Martian Manhunter Masterpiece you might have hoped for. But it's not a bad try. The central ideas are bold (and ultimately rather bleak), the characters are endearing - particularly the strange Mr Biscuits, who was obviously as fun to write as he is to read, and whose galloping, gangly form is an excellent showcase for penciller Eddy Barrows' flair for the grotesque. And some of the sequences - the extended chase scenes of the first volume - are a rollicking success. J'onn is likely to return to stolid, second-stringer obscurity after this: credit to Williams and Barrows for making him interesting (and alien) for a while.
December 20, 2016
It really, really felt like the author wasn't even trying. Like he got stuck writing Martian Manhunter, but he wanted to write anything else, so he did. Mecha warriors on Mars, Martian Manhunter turning into Batman with ears on his head and three spikes on his wrists, Justice League Dark showing up, and then having the chutzpah to tell us that every Martian Manhunter story that fans have ever read has all been in his head!? This book has left a very sour taste in my mouth.
December 24, 2017
I think I have made this comparrison before, in one of my reviews, but if not- Comic books are like drugs. You can have a manageable addiction, that can hurt your wallet a bit, and you might find yourself checking in on Spider-man or Captain America, you know the kind of stuff that mirrors what we see in the movie theaters, every year. The deeper your addiction gets, the weirder things become, the more obscure the character is.
This is close to the bottom as you can get in a mainstream comic book. I mean, what the hell is actually happening in this book? It almost feels like it is written by Grant Morrison. As weird as his books get, there is a level of coherence to them. This book gets so entrenched in its own mythology that it is very hard to understand what is going on, without reading the first volume. It succeeded in making me feel sympathy for martian manhunter, but otherwise not much else
This is close to the bottom as you can get in a mainstream comic book. I mean, what the hell is actually happening in this book? It almost feels like it is written by Grant Morrison. As weird as his books get, there is a level of coherence to them. This book gets so entrenched in its own mythology that it is very hard to understand what is going on, without reading the first volume. It succeeded in making me feel sympathy for martian manhunter, but otherwise not much else
March 27, 2025
In 2024, I gave the highly anticipated film Long Legs a 1 out of 5 on Letterboxd. I thought the cinematography was fantastic, and the music was spine-tingling, but after the first 30 minutes, the film went in a completely different direction than I anticipated. I expected something more similar to Se7en by David Fincher, but instead, it leaned more toward an episode of The X-Files.
And that’s kind of how I feel about Martian Manhunter Volume 2 by Rob Williams.
By no means do I think it’s poorly made—the creative team is top-tier—but the direction of Volume 2 feels so intrinsically different from Volume 1. It almost reads like a completely different team took over without reading the brief from the first volume. With a sudden time jump, magic characters shoe-horned in, and Martian Manhunter mechs, it all felt disjointed from the fascinating multi-narrative structure that made Volume 1 so compelling.
Volume 1 felt like it was heading toward a deep dive into the different personas Martian Manhunter had created; something psychological, introspective, and layered. But Volume 2 ended up feeling more like an MCU-styled final act.
And that’s kind of how I feel about Martian Manhunter Volume 2 by Rob Williams.
By no means do I think it’s poorly made—the creative team is top-tier—but the direction of Volume 2 feels so intrinsically different from Volume 1. It almost reads like a completely different team took over without reading the brief from the first volume. With a sudden time jump, magic characters shoe-horned in, and Martian Manhunter mechs, it all felt disjointed from the fascinating multi-narrative structure that made Volume 1 so compelling.
Volume 1 felt like it was heading toward a deep dive into the different personas Martian Manhunter had created; something psychological, introspective, and layered. But Volume 2 ended up feeling more like an MCU-styled final act.
March 11, 2018
I'm... still not completely sure how I feel about this comic. I liked it, but it was so confusing in parts--and I'm not really on board with the whole Martian Manhunter basically being insane thing--that I can't help but feel conflicted. On one hand, I liked the psychological metaphor in this graphic novel: the concept of us all being different people but, because the main character is a Martian, that idea is turned into reality. But, if that's the case... then does that mean Martian Manhunter was responsible for both Earth and the Old Living Mars nearly being destroyed? Did he orchestrate the whole thing himself without realizing it, because he had separated himself into so many different people that, some parts, so desperate to have his home world back, actually nearly obliterated everything in the process? Or was some of that only in his head? Or was all of it? I'd love some feedback on this graphic novel, because while I enjoyed the internal struggles and narration, I'm still not completely sure how everything tied together in the end. In some ways, that's kind of cool: blurring the lines between reality and illusion. But then... what actually happened?!?!?!?! And then there was the whole mecha-city-thingys that, honestly, felt a little too Power Rangers for my taste. Still, I can't say I wasn't eagerly turning the pages. And I also can't say that Mr. Biscuits wasn't awesome. Seriously, when he realized there were no biscuit shop on Mars--which was "alarming"--and then he broke out... that was just plain funny. And I also liked that the end theme was that, while we are all different people (we all have different sides to our personalities) we also always have good inside, too, and that is what we can choose to be. And, like Mr. Biscuits, when we choose to be good, we are no longer misshapen and confused. Seriously, from a metaphorical perspective, this comic was on point. But the story still left me with a lot of questions... the worst of which wondering if they somehow tarnished one of my favorite superheroes. But, ultimately, I don't think they did. Because, in the end, he chose to be good. He chose to be a hero. So while it was confusing at times, it was still incredibly well-written and definitely well worth the read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 19, 2017
Finishes the story introduced in the first volume while remaining consistent, cohesive, and of quality to the established art style and visual language despite a varying roster of artists. Don't be afraid to read the tie-in JLA issue first (treat it as a flashback if you like) even though it isn't chronologically fit in with the solo series it still deals in the themes and character in a way that only detracts from story if you wait until after issue #12. My biggest complaint with this volume is the feeling its overly rushed and a bit too neatly tied up (due more no doubt to cancellation worries as opposed to authorial intent, but I digress). Another 3-4 issues to more fully flesh out ideas and concepts shown in the first 8 issues feels warranted. the first 6 issues take their time with their themes and slowly weave together into a major reveal and change for the character in issues 6. Here the plot introduces ideas in the first several issues that never feel fully dealt with or paid off so that the major world involving plot can be resolved. More than prior treatments there's an attempt to flesh out J'onn Jonnzz's Mars, its civilization and politics but (likely because of early cancellation) these details dont feel quite as substantial as they should. The ending is more dour than a traditional superhero book, but fitting given the story and themes. I do recommend for those that liked the first volume because it does cleanly finish the crisis started there, but again it could be a better in execution given more time.
Read
February 20, 2017A little more widescreen and less psychodrama than the first volume, for the most part; when mech cities are turning into robot mode and battling as two planets collide, everything's gone a bit 'Knights of Cydonia', but I'm cool with that. Especially when it's still being counterpointed with stuff like Constantine running down the street in his undies. It's just a shame that the many artists all seem to operate in the current DC house style, because something a little more epic and metal - like the painterly work of Esad Ribic on Thor: Godbomb, say - would really have lifted this to the next level.
Also, it could definitely have done with more of Mr Biscuits.
Also, it could definitely have done with more of Mr Biscuits.
December 4, 2017
This review will also include stuff that happened in Volume 1, reviewing the story as a whole.
This story bit off more than it could chew. This is evident in the fact that when it came to, the story ends with an "it was all in your head, J'onn" ending. J'onn has such a bad loneliness/identity crisis that he fabricates an entire alien invasion, all so that a little girl could tell him that he at least "tried to do good". So many people got hurt (the astronauts in the beginning killed by a white martian, the 208 plane passengers killed by Ma'alefa'ak, at the very least) for J'onn to come to the conclusion that he at least "tried". Even though this series is promoted as "a new take" on J'onn, it takes no true risks to change his lore. The first volume felt like a fresh take into something interesting, but the second volume becomes so overwhelmed with how much the first volume set up, that it follows a standard superhero plot to get by.
Alicia's motivation to suddenly be about revenge and killing both Ma'alefa'ak and Martian Manhunter was a sharp turn into weird and weak motivation. She's so easily swayed by J'onn telling her to "be a child again", it felt like drama for the sake of drama.
There's plenty of high action and crazy awesome fight scenes to keep people interested, even if it does get wacky. "Giant Martian Mech Warrior Battle!" was so out there, but it's clear that the writers were self aware of how crazy this was getting. Still, Justice League Dark and Constantine were around for nooo reason but to cast a shield for a while.
Martian Manhunter (in general) shares a lot of the same problems Superman has as a character. Mainly, being waaay too overpowered. It's hard to create a compelling villain against an overpowered character. Because of this, both characters end up with similar writing solutions:
"Superman is the Last Kryptonian! But he needs villains strong enough to actually match him in strength, so he should fight other Kryptonians. So he's not really the last Kryptonian."
"Martian Manhunter is the Last Martian! But he needs villains strong enough to actually match him in strength, so he should fight other Martians. So he's not really the last Martian."
Instead of taking the strengths of his character (the way the Justice League tv show did!), and making big decisions to differentiate his character from Superman, Williams pretty much takes every bit of Manhunter lore and stuffs it into one. And it makes for a compelling first volume, but by the time the story had to be wrapped up and concluded, it's a convoluted mess that has J'onn's character back to Square 1.
Ma'alefa'ak as a villain is still the genocide-obsessed baddie, though this time it's based on "fear". A "fear" based on misunderstanding Mars' telepathic cry to stop draining the planet. Unsurprisingly, this interpretation still marries Ma'alefa'ak's character with villifying the disabled. Ma'alefa'ak isn't exactly disabled in this version, but he still inhabits the body of a wheelchaired boy- a curious nod to the character's origin as a Martian who can't speak telepathically. This retelling only doubles down by rebooting J'onn as a fusion of the "best" Martians. J'onn is the exceptional able-bodied Martian, and Ma'alefa'ak is the evil-fear motivated-disabled-genocide baddie. In other words, nothing new here. Just rehased old stuff.
The art is exceptional! Environment is key for a story that explores Mars as an environment, and the artists really pushed for an immersive environment with telling visual metaphors. The coloring especially brought the environments to life. The mechs are well drawn, and the monster designs are still as great as the first volume. Art from mainstream comics aren't usually my favorite, but this was a visual feast.
Overall, this series is genuinely fun even if it's not technically anything new. I was so excited by Volume 1 that I immediately had to read Volume 2. Volume 2 just ended up writing itself into a corner because of the huge premise volume 1 set up. It just wasn't -as- fun because of that. For a story about Martian Manhunter, we don't really see him that much. I love the rag-tag team of J'onn's human identities (Mr. Biscuits is still the best), but I was beginning to miss the Alien himself.
I'd still recommend this arc for the sake of resolving the first half of the story and definitely for the exceptional art. The story just isn't really digging deep enough into J'onn as a character people could identify with. J'onn is so overpowered as a character that his own villain in this story is technically himself. He hallucinated an entire invasion over an identity crisis. The conflict itself is ultimately convoluted.
This story bit off more than it could chew. This is evident in the fact that when it came to, the story ends with an "it was all in your head, J'onn" ending. J'onn has such a bad loneliness/identity crisis that he fabricates an entire alien invasion, all so that a little girl could tell him that he at least "tried to do good". So many people got hurt (the astronauts in the beginning killed by a white martian, the 208 plane passengers killed by Ma'alefa'ak, at the very least) for J'onn to come to the conclusion that he at least "tried". Even though this series is promoted as "a new take" on J'onn, it takes no true risks to change his lore. The first volume felt like a fresh take into something interesting, but the second volume becomes so overwhelmed with how much the first volume set up, that it follows a standard superhero plot to get by.
Alicia's motivation to suddenly be about revenge and killing both Ma'alefa'ak and Martian Manhunter was a sharp turn into weird and weak motivation. She's so easily swayed by J'onn telling her to "be a child again", it felt like drama for the sake of drama.
There's plenty of high action and crazy awesome fight scenes to keep people interested, even if it does get wacky. "Giant Martian Mech Warrior Battle!" was so out there, but it's clear that the writers were self aware of how crazy this was getting. Still, Justice League Dark and Constantine were around for nooo reason but to cast a shield for a while.
Martian Manhunter (in general) shares a lot of the same problems Superman has as a character. Mainly, being waaay too overpowered. It's hard to create a compelling villain against an overpowered character. Because of this, both characters end up with similar writing solutions:
"Superman is the Last Kryptonian! But he needs villains strong enough to actually match him in strength, so he should fight other Kryptonians. So he's not really the last Kryptonian."
"Martian Manhunter is the Last Martian! But he needs villains strong enough to actually match him in strength, so he should fight other Martians. So he's not really the last Martian."
Instead of taking the strengths of his character (the way the Justice League tv show did!), and making big decisions to differentiate his character from Superman, Williams pretty much takes every bit of Manhunter lore and stuffs it into one. And it makes for a compelling first volume, but by the time the story had to be wrapped up and concluded, it's a convoluted mess that has J'onn's character back to Square 1.
Ma'alefa'ak as a villain is still the genocide-obsessed baddie, though this time it's based on "fear". A "fear" based on misunderstanding Mars' telepathic cry to stop draining the planet. Unsurprisingly, this interpretation still marries Ma'alefa'ak's character with villifying the disabled. Ma'alefa'ak isn't exactly disabled in this version, but he still inhabits the body of a wheelchaired boy- a curious nod to the character's origin as a Martian who can't speak telepathically. This retelling only doubles down by rebooting J'onn as a fusion of the "best" Martians. J'onn is the exceptional able-bodied Martian, and Ma'alefa'ak is the evil-fear motivated-disabled-genocide baddie. In other words, nothing new here. Just rehased old stuff.
The art is exceptional! Environment is key for a story that explores Mars as an environment, and the artists really pushed for an immersive environment with telling visual metaphors. The coloring especially brought the environments to life. The mechs are well drawn, and the monster designs are still as great as the first volume. Art from mainstream comics aren't usually my favorite, but this was a visual feast.
Overall, this series is genuinely fun even if it's not technically anything new. I was so excited by Volume 1 that I immediately had to read Volume 2. Volume 2 just ended up writing itself into a corner because of the huge premise volume 1 set up. It just wasn't -as- fun because of that. For a story about Martian Manhunter, we don't really see him that much. I love the rag-tag team of J'onn's human identities (Mr. Biscuits is still the best), but I was beginning to miss the Alien himself.
I'd still recommend this arc for the sake of resolving the first half of the story and definitely for the exceptional art. The story just isn't really digging deep enough into J'onn as a character people could identify with. J'onn is so overpowered as a character that his own villain in this story is technically himself. He hallucinated an entire invasion over an identity crisis. The conflict itself is ultimately convoluted.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 12, 2023
"Martian Manhunter, Volume 2: The Red Rising" is an okay book with quite a premise. A Mars from the past ends up in the same space as Earth. A martian child holds the key to preventing disaster; if this child does not act, then both planets will collide. Magic (martian magic) and science are both at work.
In my view, the plot is intriguing. I love sci-fi and I like how Williams tried a unique sci-fi and magical take. I also like how the tension remained high throughout. There was some good worldbuilding and great backstory for J'onn's origin. The various characters who are a part of J'onn, like Mr. Biscuits, Daryl, and Pearl - along with Alicia are all ones that I rooted for and enjoyed them also. The ending and overall story were emotional in some points too. I like the art as well.
At the same time though, the story is convoluted. It gets fairly confusing at times. The story does provide more answers during certain parts, but I think it was a bit too convoluted in some parts. I also have mixed feelings about the ending, especially with one fate of a character who made up part of J'onn himself. Ma'alefa'ak was a good antagonist, but the resolution in how the protagonists dealt with him was a bit too quick.
Overall, I felt that this book is a mixed bag. There were some great concepts and worldbuilding. I also like the characters. However, it ended up being a bit too complicated at times and I'm not a fan of how some plot points were resolved. Still, it's a decent read and it kept me interested.
In my view, the plot is intriguing. I love sci-fi and I like how Williams tried a unique sci-fi and magical take. I also like how the tension remained high throughout. There was some good worldbuilding and great backstory for J'onn's origin. The various characters who are a part of J'onn, like Mr. Biscuits, Daryl, and Pearl - along with Alicia are all ones that I rooted for and enjoyed them also. The ending and overall story were emotional in some points too. I like the art as well.
At the same time though, the story is convoluted. It gets fairly confusing at times. The story does provide more answers during certain parts, but I think it was a bit too convoluted in some parts. I also have mixed feelings about the ending, especially with one fate of a character who made up part of J'onn himself. Ma'alefa'ak was a good antagonist, but the resolution in how the protagonists dealt with him was a bit too quick.
Overall, I felt that this book is a mixed bag. There were some great concepts and worldbuilding. I also like the characters. However, it ended up being a bit too complicated at times and I'm not a fan of how some plot points were resolved. Still, it's a decent read and it kept me interested.
October 23, 2023
Reviewing the whole series here, not just vol.2.
This series...had good intentions. Sadly I just don't think it works in the end. First of all, if you aren't already familiar with the character, do NOT read this, as it will be very confusing. As someone who is familiar with J'onn though, I still can't recommend it. The core concept of J'onn being split apart is an interesting start, but it quickly gives way to ridiculously overwrought (and yet somehow boring) plotlines involving amnesia, conspiracies, giant mechs(???), a juvenile grasp of gravitational physics, a fuckload of retcons, and a final twist (on the last few PAGES) that renders the entire thing utterly pointless. And to boot, this story features very little of the titular martian himself, or at least, in the way you would want.
Martian Manhunter is not a character well-suited to these massive, complex sci-fantasy blockbuster stories. He is far better when understated and fueled by noir stylings and Roswell paranoia. This vision of Mars is equally uninspired, and seems to just be more generic John Carter homage. If you want to read the good stuff, check out John Ostrander's 36-issue run on the character. You'll get everything you'll ever need from there, though if you want more, check out Grant Morrison's JLA which ran concurrently with said run. As for this one, read it only if you're desperate.
EDIT: In the years since this run was published, an EXCELLENT origin series for J'onn was released by Steve Orlando and Riley Rossmo. I strongly recommend that as your introduction to the character.
This series...had good intentions. Sadly I just don't think it works in the end. First of all, if you aren't already familiar with the character, do NOT read this, as it will be very confusing. As someone who is familiar with J'onn though, I still can't recommend it. The core concept of J'onn being split apart is an interesting start, but it quickly gives way to ridiculously overwrought (and yet somehow boring) plotlines involving amnesia, conspiracies, giant mechs(???), a juvenile grasp of gravitational physics, a fuckload of retcons, and a final twist (on the last few PAGES) that renders the entire thing utterly pointless. And to boot, this story features very little of the titular martian himself, or at least, in the way you would want.
Martian Manhunter is not a character well-suited to these massive, complex sci-fantasy blockbuster stories. He is far better when understated and fueled by noir stylings and Roswell paranoia. This vision of Mars is equally uninspired, and seems to just be more generic John Carter homage. If you want to read the good stuff, check out John Ostrander's 36-issue run on the character. You'll get everything you'll ever need from there, though if you want more, check out Grant Morrison's JLA which ran concurrently with said run. As for this one, read it only if you're desperate.
EDIT: In the years since this run was published, an EXCELLENT origin series for J'onn was released by Steve Orlando and Riley Rossmo. I strongly recommend that as your introduction to the character.
June 2, 2017
Horrible.
I wasn't a big fan of volume one of this series, but I had no idea that it would be setting a bar this second volume can't even hope to match. The sheer idiocy of the plot is astounding. It borrows the theme of Iron Giant but doesn't pay it off, it introduces differing time streams just so one character can be of a more appropriate age to the story, it actually uses the text 'Giant Martian Mech Warrior Battle' unironically. On an issue-ending full page frame. The characters from volume one are treated horribly (one of them literally becomes roadkill), the Constantine cameo is utterly wasted, the resolution has little to do with Martian Manhunter himself, and the final 'twist,' besides being blindingly obvious, basically invalidates not only this volume, but the previous volume as well. Honestly, DC, if you can't do better for your characters than this, it's better to leave them on the bench. It'll take years for the stench of this drek to come off the character of Martian Manhunter.
I wasn't a big fan of volume one of this series, but I had no idea that it would be setting a bar this second volume can't even hope to match. The sheer idiocy of the plot is astounding. It borrows the theme of Iron Giant but doesn't pay it off, it introduces differing time streams just so one character can be of a more appropriate age to the story, it actually uses the text 'Giant Martian Mech Warrior Battle' unironically. On an issue-ending full page frame. The characters from volume one are treated horribly (one of them literally becomes roadkill), the Constantine cameo is utterly wasted, the resolution has little to do with Martian Manhunter himself, and the final 'twist,' besides being blindingly obvious, basically invalidates not only this volume, but the previous volume as well. Honestly, DC, if you can't do better for your characters than this, it's better to leave them on the bench. It'll take years for the stench of this drek to come off the character of Martian Manhunter.
July 6, 2018
This falls under the category of 'not needed'. J'onn has had his story told before, and he didn't need an update at all. What the character HAS needed ever since Dan Didio took over DC is what all the characters he's ruined have needed - to be treated with some RESPECT. J'onn has been on the shelves with DC since 1955, and, like Superman and Batman, needed NOT to be 'upgraded' or made darker. What he needed was a FRESH set of adventures, NOT a new origin.
The art here, and the fact that Williams CAN, in fact write a straight line from A to Z are the thing's only saving graces. Frankly, I expected MORE.
The art here, and the fact that Williams CAN, in fact write a straight line from A to Z are the thing's only saving graces. Frankly, I expected MORE.
July 27, 2017
Wraps of the extended story from the first book. Some of the newness has worn off, and the darker tone here makes some of the intended funny moments just seem a little silly, but still a good read, although; I am not sure everything was resolved satisfactorily. Maybe the impending cancellation of the series caused some things to not be properly fleshed out. There were certainly more stories to be told in the Martian Manhunter Universe.
The final single issue story arc in this book was a total mess that felt rushed and incomplete.
The final single issue story arc in this book was a total mess that felt rushed and incomplete.
July 8, 2019
This run started out so great. Lots of intrigue and mystery with some cool characters. Then volume 2 came along and ruined everything that was good about it.
Great ideas, but failed conclusion takes this from 3.5/5 on volume 1 to a 2/5 overall.
I'm not going to waste time on a long review, cause to be honest I am a bit pissed they ballsed up the end so much. I mean fucking mech fights? Not for me!
On a side not I think Tom King would be a great writer for Martian Mantunter. He has a personal charm that he brings to characters like this, and this premise reminded me of his work.
Great ideas, but failed conclusion takes this from 3.5/5 on volume 1 to a 2/5 overall.
I'm not going to waste time on a long review, cause to be honest I am a bit pissed they ballsed up the end so much. I mean fucking mech fights? Not for me!
On a side not I think Tom King would be a great writer for Martian Mantunter. He has a personal charm that he brings to characters like this, and this premise reminded me of his work.
July 13, 2023
Wait, what?
That was...f***ing weird. I honestly have no idea what did or didn't happen in this series.
New 52 Martian Manhunter has some serious issues to work out.
Like I said in the review of the first half of the series, this is intriguing reading as long as I don't have to accept this as the same J'onn J'onzz I've read about before the New 52.
That was...f***ing weird. I honestly have no idea what did or didn't happen in this series.
New 52 Martian Manhunter has some serious issues to work out.
Like I said in the review of the first half of the series, this is intriguing reading as long as I don't have to accept this as the same J'onn J'onzz I've read about before the New 52.
August 9, 2025
This was such an unpleasant reading experience. This version of J'Onn lacks soul and intellect. The story continues to unravel as the Mars "attack" makes no sense and then a mech gets added. This seems like it was aimed at a particular subset of 12 year old boys. The Eddy Barrows art was super solid but everything else was just okay. Overall, there is nothing redeemable about this story.
April 17, 2019
A terrible end to a mediocre story. Way too crazy and complex.
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
When it turned out that J'onn was the entirety of Mars, I thought that was cool, but the journey to get there was STUPID.
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
When it turned out that J'onn was the entirety of Mars, I thought that was cool, but the journey to get there was STUPID.
September 3, 2020
You see i loved how this story started out, great art, interesting characters, and a cool mystery. It did start to lose steam as it progressed but nothing too bad. BUT THAT ENDING. I loathe that ending. SO BAD. Ruined the story for me
May 11, 2018
Loneliness can drive one to do some pretty desperate things especially when you have telepathic powers.
October 4, 2018
Good, but the ending sucks.
December 6, 2018
Mr. Biscuits for Injustice 4 confirmed.
January 13, 2026
Satisfying twist/conclusion, building up towards the last Martian moniker.
March 29, 2021
An interesting takes on the Martian Manhunter gets big and convoluted.
There are good bits, but it's also a big mess and instead of fixing his backstory, just makes it even more confusing and complicated.
Maybe if the series hadn't ended soon after, Willams would have done more with his ideas and gotten J'onn to a better place.
There are good bits, but it's also a big mess and instead of fixing his backstory, just makes it even more confusing and complicated.
Maybe if the series hadn't ended soon after, Willams would have done more with his ideas and gotten J'onn to a better place.
February 7, 2017
I loved volume 1 of this series. As for volume 2... had it not been Martian Manhunter, one of my favorite comic book characters, I fear I might not have finished this.
The writing was overwhelming, thought boxes and speech bubbles everywhere. The story took a odd turn and was choppy, filled with many characters, each battling for page space. There was so much going on that it was hard for me to keep everything straight and I never had a clear understanding of what exactly was being attempted and carried out.
The art looked good but I was not crazy about the look of MM in these issues.
The last issue of the volume felt tacked on and unnecessary.
2 stars for overall rating, plus one for making me tear up.
The writing was overwhelming, thought boxes and speech bubbles everywhere. The story took a odd turn and was choppy, filled with many characters, each battling for page space. There was so much going on that it was hard for me to keep everything straight and I never had a clear understanding of what exactly was being attempted and carried out.
The art looked good but I was not crazy about the look of MM in these issues.
The last issue of the volume felt tacked on and unnecessary.
2 stars for overall rating, plus one for making me tear up.
January 15, 2017
I could not believe it, I found volume 2 at bookstore and read it in about two days. I so love The Martian Manhunter Saga. I so loved Part 1 of his trade size paperback. I have become a big fan of his and I looking forward for possible more issues down the road.
January 25, 2023
Oh my... and then this happened: from interesting to whatteheck is this supposed to be??
Martian Mecha?? Seriously.. That's when they really lost me -_-
Even the artwork didnt match up anymore...
You can really pass this one by.
Martian Mecha?? Seriously.. That's when they really lost me -_-
Even the artwork didnt match up anymore...
You can really pass this one by.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews