It has been a while since I’ve written anything about a single comic book issue, but I felt an event as significant as this is enough to be noteworthy. Months ago, while the Countdown series was in full stride, DC began printing two two-page spreads of an apocalyptic Earth with the heroes defeated on one spread and the villains looking triumphant on the other. Then the catch phrase “All heroes must die, but legends will live forever,” began being attached to these images. It was evident rather early that a major player in the DCU was going to be killed in the Final Crisis. Many rumored it was going to be Batman at the end of Batman R.I.P. with some sort of tie-in to Crisis. Warner Bros. nixed that rumor early since they feared it would be bad for business if one of the greatest characters in comic book history were to be killed before the new Warner Bros. movie based on this character came out. So instead of the Dark Knight finally being swallowed by the shadows he fought for so long, DC killed the Martian Manhunter.
Who? The green guy? Green Lantern? No? The one with super-strength and flight? Superman?! No? He was the last of his kind from an alien planet with super-strength and super-flight and not Superman? Instead of heat vision and ice breath though, he was a shape-shifter and telepathic. Oh! The rip-off dude!
Martian Manhunter was not a legend, and I believe that DC thought the same thing since they changed the promotional catch phrase from “All heroes must die, but legends will live forever,” to “Where were you when the Martian Manhunter died?” It has a more regal feel to it and does not imply as much as the other phrase did. It seems most people did not consider the Manhunter a legend by any means. And after all the buildup, with other DC Comics referencing the death of the Martian, they finally released the issue showing how it was done. This issue showed that until the end, just like all great heroes, the Martian fought till his last breath. The fight itself was not what made this comic so interesting though. It was that with his last breath, the Martian Manhunter telepathically imprinted his memory/history into the brains of several key Justice League members to be written in both English and his native Martian language to insure his people will not be forgotten.
I thought it was a fitting tribute to the Martian Manhunter. However, he was not a legend: he was a green Superman and although will be missed by some, will be forgotten by many.
Before I wrap this up, I just want to answer DC’s question as to where I was when the Manhunter died. I was taking a crap on my toilet; the same place I read all my comics. It was a fine crap that day. And, thanks to the the Martian Manhunter, it was a crap I’ll never forget.
-Ray Carsillo
Who? The green guy? Green Lantern? No? The one with super-strength and flight? Superman?! No? He was the last of his kind from an alien planet with super-strength and super-flight and not Superman? Instead of heat vision and ice breath though, he was a shape-shifter and telepathic. Oh! The rip-off dude!
Martian Manhunter was not a legend, and I believe that DC thought the same thing since they changed the promotional catch phrase from “All heroes must die, but legends will live forever,” to “Where were you when the Martian Manhunter died?” It has a more regal feel to it and does not imply as much as the other phrase did. It seems most people did not consider the Manhunter a legend by any means. And after all the buildup, with other DC Comics referencing the death of the Martian, they finally released the issue showing how it was done. This issue showed that until the end, just like all great heroes, the Martian fought till his last breath. The fight itself was not what made this comic so interesting though. It was that with his last breath, the Martian Manhunter telepathically imprinted his memory/history into the brains of several key Justice League members to be written in both English and his native Martian language to insure his people will not be forgotten.
I thought it was a fitting tribute to the Martian Manhunter. However, he was not a legend: he was a green Superman and although will be missed by some, will be forgotten by many.
Before I wrap this up, I just want to answer DC’s question as to where I was when the Manhunter died. I was taking a crap on my toilet; the same place I read all my comics. It was a fine crap that day. And, thanks to the the Martian Manhunter, it was a crap I’ll never forget.
-Ray Carsillo
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