A couple questions about the Magneto series

[missingmarch]

So up front, I'm just looking for good titles to read in trade format, and have no preference as far as characters go. Only X-Men I ever enjoyed as an adult was Grant Morrison's New X-Men, X-Force/X-Statix by Peter Milligan and the Warren Ellis run on X-Man.

The only current Marvel books that get press that leads me to think that I'd enjoy them are Magneto and Hawkeye. I like the idea of a guy representing an oppressed minority fighting the good fight. So, regarding Magneto, I'm wondering a few things -

Is this title getting cancelled in the foreseeable future?
Is this title involved in stupid crossovers?
Why is or isn't this title compelling to you?

Thanks!

[Sea Hound]

Hiya missingmarch, I'll bite.

I'm not aware of any plans to cancel Magneto. Sales are trending well above Marvel's usual cancellation level, so I suspect it has at least a year to run, and it's not showing any signs of marching towards a narrative conclusion.

It crossed over with Axis, (last couple of issues) which was a dreadful event in my, (and lots of other fans) opinion. Bunn did a decent job with his few issues, and they were probably the best part of whole thing. Magneto being involved felt fairly organic for the character, but if you were reading the trades in isolation I suspect the tie in issues would be a bit bewildering.

Do I find it compelling? Yes in the main. It's a very thoughtful portrayal of a very complicated character. Bunn doesn't shy away from his long and involved history; in fact he's been using it masterfully to inform the direction of the story. It's also a dark and fairly violent book which explores the consequences of his ends justifies the means philosophy and doesn't give him easy outs.

On the negative side: sometimes it's a bit too talky. Whilst the use of flashbacks has been really well handled; sometimes there can be one too many. There's very little in the way of humour. And while I love Walta's art; he's a bit too stylised and naive for some.

I'd definitely recommend it as one of the best X-books at the moment.

Based on your list of likes, (and they're some of my favourite X-books) you might like Spurrier's X-Men Legacy. He's a highly polarising writer; (I love his work, many fans hate it) but writes a sharp, funny, intelligent take on the X-Men which can be very moving. He's a highly baroque and quirky writer though, so not for everyone.

[Fifolet]

Is this title getting cancelled in the foreseeable future?
I believe it's selling well so no foreseeable cancellation on the horizon.

Is this title involved in stupid crossovers?
Magneto plays a major part in the Axis thing, but if you're doing trades, you can skip it, although i did enjoy his tie-ins leading directly into Axis.

Why is or isn't this title compelling to you?
This is the best depiction of Magneto i've seen in a long time. Voting for the X-Awards, and despite him being the protagonist of one of my favorite titles this year, i couldn't vote for Magneto as either best hero or best villain, and that's because Bunn did a terrific job distilling the essence of the man and putting that duality on paper. I can't see him as a straight up villain because his ultimate drive is to protect his kind, which is a noble goal, but he's definitely not a hero either. He's too damaged and full of hate to act as such. Walta art is also great when he's on.


If you're doing trades, i suggest you pick up the current X-Force volume when it comes out. It's cancelled with issue #15 i believe, but so far it's another stellar work from Spurrier. This title packs more story and character development in one single issue than most titles give you during one entire year of publishing. It's plot driven, it's character driven, it's sad, it's deep, it's funny and it's shocking, but above else it's damn entertaining. Art isn't always the best, but despite that, it never hurt my enjoyment of the tale being told. Give it a try.

[missingmarch]

Thanks for the responses!

[bango]

Purchase Magneto with confidence. Despite it's dark, and sometimes violent tone, it's been one of the best of the mutant titles for me. I'm enjoying Magneto unhampered by Cyclops or other mutants. Yes, the title does get wrapped up in Axis, but at least tie-ins are the best of the event's stories. They touch upon Magneto and Xavier's relationship, and imo, had the best revelations of Axis.

I'd also suggest Rucka's Cyclops. Inspired by his own son, Rucka writes a fun, compelling father/son space adventures. If Magneto is a salty title, Cyclops will provide a sweet counter-balance.

Also, Fiflot's X-Force suggestion is great. If you like any of the cast, it's worth reading.

[genki_desu]

Just to give a opposing viewpoint, I think the current Magneto series is not very good and is a poor representation of Magneto as a character.

It reads like an "Ultimates" take on the character - where the writer has a rough character synopsis but otherwise is free to ignore any established character traits.

I get the impression that the series ignores Magneto's most consistent established character trait - that's he's pompous, superior and arrogant in his manner and affects the character of an "old money" European nobleman. Even the name Lehnsherr is German for "Lord of the manor" (roughly translated) and Magneto whether a hero or a villain always reads most interestingly to me when he is smugly confident in his own superiority. As a result, writing Magneto as a "street level" vigilante, picking off mutant-haters one-by-one using gratutious torture and bloody murder seems unlike the Magneto who would think anything less than a grand gesture is unworthy of his attention.

Secondly, I found the issues that I read (the first six, I think) were quite directionless and essentially repeated the same formula of "Magneto monologue gets all angsty about his evil deeds, finds mutant hater, decides he is right to sacrifice his own morality for the good of his people, horrible murder ensues".

Lastly, I didn't like the art. Personal preference though. If that "indie style" is your bag, then no worries on that count.