Magneto #1 Review

It's perplexing to think that Magneto has been X-villain numero uno for 50 years and never starred in his own solo series. Cue Cullen Bunn and Gabriel Hernandez Walta. In light of this momentous occasion, the usual complaints about there being too many X-Men books don't apply. This series picks up right where Uncanny X-Men #16 left off, with a disillusioned Magneto having turned his back on both the X-Men and the Brotherhood and seeking his own path once more. His powers are diminished, but Magneto is intent on acting as a one-man X-Force, hunting and killing all enemies of the mutant race.

Magneto #1 is pretty typical first issue fare - a solid read but still prone to the usual setup formula at times. Bunn does a good job of setting the stage for those who haven't been following Brian Bendis' X-books and establishing an ongoing struggle for Magneto. While the narration is effective at getting into Magneto's head, I do hope the series eventually explores his motivations in greater depth. Regardless of his thoughts on the world and his relationship with the X-Men, Magneto is a very principled man. Is he aware of the hypocrisy of shaving his head to honor Xavier while simultaneously committing mass murder? Do his principles hold if he not only slays a captive murderer, but the police officers who were guarding him? It's a fine line to walk with this character in his present state, and I want to see the book focus as much on character study and motivation as possible.

Walta's art may be a turnoff for some readers. It's definitely not very superhero-y, which is a big part of the appeal right there. Walta paints a very subdued vision of the Marvel U, far from the tone set by books like All-New X-Men. And while his figure work can be a little flat at times, Walta's unique style meshes well with this grim, world-weary version of Magneto. Even his modified costume is a vast improvement over the one we've seen for the past year.

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