The Martian Manhunter Rejoins the Team in Justice League No. 1

This week’s series relaunch of Justice League, Justice League No. 1, brings back fan favorite character J’onn J’onzz , aka the Martian Manhunter. The issue, written by Scott Snyder (American Vampire, Batman) with art by Jim Cheung (Avengers, Astonishing X-Men), features the return of one of the Justice League’s founding members after a seven-year hiatus.

In Snyder’s new series, J’onzz is positioned as the moral and ethical center of the league and is elected league chairman (chair-martian?). Speaking to the league, he tells them, “If I am to be your chairman, perhaps my job must be not just to connect you to each other…but to remind you of who you are: the ones who inspire us to be better than we should be. Myself included.”

As the last of his kind, J’onzz has a tragic backstory and considerable skills, but it often seems like DC doesn’t quite know what to do with him. The launch of the New 52 saw his slot in the Justice League replaced by Cyborg, while the Martian Manhunter made brief appearances in other series runs. J’onzz has since made appearances in both Cartoon Network’s Justice League animated series and, most recently, in the CW’s Supergirl, where he is played by David Harewood. In Supergirl, J’onzz runs the DEO and acts as a surrogate father to Kara and Alex Danvers. Harewood’s portrayal highlights J’onzz’s background both as a refugee and survivor of a genocide in the show’s continuing parallels to current events.

The new Justice League series takes place in the aftermath of Justice League: No Justice, after the breach in Source Wall caused toxic cosmic energy to leach into the universe. As the entire universe is threatened, the League will have to come together to confront the consequences of their actions and forge a new path forward.

Justice League No. 1 is available today.

(via The Hollywood Reporter, image: DC Comics)

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Chelsea Steiner

Chelsea was born and raised in New Orleans, which explains her affinity for cheesy grits and Britney Spears. An pop culture journalist since 2012, her work has appeared on Autostraddle, AfterEllen, and more. Her beats include queer popular culture, film, television, republican clownery, and the unwavering belief that 'The Long Kiss Goodnight' is the greatest movie ever made. She currently resides in sunny Los Angeles, with her husband, 2 sons, and one poorly behaved rescue dog. She is a former roller derby girl and a black belt in Judo, so she is not to be trifled with. She loves the word “Jewess” and wishes more people used it to describe her.

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