Martian Manhunter Superpowers

Here is a list of the superpowers that the Martian Manhunter exhibits in Showcase Presents: Martian Manhunter, vol. 1, which contains over 70 stories (most of which are 6 pages long). Most of these powers get used once (or maybe twice) and are never mentioned again.

• Atom vision (which seems to be heat vision)
• Creating a "Martian bodily force field", whatever that is
• Creating a space warp by smashing his fists together
• Creating and controlling powerful air currents by vibrating his hand
• Creating extremely strong magnets
• Creating objects by assembling molecules floating in the air
• Creating sonic booms by snapping his fingers
• Creating visual and auditory illusions
• Electric vision
• Emitting "supersonic sounds"
• Flight
• Growing to giant size
• Increasing/decreasing gravity
• Invisibility
• Invulnerability
• Magnetic vision
• Making other people invisible and intangible
• Martian angle vision (i.e. seeing around corners)
• Martian breath
• Martian hearing (including the ability to "tune in" to short wave radio)
• Martian high speed
• Martian "molecular decomposition" (i.e. intangibility)
• Martian ventriloquism
• Microscopic vision
• Mist-dispersing vision
• Possessing and controlling inanimate objects
• Prescience
• Radar vision
• Shape-shifting
• Space lightning vision
• Storing & releasing magnetic charges
• Stretchable limbs
• Super spinning
• Super strength
• Telekinesis
• Telepathy
• Teleportation
• Telescopic vision
• Tirelessness
• Water breathing
• X-ray vision

Not Too Many This Week

184. DC Comics Presents: Superman Adventures by Mark Millar & Aluir Amancio. As much as I feel Millar's work since Wanted is pandering to an audience for whom he feels contempt, I still really enjoy the comics he wrote for the series tying into the animated Superman show. Lots of heart. This is a nice, inexpensive reprint.
185. Animal Man, vol. 1: The Hunt by Jeff Lemire & Travel Foreman.
     
     I think this may be my favorite series to come out of DC's "The New 52". More horror than superhero, this is wonderfully creepy. I hadn't planned on getting this series, but I gave the first issue a shot because I've enjoyed Lemire's other works, and I'm glad I did.
186. Zorro Rides Again, vol. 1: Masked Avenger by Matt Wagner & Esteve Polls.
     
     Wagner's Zorro comics are consistently entertaining.
187. Superman: Camelot Falls by Kurt Busiek & Carlos Pacheco.
     
     Does Superman do more harm than good?
188. The Steve Ditko Omnibus, vol. 1 by Steve Dikto, et al.
     
     I have do admit, based on my disappointment over The Creeper collection, I did not have high expectations for this. I was pleasantly surprised. The Shade, the Changing Man stories are the best thing I've read with Ditko art, and Ditko was firing on all cylinders here. Some wonderfully strange and bizarre art here. The Stalker stories are also a lot of fun. The short stories from various anthology titles are a mixed bag, writing-wise, but the art is consistently good. (Checked out of the library.)
189. Superman: Camelot Falls, vol. 2: The Weight of the World by Kurt Busiek & Carlos Pacheco.
     
     Superman fights against destiny.
190. Essential Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man, vol. 3 by various. Comics from the early 80's. Nominally, Peter is in grad school, but the way things are written, it feels more like high school: for instance, Peter's professors are awfully concerned with his attendance.
191. Showcase Presents: Martian Manhunter, vol. 1 by Jack Miler & Joe Certa.
     
     I won't lie to you: the comics collected here aren't very good. I got the most enjoyment out of keeping a list of each different super-power that J'onn J'onzz demonstrates, most of which were used only once. My next post will be that list of super-powers.
192. Ultimate Comics Hawkeye by Jonathan Hickman & Rafa Sandoval.
     
     ' (Checked out of the library.)

An Apology

Sorry I didn't post on Sunday. I spent the day being frustrated with Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, an 8 year old video game that I really enjoyed up until the end, when I realized that by choosing the Light Side path, I had made the final battle much harder for myself. Plus, the Force powers that I had selected made that fight nearly impossible. I did not finish the game that day, but by resetting the difficulty level, I was able to finish the game.

Anyway, on to books from the last couple of weeks.

174. The Complete Idiot's Guide to U.S. History, Graphic Illustrated by Kenneth Hite & Shepherd Hendrix.
     
     Overview of U.S. history. No great insights, but it is under 200 pages.
175. A God Somewhere by John Arcudi & Peter Snejbjerg.
     Mbr< Really liked this, although I found the ending rather flat. (Checked out of the library.)
176. Avengers: West Coast Avengers - Lost in Space and Time by Steve Englehart & Al Milgrom.
     
     This holds up better than I expected. The characterization is still pretty awkward, however. (Library.)
177. Thirteen by Mike Carey & Andy Clarke.
178. Incorruptible, vol. 6 by Mark Waid & Marcio Takara.
     
     This series is still good. (Library.)
179. Water Baby by Ross Campbell.
     
     Campbell's art is good, his writing is not, bad, exactly, but his stories don't seem to have much of a point to them. And his art style can be problematic in that every female character is drawn in a ridiculously sexualized manner. Reading a comic by him is an uncomfortably close look into what turns him on. (Library.)
180. The Complete Chester Gould's Dick Tracy, vol. 1: 1931-1933.
     
     The first couple of stories didn't really impress me, but that soon turned around and I found these comics surprisingly compelling. I can see why this is one of the classic comics. If I can find them cheap enough, I'll be picking up other volumes.
181. Deadenders by Ed Brubaker & Warren Pleece.
     
     One of the best stories I've read in set in a distopian near future. Again, the ending doesn't quite hold up, but the rest is fantastic. (Library.)
182. A Disease of Language by Alan Moore & Eddie Campbell.
     
     Comics adaptation of "The Birth Caul" and "Snakes and Ladders", two spoken word performances/magical workings that Alan Moore has done. I have recordings of those performances and listened to them as I read the adaptations, and I think that really adds to the experience.
183. Empowered, vol. 7 by Adam Warren.
     
     The latest volume in Warren's fun superhero series that evolved out of commissions for cheesecake art. Things are getting increasingly serious, but still feel ultimately optimistic.

It's Been a Month. Time to Catch Up

Keeping things short since I've got a lot of books to get through.

131. The Boys, vol. 10: Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker by Garth Ennis & Darrick Robertson.
     
     (Checked out of the library.)
132. Flex Mentallo: Man of Muscle Mystery by Grant Morrison & Frank Quitely.
     
     Morrison's love letter to super-heroes.
133. Shapes and Colors: A Cul de Sac Collection by Richard Thompson.
     
     Another collection of this wonderful comic strip.
134. Essential Defenders, vol. 6 by J.M. DeMatteis, Don Perlin, et al.
     
     I know I read these comics when I was a teenager, but I remembered almost nothing about any of them except for the Dr. Seuss tribute issue.
135. Thunderbolts: Fear Itself by Jeff Parker, Declan Shalvey, et al.
     
     (Library.)
136. The Sixth Gun, vol. 3: Bound by Cullen Bunn, Brian Hurtt & Tyler Crook.
     
     Another great collection of this fantastic horror-western.
137. Hulk: Fear Itself by Jeff Parker, Elene Casasgrande & Gabriel Hardman.
     
     (Library.)
138. Abe Sapien, vol. 2: The Devil Does Not Jest and Other Stories by Mike Mignola, John Arcudi, Patric Reynolds, Peter Snejbjerg & James Harren.
     
139. Secret Avengers: Run the Mission, Don't Get Seen, Save the World by Warren Ellis, et al.
     
     Generally liked this, except for the part where Captain America condones torture. And that's a big damn sticking point. (Library.)
140. Schulz's Youth by Charles Schultz.
     
     Cartoons Schulz did for a religious newsletter aimed at teenagers.
141. Jim Henson's the Storyteller, vol. 1 by various.
     
     (Library.)
142. 20th Century Boys, vol. 20: Humanity in the Balance by Naoki Urasawa.
     
     This story probably should be considerably shorter, but I'm still enjoying it and sticking it out to the end.
143. Sabrina the Teenage Witch: The Magic Revisited by Tania Del Rio.
     
     Manga-influenced version of the character.
144. Stan Lee's Starborn, vol. 3: Homecoming
     
     (Library.)
145. Superstar: As Seen on TV by Kurt Busiek & Stuart Immonen.
     
     Bought this directly from Busiek at Stumptown. I'd love to see more about this character.
146. American Barbarian by Tom Scioli.
     
     Kirby-esque post-apocalyptic story. Lots of fun. (Library.)
147. Mangaman by Barry Lyga & Colleen Doran.
     
     (Library.)
148. The Damned, vol. 1: Three Days Dead by Cullen Bunn & Brian Hurtt.
     
     Gangsters & demons.
149. Essential Marvel Team-Up, vol. 3 by Chris Claremont, John Byrne, et al. Nostalgia comics for me. I had a subscription to this comic when I was a kid, and I read 12 of the issues collected here over & over.
150. Lucifer, vol. 1: Devil in the Gateway by Mike Carey, Scott Hampton, Chris Weston, et al.
     
     I read this a while back, but it never grabbed me. I've been enjoying The Unwritten so much that I'm giving it another shot. However, the library doesn't have volume 4, and it looks like it's out of print. So that could be a problem. (Library.)
151. I...Vampire! by J.M. DeMatteis, Bruce Jones, Tom Sutton, et al.
     
     Horror comics from the early 80s. (Library.)
152. The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath and Other Stories by H.P. Lovecraft & Jason Thompson.
     
     
     
     Comics adaptation of Lovecraft's Dreamlands stories.
153. Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Services, vol. 12 by Eiji Otsuka & Housui Yamazaki.
     
     This manga series is back. (Library.)
154. Rin-Ne, vol. 7 by Rumiko Takahashi.
     
     Supernatural romantic comedy. (Library.)
155. Doctor Who Classics, vol. 6 by Steve Parkhouse, Alan McKenzie & John Ridgeway.
     
     Comics featuring the sixth Doctor.
156. Avengers: West Coast Avengers Assemble by Roger Stern, Bob Hall, et al.
     
     (Library.)
157. The Future's So Bright I Can't Bear to Look by Tom Tomorrow.
     
     Political cartoons from the Bush years.
158. Ultimate Comics Thor by Jonathan Hickman & Carlos Pacheco.
     
     Origin for the Ultimate Comics version of Thor. (Library.)
159. Rin-Ne, vol. 8 by Rumiko Takahashi.
     
     (Library.)
160. The Supervillain Handbook: The Ultimate How-To Guide to Destruction and Mayhem by King Oblivion, PhD, as told to Matthew D. Wilson.
     
     Guidebook to being a supervillain. Quite funny.
161. The Mighty Thor by Matt Fraction & Olivier Coipel.
     
     (Library.)
162. Captain America and Bucky: The Life Story of Bucky Barnes by Ed Brubaker, Marc Andreyko & Chris Samnee.
     
     (Library.)
163. Sword of the Atom by Jan Strnad & Gil Kane. Some beautiful art. The story isn't bad but nothing all that special.
164. Batman: The Black Mirror by Scott Snyder, Jock & Francesco Francavilla.
     
     (Library.)
165. Lucifer, vol. 2: Children and Monsters by Mike Carey & Peter Gross.
     
     It had been so long since I first read this that I wasn't sure I had actually done so. It just seemed vaguely familiar. Liked it this time. (Library.)
166. Hitman vol. 6: For Tomorrow by Garth Ennis & John McCrea.
     
     Lots of fun. Just one more volume after this.
167. Willie & Joe: Back Home by Bill Mauldin.
     
     The great WWII cartoonist continued drawing after he came home, and here are those cartoons.
168. The Mighty Alice by Richard Thompson.
     
     The latest Cul de Sac collection.
169. Gone to Amerikay by Derek McCulloch & Colleen Doran.
     
     Three intertwined stories of Irish people coming to America. Beautiful artwork from Doran, as always. And a great story that really comes together at the end. I was nearly in tears. Wonderful book. (Library.)
170. Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Promise, pt. 2 by Gene Luan Yang & Gurihiru.
     
     This comic really captures the feel of the show.
171. Essential X-Men, vol. 7 by Chris Claremont, et al.
     
     The comics reprinted here are from about when I was ready to give up reading the issues. Claremont's writing tics are becoming more & more prevalent.
172. Steve Rogers: Super Soldier by Ed Brubaker & Dale Eaglesham.
     
     (Library.)
173. Captain America: Prisoner of War by Ed Brubaker, Mike Deodado, et al.
     
     (Library.)

Whew.