Broken Frontier

For years he believed he was the sole survivor of his civilization, but now the last son of Mars is no longer alone, and even more of an alien.

J’onn J’onzz has always wanted to help, always wanted to fit in, always had faith that one day humanity wouldn’t need him. But times have changed, and so has J’onn J’onzz. He no longer wishes to be anything other than what he is, and no longer alters his appearance to gain acceptance from Earthlings who should be thanking him. And after learning that an artifact from his homeworld exists here on Earth, he no longer believes that he is alone on this world. Everything he’s believed about his past slowly unravels around him, while a more insidious conspiracy takes its place. Those who have tried to keep the truth from him have made their move. But in the aftermath of a crisis that has taken virtually everything from him, nothing, not even his own fear, can stop J’onn J’onzz from destroying the lies he once believed true.

Light bulb moments are worth the price of admission in fiction. You think you know a character who’s been around longer than you’ve been alive, until the status quo changes and, like a light bulb illuminating a dark room, that character gains a depth and complexity only hinted at before. After reading Brave New World and Martian Manhunter #1, such is the case with J’onn J’onzz. To me, he’d always been 3rd-tier, strictly a supporting cast character. Beyond his powers, though considerable, he was quite bland, never so interesting in his own right that I’d take a moment to consider what makes him tick or his essence as a character.

But then A. J. Lieberman flipped the switch for me and that light bulb came on. The Martian Manhunter is the foreigner who believed for way too long that he had a shot at being a native. He’s Superman’s shadow. It couldn’t be easier for Kal-El to fit in on his adoptive planet—in every way he’s the ideal, more human than human, and thus something we all aspire to be. But if Kal-El is the ultimate immigrant, the very embodiment of this planet though he’s from millions of light years away, J’onn J’onzz will always be the ultimate alien though he’s from the planet next door. He’s got the skills to pay the bills, but he’ll never star in his own summer blockbuster. In this light, his shape-shifting and telepathic powers take on an ironic poignancy—he can look like us, and even get inside our heads, but he will never be one of us. And no matter how many times he saves the day, we will never truly accept him.

Who and what this post-crisis J’onn J’onzz is pervades every page of Lieberman’s script. Though J’onzz narrates throughout, the story unfolds obliquely from various angles as Lieberman carefully constructs a sense of distance between the reader and his main character. The distance works because the reader wants to bridge it, and the reader wants to bridge it because Lieberman so deftly draws us in with a sense of mystery, suspense, and conspiracy.

The human face presents difficulties for artist Al Barrionuevo. Sometimes (page one, second panel, instance) he chooses odd angles and rushes his composition. Sometimes (see page five, first panel) when going for a particular expression he contorts his faces in unappealing ways. But sometimes he hits his mark square and true. The cabal of villains in the story, Ms. Ferdinand, Giggs, and the Manchurian candidate assassin Gerrard, are rendered with animalistic qualities that effectively reveal the depths of their ruthlessness. And his character design for the Martian Manhunter is quite arresting. The "new" J’onn J’onzz is menacing and intimidating, but noble as well, his gestures and bearing finally befitting his awesome power. Likewise, Barrionuevo’s art style has other strengths that mitigate his obvious weaknesses. His pacing and timing are solid, making for a smooth flow from panel to panel. He composes panels with a cinematic eye. But the most striking aspect of his style is his framing—he "moves the camera" in a way that engages the eye but keeps the brain guessing.

It’s a brave new world for the Martian Manhunter. He may be a mystery to himself, but rarely has he been more intriguing to readers.