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X-Men: Magneto Testament


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Magneto Testament, was released in September 2008, and written by Greg Pak. Magneto Testament, which Pak based on accounts from Holocaust survivors, watched documentaries, and read comics such as Maus, finally confirms and clarifies into the Marvel Comics canon, Magneto's personal history and background. Before the publication of X-Men: Magneto Testament, Magneto's personal background and history was established in Uncanny X-Men vol. 1, #150 (August 1981) as him being a Jewish Holocaust survivor; while he was searching for his wife Magda, a Sinti Gypsy, Magneto maintained a cover identity as a Sinti Gypsy. This created confusion amongst some readers, as to his heritage, until it was authoritatively confirmed in Magneto: Testament that he is, in fact, Jewish.

 

So I know I've stopped posting in Hondos for various reasons but I had to come in and talk about this TPB I just picked up. I have a love in my heart for WWII history and a special place from my childhood carved out that just loves the X-men no matter how bad the series can get at times. This book, however, takes the story of Magneto and runs with it through WWII and is absolutely AMAZING.

 

Before you go any further, I know my glowing recommendation already makes you want to buy this but before you go in you need to know one key thing about this book. THIS IS NOT A BOOK ABOUT MUTANTS. There are some vague hints as to Max (Magneto) getting his powers but that's about it. This is the story of being Jewish at the height of the Third Reich. Events are all taken from historical fact (there's a whole section of references at the back of the book) and they did everything they could to weave Max into our actual history. They even include a teachers guide for grades 7-10 in the back so that teachers can have their kids read this alongside other recommended books on the subject. (Anne Frank etc).

 

It's not an easy read if you're sensitive to the subject material. You see Max working at the mass graves, and struggling to survive and to help the girl he loves. My hats off to them for taking a risk like this. I really wish it would get a Hollywood adaptation but I doubt anyone has the balls to do it. If you are a X-men fan it's an interesting insight into the life of the X-teams greatest rival and helps you see why he views the world the way he does. If you're not a X-fan it's a solid historical piece and defiantly worth your time.

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So they're making a holocaust comic and shoe-horning in Magneto? I know this sounds horrible, but isn't the holocaust kinda played out? I mean I think we've pretty much seen and read all the horrible shit the Nazis did to the Jews, at this point reading or hearing about it seems more like a fetish than learning and it kinda skeeves me for all the wrong reasons.

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So they're making a holocaust comic and shoe-horning in Magneto? I know this sounds horrible, but isn't the holocaust kinda played out? I mean I think we've pretty much seen and read all the horrible shit the Nazis did to the Jews, at this point reading or hearing about it seems more like a fetish than learning and it kinda skeeves me for all the wrong reasons.

 

I've not as many fingers in pop culture or indie pies as you, but I dunno how much there is in terms of honest accounts(ie Maus) vs Passions-level sensationalised to hell snuff films. This seems to go more the way of Maus, might check it out if I can lay hands on it.

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I had seen this, but thought it was a Punisher: Born knock-off (which it kinda is). Your review intrigued me (Baytor Hator aside) so I'll give it a chance. Now, having said all that... what are your reasons for having stopped posting on Hondos?

seconded on all accounts. and i had noticed a marked absence in bindy posts lately. it sort of coincided w/ the return of thelogan. say...now that i think about it. i've never seen them in the same room together. you don't think that . . .nah. couldn't be. could it????

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I never understood the whole pathos of Magneto anyway. Okay, my entire race was targeted for death by a group of people who felt they were superior... so my plan is to target an entire race for destruction because I am superior..... what? So Magneto is an entitled racist holocaust survivor that advocates, if not genocide, at least slavery. How does that make any sense?

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