Popverse's coverage of Comic-Con International: San Diego 2026 is brought to you by Dark Horse Comics.

Don’t sleep on Absolute Martian Manhunter, because it might be one of the wildest books DC is putting out. The Absolute Universe maxiseries, written by Deniz Camp and penciled by Javier Rodriquez, is not a traditional superhero comic; it’s a psychological thriller with elements of horror and psychedelia. Rodriquez’s art is colorful, trippy, and there’s so much in every page that the more you look at it, the more fun hidden details you notice.

Deniz Camp’s script goes to some unexpected and dark places, as John Jones tries to grapple with the Martian living inside his head – and his presence feels less than friendly. That’s one of the reasons why Deniz Camp and Scott Snyder had a different name for the title when they were building the pitch.

“The original pitch for Absolute Martian Manhunter, it was actually the Absolute Martian Mindfucker, and [Scott Snyder] did everything he could to make that the actual title of the book,” Deniz Camp says during a panel at San Diego Comic Con 2026.

Snyder, who has a godfather role in DC’s Absolute Universe Line, made the case directly to DC Comics publisher Jim Lee, but he wasn’t having it. “I actually did. I had a Zoom with Jim Lee. Now I feel like he would totally do it,” Snyder says.

It may not have been the title of the book, but the phrase still appears in the story. If DC wants to do something bold, it’s not too late to use it as a title for the inevitable omnibus edition.

Need more? Here's our picks for the best DC Comics stories of all time.