Oops! I made another mistake here. It wasn't until I picked up issue #2 and then started looking through my pile, that I realized I hadn't picked up issue #1. It must have been one of those huge weeks in October or November when I was worried about the number of books I was buying . . so I passed it up thinking I'd get it later. I really don't know why I do that, because I always end up going back and getting it. But sometimes I have to do some digging because my guy sold out of what he had. I don't know why I put myself through the stress. Anyways, it worked out ok because this way I get to read the first 2 issues together. That always helps me to get more into the story. I like this book. The writer, Greg Pak, put a little bio in the back of book 1. He's talking about how he doesn't want to step on the feet of what's come before, but it looks like this is going to be the definitive version of Magneto's story. We learn his true birth-name here . . Max Eisenhardt. And he was a Jew living in Germany. It all goes down-hill from there. This, like most of the stories from this time period, is truly sad. The family starts out in humble beginnings, but . . they're happy. They know they don't have everything, but they're also happy for what they do have. Max is doing good in school, and he even has a female interest . . Magda. But then the Nazi influence starts to bear it's ugly head. It all starts with the Nuremberg Laws. And almost immediately they can tell that they, and their brethren, are going to be the unfortunate recipients of this new regime's need for control. We find out what really turned the corner for the Nazi's was when a teenage Jewish boy kills the German attache' Ernst vom Rath in Paris. Basically, it was the excuse they were looking for. Anyways, I could go on and on about the story. It almost seems like a retelling of history rather than a comic book. I was afraid that all the history and story here was either going to be really heavy or very depressing. And it was, but at the same time . . it's interesting. We all knew that Magneto came from some terrible hardships in his life, but this story . . this story gives you a feeling of what he and his family and his people were forced to endure. You can see a glimmer of his power when he's in his teens, but I don't think he quite realizes what's going on yet. The artwork of Carmine Di Giandomenico was pretty decent. The art looks kind of scrappy and rough, but . . it fits the story very well. This is one of those stories that's really going to make you think . . think about history . . and think about how you feel about things. I just happen to be listening to Bring Me to Life by Evanescence while I'm doing this. The eerie mood of the song fits the feel of the book perfectly. Anyways, I'll be interested to see how this story unfolds and what directions they take. I mean most of us know this story, but it's the little details that we may not have seen or addressed before.
Ugh... Not ANOTHER "definitive" telling of Magneto's past... I was just fine when he was known only as the mysterious Magnus.
ReplyDeleteI know Marvel has wanted to reticon X-Men Unlimited #2 for years now, but why would they change his first name from Erik to Max??? I get changing his last name, but EVERYONE refers to Mags as Erik... Why change that? I wish Marvel would just leave the past alone...
Anyway, thanks for the great in depth write up of these issues(as always), because I don't think I could sit through reading a brand new version of Magneto's history, without going stark raving mad!
They had to get rid of "Erik Lensherr" to fix ANOTHER one of their Magneto-characterization fuckups (when they decided that they couldn't have a Jewish supervillain). And not EVERYONE calls him Erik. Xavier does, and I think Gabby Haller does, but everyone else (including Xavier sometimes, actually) calls him Magnus, which is a name he picked for himself.
ReplyDeleteIt makes sense that Xavier calls him Erik occasionally (usually when he wants to remind Mags that he's human too), because that would have been the alias Magneto was using when they met in Israel, and Xavier either hasn't tried to pry the real name out of his head or Mags's mental shields prevent him from doing so. (I'm ignoring Fatal Attractions because I try to pretend that never happened... for the Professor's sake.)
However you feel about Magneto's name, that doesn't change the fact that this is a really good comic. Don't hate on it just because the idea is stupid.
To me it doesn't really matter what the ethnicity of Magneto is, Jew or Gypsy, or something else. What I guess I was trying to get across was the fact that I don't understand why Marvel is once again rehashing Mags identity.
ReplyDeleteIf the current editors at Marvel didn't like the Erik Lensherr identity, then just leave him as Magnus. Why do we once again have to relearn Magneto's history for like the 5th time? All I'm saying is enough is enough. It's like once every 10 years or so, we get a new retelling of Magneto's past.
Hell, in the House of M world Magneto was going by Erik Magnus. If ever he would use his new "real" name it would have been when he was the monarch of the entire planet!
Why ignore Fatal Attractions??? That was a really great crossover! Just ignore all the Onslaught nonsense that came out of it. Mags tearing the Adamantium out of Wolvie, and the Professor's revenge for that act still gives me goosebumps to this day!