Thoughts

The recent run of diverse single issue stories comes to an end with this flashback issue. A flashback that serves to finish Claremont’s radical reinventon of Magneto. After this issue the once-two-dimensional ranting cartoon bad guy will never be the same again.

After reinvention, Magneto has become “Magnus”. A holocaust survivor who lost his entire family. A tragedy that has radicalised him into violence and mutant supremacy.

It’s all wrapped up in a tale of Nazis, survivors guilt, trauma and stolen gold. Claremont balances the need for an adventure with developing the new backstory for Magnus and adding more to Xavier. Nazis get punched and buried in collapsing caves, which is all good fun – alongside the completely realigned Xavier/Magneto dynamic. At the end of this issue, you can’t help but look forward to the next time these two characters will meet in the present day, because it simply cannot now be a retread of anything that went before.

At the end of the issue, there’s a cliffhanger that’s going to take us back into space for a multi-issue storyline. Although I’m excited by the prospect of more Space Saga action, it is a shame to move on from a run of single issue stories that has been genuinely an exciting and varied experience.

Fun Panel

None More Claremont

It feels both brave and foolish that Claremont goes all the way to unambiguously bringing up Auschwitz in a super hero comic. Issue 150 dropped it in a single speech bubble, but here it is presented clearly and unambiguously as part of the story. It marks a genuine shift in what the comic is willing to do. It is now going to play with serious concepts and ideas in a way that seems a world away from the assault on Count Nefaria way back in his furst few issues.

I think its a fair comment on Claremont that the shift to incorporate genuine real life evil in the comic does not always work. It’s hard to find a balance between the demands of a comic book super hero adventure, and exploring the genuine darkest actions of humanity. But its indicative of a new level of ambition on the title. And that’s something I am a huge fan of.

It was a Product of its Time

Eewwwwww!

Xavier embarking on a relationship with his patient when he knows how vulnerable she is really feels dodgy. And curiously ironic in an issue where Xavier has been arguing against Magneto on the need for freedom and to not determine whats best for others you deem weaker.

Mutant Mailbag Mayhem

The Elfquest references in Kitty’s Fairytale inspire a response from its creators. Which is nice. Also since writing the blog on that episode I discovered that the couple who wrote Elvenquest met when one wrote to the other after seeing their letter in a publication, including the full address. I wonder if this happened often back then? Whether getting a letter published meant you’d get unsolicited mail. Some of which wouldn’t be dreadful.