Resurrection of Magneto #4 - Review

[Huntsman Spider]

Really well written, but it bothered me how Max basically goes "I barely remember all that character development I just had" and immediately is on the verge of being a homicidal maniac again in his internal monologue. It's been a really good series, but the whiplash of him crushed with guilt over all the death he's caused to suddenly sounding like the old Magneto with just a bit more restraint was a little odd to me. It feels like he could easily backslide into his old ways, whereas only an issue ago, it felt like he had undergone a profound change.

Understandable, though I think it does go to show that at least semi-realistically speaking, character development isn't a straight line forward. Sometimes, backsliding does happen, even if I'm hoping we don't see a full-fledged return to the Magneto of old.

[Refrax5]

Understandable, though I think it does go to show that at least semi-realistically speaking, character development isn't a straight line forward. Sometimes, backsliding does happen, even if I'm hoping we don't see a full-fledged return to the Magneto of old.

That's definitely true, but it just seemed so immediate and jarring, you know? I get that changing as a person takes time and work and most people do backslide and stumble. It just felt like he went from "I don't deserve to live" to "maybe I should just waste all these bastards" really fast.

I agree, though, that his demons would probably never go away entirely and that I hope we don't see him go backwards to villainous Magneto. I love him as a villain or antihero, but I feel like he's grown beyond that now.

[Til]

When they apprehend the ones who surrender, where are they putting them? Do Mutants have a jail?

Everyone was sent through a portal to Blue Marvel's base. From there, the rescued mutants would be transported back to their homes, while the Orchis personnel would stay there on a floor of the base that has prison cells.

[Frontier]

Fights are definitely fun, but without actual character(s) to invest in emotionally, you might as well just be bashing action figures against each other.

Yeah, just seems like a consistent issue with him.

[Lucyinthesky]

Great issue and great series, hope Ewing can write Magneto once again because his character arc here so great, it tackles years of character development for Magneto.
I loved how we went from Magneto sincerely regretting every death he caused in the previous issues at the point he didnt want to get back to life until Storm convinced him Charles and Krakoa needed him back, he still feels guilt even considering all the people he managed to save. "If you save one life you save the world" and how this reflects directly into his reaction with Orchis actions and even Tony Stark hand in the sentinel program.

Magneto of old would be so furious over those events, he probably would seek to punish Orchis, Sinister, Tony and Charles for what happened to Krakoa, instead he is considering all the variables of the situation and is actively choosing to save the more amount of people he can and this choice alone made sure he managed to save the mutants trapped in the ship. If his first instinct was to attack Orchis soldiers he would have fallen in their trap and would have killed mutants right along with them which would have made him more furious.

Instead he is calmily analyzing the situation, decides to do a mortal attack but he doesn´t do this gleefuly, he does this regretting it every step of the way, making a vow to remember their names even when he knows this is the way for the mutants to be freed and manages to capture every other soldier of Orchis alive while freeing the mutants.

His leadership skills also improved, he went from wanting to lead and be the hero of mutants to simply wanting them to be safe on equal ground. "To me my friends" and ends this saving both the mutants and humans trapped by the sentinels and his intention is to go save the man responsible of giving Orchis the tools to attack them, Tony Stark, because Tony may be one life but a life can save the world and all of this feels organic from the way he died to his character development until now and it makes so much sense because Magneto more than anything, is tired of death.

I just hope the next writer manages to appreciate what Ewing did with Magneto here and respects his character development. Great issue all around.

PD: Now I just want one of the characters to notice how weirdly calm and nonchalant he is reacting to all of this to ask him "Who are you and what did you do to Magneto?

[JB]

Great issue and great series, hope Ewing can write Magneto once again because his character arc here so great, it tackles years of character development for Magneto.
I loved how we went from Magneto sincerely regretting every death he caused in the previous issues at the point he didnt want to get back to life until Storm convinced him Charles and Krakoa needed him back, he still feels guilt even considering all the people he managed to save. "If you save one life you save the world" and how this reflects directly into his reaction with Orchis actions and even Tony Stark hand in the sentinel program.

Magneto of old would be so furious over those events, he probably would seek to punish Orchis, Sinister, Tony and Charles for what happened to Krakoa, instead he is considering all the variables of the situation and is actively choosing to save the more amount of people he can and this choice alone made sure he managed to save the mutants trapped in the ship. If his first instinct was to attack Orchis soldiers he would have fallen in their trap and would have killed mutants right along with them which would have made him more furious.

Instead he is calmily analyzing the situation, decides to do a mortal attack but he doesn´t do this gleefuly, he does this regretting it every step of the way, making a vow to remember their names even when he knows this is the way for the mutants to be freed and manages to capture every other soldier of Orchis alive while freeing the mutants.

His leadership skills also improved, he went from wanting to lead and be the hero of mutants to simply wanting them to be safe on equal ground. "To me my friends" and ends this saving both the mutants and humans trapped by the sentinels and his intention is to go save the man responsible of giving Orchis the tools to attack them, Tony Stark, because Tony may be one life but a life can save the world and all of this feels organic from the way he died to his character development until now and it makes so much sense because Magneto more than anything, is tired of death.

I just hope the next writer manages to appreciate what Ewing did with Magneto here and respects his character development. Great issue all around.

PD: Now I just want one of the characters to notice how weirdly calm and nonchalant he is reacting to all of this to ask him "Who are you and what did you do to Magneto?

Beautifully said.

[jwatson]

i just want a hardcover of ewing time in the x-world. please and thank you.

[Thirteen]

Does the inclusion of the Krakoan >< signal that this characterization of Magneto might not be his ongoing new status quo?

[Devaishwarya]

Really well written, but it bothered me how Max basically goes "I barely remember all that character development I just had" and immediately is on the verge of being a homicidal maniac again in his internal monologue. It's been a really good series, but the whiplash of him crushed with guilt over all the death he's caused to suddenly sounding like the old Magneto with just a bit more restraint was a little odd to me. It feels like he could easily backslide into his old ways, whereas only an issue ago, it felt like he had undergone a profound change.

He remembered his time time while dead and what he went through with Storm. The situation facing Orchis is him recognising he's being placed in a difficult situation realising where he came from and how far, with what he has to do now. It's a test of sorts. Be merciless and kill everyone. Sacrifice himself to save the captive mutants. Or be as brutal as he once was, doing what he has to, not what he wants to. He didn't choose to be homicidal in that instance...that choice was made for him, but still..."I'll have to remember their names". Fully knowing and accepting he will do everything he can for his people, even if it's the darker path.

It's a change he acknowledges is a reversion to his previous "Red" character and no longer the White or the Black. But with the knowledge and understanding he is not alone. And there are others (Storm, of course) who do understand the choices he has made and will make.

[ARkadelphia]

So how is Magneto alive?

Force
Of
Will

[berserkerclaw]

So how is Magneto alive?

Read the book. 1-3 brought him back it was Storm doing obviously

[Nicoclaws]

Force
Of
Will

Ultimate intimacy with Storm and Undomitable Will.
100% Claremazon.

[yogaflame]

This was bittersweet. Lord Ewing is firmly elevated to the #2 spot behind Lord Claremont for his body of work(yes, edging out both Morrison and Hickman) for me, and I think given a 16 year run with the mutants, he could probably take the #1 spot, but this issue itself was my least favorite of these 4.

I guess ending are hard, especially when you know other writers are going to be using these characters immediately after you. I suppose we do have a few more pages from Al yet to come in the concluding chapters of this Krakoa era, but it's basically over. I guess Beau's work in '97 shows there are other, talented writers out there, but it really does feel like we shall never know the likes of Lord Ewing's SWORD/RED/SatB/RoM's again. Great work, especially considering the constraints put upon him by editorial. This last issue could have used something a little extra, but after spinning straw into gold for such an obstinate office, it's no wonder one might lose a little sparkle in the end.

[Huntsman Spider]

That's definitely true, but it just seemed so immediate and jarring, you know? I get that changing as a person takes time and work and most people do backslide and stumble. It just felt like he went from "I don't deserve to live" to "maybe I should just waste all these bastards" really fast.

I agree, though, that his demons would probably never go away entirely and that I hope we don't see him go backwards to villainous Magneto. I love him as a villain or antihero, but I feel like he's grown beyond that now.

To be slightly fair, it's Orchis. An explicitly genocidal organization of fascists dedicated to systematically murdering all mutants, who already succeeded in inflicting a lot of suffering and death upon mutants. They had it coming.

Yeah, just seems like a consistent issue with him.

All right, then.

Great issue and great series, hope Ewing can write Magneto once again because his character arc here so great, it tackles years of character development for Magneto.
I loved how we went from Magneto sincerely regretting every death he caused in the previous issues at the point he didnt want to get back to life until Storm convinced him Charles and Krakoa needed him back, he still feels guilt even considering all the people he managed to save. "If you save one life you save the world" and how this reflects directly into his reaction with Orchis actions and even Tony Stark hand in the sentinel program.

Magneto of old would be so furious over those events, he probably would seek to punish Orchis, Sinister, Tony and Charles for what happened to Krakoa, instead he is considering all the variables of the situation and is actively choosing to save the more amount of people he can and this choice alone made sure he managed to save the mutants trapped in the ship. If his first instinct was to attack Orchis soldiers he would have fallen in their trap and would have killed mutants right along with them which would have made him more furious.

Instead he is calmily analyzing the situation, decides to do a mortal attack but he doesn´t do this gleefuly, he does this regretting it every step of the way, making a vow to remember their names even when he knows this is the way for the mutants to be freed and manages to capture every other soldier of Orchis alive while freeing the mutants.

His leadership skills also improved, he went from wanting to lead and be the hero of mutants to simply wanting them to be safe on equal ground. "To me my friends" and ends this saving both the mutants and humans trapped by the sentinels and his intention is to go save the man responsible of giving Orchis the tools to attack them, Tony Stark, because Tony may be one life but a life can save the world and all of this feels organic from the way he died to his character development until now and it makes so much sense because Magneto more than anything, is tired of death.

I just hope the next writer manages to appreciate what Ewing did with Magneto here and respects his character development. Great issue all around.

PD: Now I just want one of the characters to notice how weirdly calm and nonchalant he is reacting to all of this to ask him "Who are you and what did you do to Magneto?

Beautifully said.

Indeed.

[Refrax5]

To be slightly fair, it's Orchis. An explicitly genocidal organization of fascists dedicated to systematically murdering all mutants, who already succeeded in inflicting a lot of suffering and death upon mutants. They had it coming.



All right, then.





Indeed.

Well, I'm definitely not saying I feel bad for them. Actually, I think it was justified under the circumstances. There wasn't much choice there if he wanted to save the innocent prisoners. It's more just how abruptly his inner monologue seemed to change and the genuine sorrow and remorse was replaced with the same old (now barely restrained) rage and attitude. He's holding back and using restraint, but his narration in this issue felt drastically different from his attitude just an issue or two previously.