MTV Geek recently announced that starting in March 2013, in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA 2, writer Matt Kindt (MIND MGMT, FRANKENSTEIN AGENT OF S.H.A.D.E.) will be working with Geoff Johns (JUSTICE LEAGUE, GREEN LANTERN) on a new backup featuring Martian Manhunter drawn by Scott Clark.

According to the interview with Kindt, he got the job because Geoff Johns was a fan of some of his work and wanted to work on something with him. Kindt stated he's going to take Manhunter in a new direction. One that many Martian Manhunter fans have never seen before:

He can change his shape, he has his strength, he has his mind powers. To me, we’re going to see him use those in a way we haven’t really seen him use them before. In a way, he’s going to be the ultimate super-spy. [Laughs] That’s probably another reason Geoff asked me to do it, because he knows I love spies. We came up with a neat way of using Martian Manhunter where he’s using his powers in a tricky way.

Kindt plans on using these backups to take a look at Manhunter's strengths, which are mostly physical, and then bringing the focus onto the weaker side of his being, which is mental. Kindt really wants to establish that Manhunter is an extremely powerful force in the DCU, and his power can be scary.

Sadly, according to Kindt, Chocos may not be returning as Martian Manhunter's favorite treat.

It looks as though Kindt plans on reestablishing Martian Manhunter as a major force in the DCU. While the character has been around this past year, he's not right in the spotlight, like so many other characters. Could this backup elevate the character back into the spotlight where he should be? Do you feel this is going to be a good addition to JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA?

For the full interview with Matt Kindt, check out MTV Geek.

This backup debuts in Justice League of America #2 which will hit stores March 6, 2013.

This is awesome! Very excited for this. Glad to see MM finally get the attention everyone has been asking for.

I love the Shazam back up that Geoff Johns does for Justice League. So, maybe the Maritain Manhunter backup will be good for Justice League of America

Sadly, according Kindt, Chocos may not be returning as Martian Manhunter's favorite treat.

:P

This is fantastic news! It's great to see J'onn finally getting some spotlight. I'll definitely be looking forward to this!

Been waiting for him together a bigger role since the new52 began

@RedK said:

Been waiting for him together a bigger role since the new52 began

Same here. His part in Stormwatch never did it for me.

FINALLY! hopefully it will lead to a good ongoing.

Cool!

Awesome. Hopefully it'll be as good as the SHAZAM! backup.

Martian Manhunter??!! Matt Kindt & Geoff Johns??!! Wow, DC hit the bullseye! The Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E issues were not sooo bad. A pity Jeff Lemire leaft such tough heritage... I wish Matt Kindt & the Martian Manhunter a lot of success and loyal readers.

...I´m still waiting for the Metal Men...

FINALLY! hopefully it will lead to a good ongoing.

Awesome as all hell. J'onn is gettin' the love.

Not a MM fan. But then the line up is not for me any way so i will not be buying the title anyway.

They should get a co-writer for Justice League too. That book needs one.
BB

Ok, Kindt is awesome for Frankenstein, but since when is MM's mental side his weaker side?

AND NO CHOCOS!?

@The Mighty Monarch: I think they mean that he's gonna be kinda scarred (MARTIAN PTSD) from what happened to Mars and his family and all that, not that his psychic powers are going to be weaker than they used to be.

But this is good news, J'onn hasn't had a solo series in ages. I wish this were an ongoing book instead of a backup because I think J'onn deserves one and could hold one better than Vibe or Katana (and this is also a good creative team here) but damn I'll take Backups for now!

Disappointed about no Chocos, why do you hate fun sometimes DC, they were a fun and memorable quirk of the character and everyone seemed to love it.

Im just happy that DC is finally remembering he's one of their most recognizable characters and putting him front and center as he should be.

If captain marvel was any indicator this new backstory will feature j'onn as the complete opposite of every way he was depicted before.

So MM gets his own solo story--albeit a backup--before Cyborg does. That annoys me.

I like the idea of backups in DC's larger books. Not only does it give characters like Shazam and Martian Manhunter, DC staples notorious for being unable to support their own titles, a place to shine, it also gives writers like James Tynion IV and Matt Kindt a chance to build a fan base, since they are rather unknowns.

DC deserves a lot of criticism for how easily it lost some of it's veterans over the reboot, but at least they know to bring in new talent to fill in the gaps.

@fodigg said:

So MM gets his own solo story--albeit a backup--before Cyborg does. That annoys me.

Same. The only reason I can think of is because this is JLA instead of JL. I'm not going to be a hater. I'm happy for all the MMH fans, but didn't DC say that "Cyborg's time has come?"

Why the heck does Cyborg have no exposure outside of JL? It's keeping us from seeing compelling Cyborg-centric stories and it's keeping Cy from winning over the people who think that he's a vestigial part of the team.

It seems that DC is saying that Cyborg's time has not really come. It's time for MMH, Shazam, Katana, and Vibe, but not Cyborg. It annoys me too, man

This is awesome news and I can't wait to see what develops.

told you guys he woukd have big role in this book

This is great news and I'm really glad MM is getting some attention and a good writer on taking him in a new interesting direction. But just indulge my inner fanboy for a second: SHAZAM AND MARTIAN MANHUNTER GET BACK UPS WHILST KATANA AND VIBE GET THEIR OWN FRICKIN SERIES? WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE WORLD? There got it out my system.

I never really been a fan of Martian Manhunter.

@fodigg said:

So MM gets his own solo story--albeit a backup--before Cyborg does. That annoys me.

Because he's a superior character who was replaced by Cyborg entirely because DC thought they needed a token on the JL for some crazy reason and didn't want to expand the founders beyond 7 members which is honestly even more puzzling. Also Geoff Johns likes Cyborg but honestly he really doesn't know what to actually DO with him.

Also Manhunter and Captain Marvel have been DC staples and big shots for a long long time.

@StMichalofWilson:I am so sad now !

@Mojo65 said:

@fodigg said:

So MM gets his own solo story--albeit a backup--before Cyborg does. That annoys me.

Because he's a superior character who was replaced by Cyborg entirely because DC thought they needed a token on the JL for some crazy reason and didn't want to expand the founders beyond 7 members which is honestly even more puzzling. Also Geoff Johns likes Cyborg but honestly he really doesn't know what to actually DO with him.

Also Manhunter and Captain Marvel have been DC staples and big shots for a long long time.

Addressing your points in order:

• Martian Manhunter is debatable as to his superiority to Cyborg.
• MM was not replaced only to increase diversity in the Justice League or they could have simply made MM's civilian ID black or gone with John Stewart instead of Hal Jordan. His themes overlap too much with Superman's, and Superman is not about to get cut.
• Cyborg was not added to the JL simply because he's black or simply because GJ likes him. His themes are modern, interesting, unique from the rest of the Justice League, and he already had a strong following.
• Whether or not they know what to do with him is irrelevant if they won't even take the chance to give him a solo book. JL is an ensemble book and it's too crowded to do the entire team's origin story, build up each arc, and then develop Cyborg into his new A-list status within those pages alone.
• That MM or SHAZAM have been popular staples doesn't necessarily make them the best foot to put forward in the reboot. They decided on Cyborg and then failed to support the character. Also, it's not zero-sum. They could support MM, Shazam, and Cyborg simultaneously if they wanted. Instead, we have the usual 8-million bat books.

All the more reason to read JLA. I always wanted DC to explore the martians more instead of Kryptonians or the Batfamily always getting center stage.

I've been quite enjoying Justice League as a popcorn book, and I was planning on reading JLA anyway, but the inclusion of Martian Manhunter backups means that I'm definitely adding that book to my pull to replace Action Comics.

@Billy Batson said:

They should get a co-writer for Justice League too. That book needs one.
BB

I completely agree.

In the name of all that is holy, HOW CAN YOU NOT BRING BACK CHOCOS!!!!! One of the single most powerful moments in the Old DCU was when Batman left one on Martian's tomb as a final goodbye. I am fine with tweaking characters, but how can you not bring back a trait so fundamental about the character>

Nn-n-n-no ch-ch-chocos???

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Im down for JL of AMERICA!!

Hmm... I'll consider buying this

I almost wish Kindt was doing the art instead. This sounds cool.

Can't wait for this Justice League book!!!! I hate the current JL book!! I hope this is much better.

@CircularLogic said:

I like the idea of backups in DC's larger books. Not only does it give characters like Shazam and Martian Manhunter, DC staples notorious for being unable to support their own titles, a place to shine, it also gives writers like James Tynion IV and Matt Kindt a chance to build a fan base, since they are rather unknowns.

DC deserves a lot of criticism for how easily it lost some of it's veterans over the reboot, but at least they know to bring in new talent to fill in the gaps.

Me too. DC books that are 3.99$ are actually worth the extra dollar. On the Other hand, I hate Marvel with their stupid and greedy overpriced crap. almost 3/4 books are $4 and biweekly! That's why I don't buy 3.99 Marvel books. Only with $3 that are good like Hawkeye, Punisher, Daredevil.

@Superdork said:

@fodigg said:

So MM gets his own solo story--albeit a backup--before Cyborg does. That annoys me.

Same. The only reason I can think of is because this is JLA instead of JL. I'm not going to be a hater. I'm happy for all the MMH fans, but didn't DC say that "Cyborg's time has come?"

Why the heck does Cyborg have no exposure outside of JL? It's keeping us from seeing compelling Cyborg-centric stories and it's keeping Cy from winning over the people who think that he's a vestigial part of the team.

It seems that DC is saying that Cyborg's time has not really come. It's time for MMH, Shazam, Katana, and Vibe, but not Cyborg. It annoys me too, man

i feel your pain. don't get me wrong, i'm freaking psyched that J'onn is getting his due but i wish Cyborg would get his too.

This is good to hear. Even though I'm fairly new to DC, I do like Martian Manhunter. He's similar to Superman, but from what I've seen, is not as much of a boyscout... plus he's telepathic, which is cool :)

Katana and Vibe both have solo books and the Martian has to make do with backups. It is not easy being green. DC does have a lot of characters similar to Superman which were mostly acquired from other companies so it is not easy to find a place for Captain Marvel, Icon, Majestic, Apollo, Martian Manhunter and Orion. In the 1950s when the Martian started, he was not a Superman clone and Jonn had more super powers and only became a Superman clone in joining the JLA. My suggestion is to let Jonn have many powers but use the powers one at a time only like Ultra Boy. In the 1950s Detective comics, Jonn had powers like telekinesis, precognition, teleportation, etc.

omg so exciting. matt kindt did a great job with frankie and mind mgmt. he deserves more books.

@colonyofcells: J'onn didn't really become too Supermanish till they made him "the Last Martian" post-crisis IMO, that's an integral part of his character now so it shouldn't really be changed but It should be noted that pre-Crisis that was not the case.

J'onn did also have a lot of very wacky powers back in the 50s and 60s (HE CREATED ICE CREAM WITH THE POWER OF HIS MIND ONCE) but who didn't?

The current Martian Manhunter also seems more modest than Superman and Jonn seems to prefer to cover up his front organs more.

After reading the exploits of the super-psychic secret agents of Mind MGMT, Matt Kindt seems so perfect for a Martian Manhunter story, I'd nearly consider him overqualified.

(I haven't followed all the news, so I don't know if this is a dumb Q or not)

Is this in addition to being in the main book, or is MM not on the new JL? I'm hoping the former, because I don't think a back-up would give me enough MM, however well it's written (I know the Shazam one isn't).

@lightsout said:

(I haven't followed all the news, so I don't know if this is a dumb Q or not)

Is this in addition to being in the main book, or is MM not on the new JL? I'm hoping the former, because I don't think a back-up would give me enough MM, however well it's written (I know the Shazam one isn't).

its in addition. he'll be in both the main story and the backup

@Billy Batson said:

They should get a co-writer for Justice League too. That book needs one.
BB

Or they could just take Johns off the book all together and get a writer that knows what he/she is doing?

@jrock85 said:

@Billy Batson said:

They should get a co-writer for Justice League too. That book needs one.
BB

Or they could just take Johns off the book all together and get a writer that knows what he/she is doing?

Wouldn't mind that either :p but having a co-writer could be more possible. Plus, Johns has made some great stuff with a co-writer such as JSA.
BB

They have certainly made MM into quite the greatly powerful force in New 52, haven't they? Guess he's finally getting some mad respect now in the new order of things. I like this idea though, for it will be good for the JLA book just as the Shazam backup is to JL.