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Martian Manhunter REDESIGNED

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I decided to take a stab at redesigning one of my favorite DC characters, J'onn J'onzz, the Martian Manhunter! I think the silver age John Carter-y gladiatorial Martian look is incredibly outdated, especially considering the character himself. Most of his costumes are quite bad, which is unfortunate. Despite that, he does have some important iconography, most notably the massive brow ridge, and a big red X on his chest. These elements were preserved, while providing him with a sleek new look with a strong silhouette and striking composition. I removed yellow from his color scheme entirely, to strengthen the palette. As a character, J'onn is quiet, lonely, kind, and deeply misunderstood. He's a character that should look creepy, but not frightening. Think Edward Scissorhands. His classic look is rather BDSM to begin with, so I figured why not lean into it by giving his look a bit of sexual mystery, somewhere betweeen enticing and offputting, aided by his just-slightly-off anatomy and proportions. I'm particularly fond of the popped Dracula collar. For his true Martian form, I decided to mostly stay true to the comics, but with some red areas and well-defined stringy muscles. The idea is that his shapeshifting could be visually realized as his muscles "unraveling" and re-forming.


Let me know what you think! I plan to do more redesigns in the future, because I think there's an abundance of poorly conceived designs out there. 

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I love it and the thought you put behind it all

I was about to say the black shiny leather reminded me of Edward Scissorhands and the cenobites from Hell-Raiser. lol. Still,not a bad take and it offers something a bit new whilst the character still remains immediately identifiable.

Jellajam responds:

Thanks! That was definitely my goal. I love all the Elseworlds-type designs out there, but I enjoy designing a new take on the "main" version a lot more. I wanted to stay true to who the character is, just give him an updated look that could conceivably be used in the comics if DC were to somehow hire me by accident :D

I quite like this redesign! I am not an expert in DC comics or anything, but I know about the Manhunter! Always thought his "Zardoz"-looking outfit was a bit strange. I like your take better!
Makes me think a bit of Doug Bradley as "Pinhead", without the pins.
I also like the little detail on his Martian form's arms and legs, that the ulna and the radius/fibula and tibia are visibly separated from each other. It gives him a skeletal look that helps accentuate his otherness!
The gradient on his cape is also a neat detail that does a lot for the overall feel!

Jellajam responds:

Thank you so much! Believe it or not, Hellraiser was actually one of the influences for the design! The Cenobites are offputting yet oddly appealing, which I felt a useful characteristic. Thanks for taking the time to give a detailed comment :D

Credits & Info

Artist
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1,280
Faves:
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Score
4.64 / 5.00

Uploaded
Dec 2, 2019
2:17 AM EST
Category
Illustration

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