Martian Manhunter #5
DC Comics
Written by Steve Orlando
Art by Riley Rossmo
Colors by Ivan Plascencia
Letters by Andworld Design
The Rundown:
J’onn is confronted by Charnn and given a taste of the curse that forced him to flee Mars. In the midst of his agony the Manhunter realizes that he is being confronted by a force beyond his understanding with a power that dwarfs his own.
Diane is still processing the revelation of who her partner really is and the case they are trying to investigate. In order to clear her head, she takes some personal time with someone special.
With J’onn struggling to deal with both the investigation and the threat of Charnn, Martian Manhunter decides that if he and his partner are going to stop the creature and find the missing girl, he’s going to have to tell her everything, including the events that forced him to leave Mars in the first place.
The Story:
Steve Orlando captures the perfect mixture of tension and terror in this issue. The plot does a great job of building the menace of Charnn into something formidable and giving Manhunter an interesting and engaging place to move in the narrative. The dialogue works and Orlando does a great job of keeping Diane steady in her suspicion and contempt. Things are getting tougher and more dangerous for J’onn and that makes the story more intriguing as it moves forward.
The Art:
Riley Rossmo’s art is beautiful. There are so many great moments throughout and the style is fantastic in how surreal he makes the characters look, especially the fluid way he renders Mars and its inhabitants.