Dec 29, 2025
Going to use this as a base for Martian Manhunter 1988 4 issue mini-series by J.M DeMatteis since they are not on this site.
(1988) #1:
I fine work of art, very abstract line work teamed with a beautiful dreamlike color and texture.
This ish starts off with Batman chasing a child murderer who then kills himself before Bats could do anything. J'onn surprises Batman and begs for his help, he is all disfigured. Being chased by some fire god from Mars, J'onn gets away from Batman out of fear that Batman will be killed.
We get a flashback that keeps showing of J'onn as a child showing some kind of toy to his father. Probably a little sculpt he made.
In this version J'onn was accidentally transported by a Dr. Erdel. J'onn was on
his way to becoming a General like his father only to be swept away by Dr. Erdel and be trapped on Earth with no way back to Mars. Shocked by the appearance of a Martian Erdel died of a heart attack on the spot.
Batman goes to JL to tell them what is happening to J'onn and so far the only guess is his body is fighting a dangerous cellular virus he absorbed in JL annual #1 who knows what year though it doesn't say.
(1988) #2:
This obscure Martian Manhunter mini series is really a thing of abstract beauty, it is a work of art, the fresco like texture, the painterly composition, the rough sketch like poses and pencil work is truly timeless how it is all captured in this piece.
Not just the art but the story is really captivating having me curious as hell as what is going on with Martian Manhunter and this Martian god of light H'Ronmeer which sounds like it should be in Scandanavian Mythology.
So we find out here that J'onn is not going crazy from the dangerous spore he absorbed in JL Annual #1. He flies all over the world to flee from H'Ronmeer who is trying to persuade J'onn that he is not the evil god of folklore the Martians would tell their children. J'onn throughout the ish fights and refuses to be persuaded.
J'onn crashes in Italy, then flies up into space to almost die, his brain activity practically blowing up. The JL Bats, Beetle and company rescue him and bring J'onn back to earth. H'Ronmeer breaks in and beats everyone without a fight. He only persuades Mister Miracle to let him through when he tells him that coming from a world with God he should understand if he listens to the song of H'Ronmeer. Scott let's the god go to Martian Manhunter only to still have J'onn fight him.
The comic ends with J'onn crashing in Colorado to be greeted by Dr. Erdel who we all thought was dead.
My theory is it's not Erdel and maybe someone from Mars that we saw in one of J'onn's visions. We hear of his father, but there was a mysterious silhouette of a female Martian in the distance in one dream. There was also the vision of the Martian Sky Mauraders J'onn was fighting before his new life on earth.
The back and forth is really good here.
(1988) #3:
The abstract fever dream continues in glorious fashion as we learn that all of the madness and H'Ronmeer have been physical manifestations coming from J'onn's powerful psyche. It turns out that his mind, his identity, everything has been a form of repression from his past. So his torture and struggle throughout this comic has been his past trying to break free from the lies.
Dr. Erdel turns out to still be alive and was the main source of J'onn's whole earth identity. When Erdel miraculously conjured the Martian to earth by accident, J'onn didn't come alone. In his arms he held the dead cold body of his young daughter who we think died of a Martian plague which most likely wiped out all the Martians. However this is not conclusive because this story likes to throw some nice curve balls at the reader so hopefully ish 4 clarifies more details!
J'onn immediatly after being teleported fell unconscious for a long time. Dr. Erdel buried his daughter and took care of J'onn. Even though he was unconscious J'onn's mind was connecting with Erdel's in his sleep. Through this connection Erdel helped J'onn repress is tragic past and trauma too help him live on earth. Unable to erase the Martian totally, the least Erdel was capable of was using his past inspiration of Science Fiction pulp novels to create a J'onn Jones of heroism, a human's ideal vision of what a man from Mars would be. This explained J'oonn's desire to be in the JLA.
But Martian Manhunter's past and true form violently came out here. And so we see the true form of the Green Martian in the most beautiful abstract, traditional rendering available. From this Erdel was prepared for this and had the machine built back that J'onn destroyed from fear of going back. Now he is ready to return and remember. All we know so far is he was a father, but we don't know what his status was.
The only clue we get at one point is when we find out it was a lie that his father was a general, he was some kind of poet or singer.
When arriving to Mars he is greeted by H'Ronmeer, the question is, is this real or is J'onn's psyche violently reacting to the actual physical setting and return to Mars?
(1988) #4:
Jaw dropped, astounded, a masterpiece, a diamond hidden in the rough.
Why is this not on Comicbookroundup to talk about??
I was listening to Patrick Cassidy's Deirdre of Sorrows while reading this ish and found myself swelling with emotion and tearing up. For a moment I swear I was connected to Martian Manhunter, joke aside. H'Ronmeer is real but is not a demon or evil entity. He is the Martian God of the dead.
He allowed J'onn to see his wife and daughter and people again. To remember every detail. H'Ronmeer summoned Martian Manhunter because his inability to let go of the past has literally kept the souls and spirits of all the deceased Martians to remain trapped on Mars unable to move on and transcend to the afterlife.
It was left to J'onn to not forget but accept the truth and fully embrace his new life on earth. Feeling the last moments of ethereal love and sadness of the souls, H'Ronmeer was finally able to help them pass over. Leaving Mars now completely empty of any spirit.
This helped J'onn accept his fate and return to earth to embrace his friends and dance in memorium alone in the desert. Expressing his form and appreciation for the grand mysterious thing called life.
Such a masterpiece, I've decided to read just this whole issue and create a video with music and sound. Patrick Cassidy is probably copyrighted but I will try, otherwise I will find orchestral sad music that fits elsewhere. This is a story that should be talked about still.
It's not about genocide like modern iterations so it's not as dark, but there is something life affirming in the message that just flows so well in here. more
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