Magneto #1

By / / Comics

While I understand the concept of Magneto #1, I have absolutely no idea what is going on, when events are set, or why this is a New Mutants comic. The comic opens with the New Mutants battling in the Danger Room run by Magneto who, apparently, has taken over their training. The set up for the comic is exploring different sides of Magneto who has been, over the years, both a friend and the most bitter enemy to the X-Men.

The tack J.M. DeMatteis seems to be running with is a good and bad side to the character, often determined by his emotion and rage. I don’t buy that premise, I think either a good or evil Magneto always shades in gray and don’t really subscribe to a “good” version or an “evil” version of him, instead seeing him as someone who attempts to do what he thinks is right at that moment. I also push back heavily on what DeMatteis seems to be implying that Magneto never wanted to beat the X-Men even at his most villainous. The comic also introduces a character to bring out the “evil” of the character (who at least has better fashion sense).

Despite my love for Magneto, I’m not a big X-Men fan as I find the rabbit hole of its niche subverse of the Marvel Universe an interesting place to visit from time to time but far too cluttered with characters I care nothing about. Speaking of those characters, here are the New Mutants who take up (in my opinion) way too much time for a comic book titled Magneto. I’m also not a fan of attempting to shave down such a rich and complex history of a character for the sole purpose to make him fit better in current continuity. Oh well, Marvel will no doubt give him a brand new title in the next 8-12 months.

[Marvel, $4.99]