Today, the whole world knows him as Magneto, the most radical champion of mutant rights that mankind has ever seen. But in 1935, he was just anothe...
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Jan 22, 2012
Guillermo
rated it: 
"Sometimes in this life, you get a moment, a time when everything lines up. When anything is possible. When suddenly you can make things happen. God help us if we take that moment. And God forgive us if we don't."
Those are the words we deserved to hear on the big screen, instead we got X-Men: First Class. Not that I'm comparing standing up against the S.S. men during the holocaust to a mediocre movie. It's nothing like that. As a fan of the X-Men franchise, I feel we deserv More...
Those are the words we deserved to hear on the big screen, instead we got X-Men: First Class. Not that I'm comparing standing up against the S.S. men during the holocaust to a mediocre movie. It's nothing like that. As a fan of the X-Men franchise, I feel we deserv More...
Aug 17, 2011
Myonlycookie
rated it: 
Loved this one.
For all of you who know X-Men, then you know what this book is about. For all of you who don't, this comic is an origin story for one of X-Men's most iconic villains, Magneto. (In short, Magneto can control metal.) Magneto is a Holocaust survivor, and this is a fact that has been around in the X-Men universe for ~30 years. If you read the afterward of the trade paperback, then you'll know that in order to make this comic, writer Greg Pak, editor Warren Simons, and the More...
For all of you who know X-Men, then you know what this book is about. For all of you who don't, this comic is an origin story for one of X-Men's most iconic villains, Magneto. (In short, Magneto can control metal.) Magneto is a Holocaust survivor, and this is a fact that has been around in the X-Men universe for ~30 years. If you read the afterward of the trade paperback, then you'll know that in order to make this comic, writer Greg Pak, editor Warren Simons, and the More...
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Feb 11, 2011
Tancredi
rated it:
"Fate che non succeda mai più."
Chi crede che graphic novel sia un'espressione vanagloriosa, e che i fumetti siano solo fumetti, deve leggere Testamento e necessariamente ricredersi.
Magneto è uno dei personaggi tra gli X-men che più adoro: con un passato straziante, una vita piena di ombre, una rabbia interiore feroce ed un fiero individualismo, ha finito con l'affascinarmi del tutto.
In questo fumetto c'è però ben poco del Magneto che tutti conosciamo, perché l'idea More...
Chi crede che graphic novel sia un'espressione vanagloriosa, e che i fumetti siano solo fumetti, deve leggere Testamento e necessariamente ricredersi.
Magneto è uno dei personaggi tra gli X-men che più adoro: con un passato straziante, una vita piena di ombre, una rabbia interiore feroce ed un fiero individualismo, ha finito con l'affascinarmi del tutto.
In questo fumetto c'è però ben poco del Magneto che tutti conosciamo, perché l'idea More...
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Feb 04, 2011
Abby
rated it:
Yes, Greg is my cousin but even if he weren't I would still be singing the praises of this comic -- Magneto has always been my favorite "bad guy" in the X-Men universe, and I love how Greg constructs a detailed, historically accurate, and compelling back story for him in this comic, which describes how Magneto (born Max Eisenhardt, a German Jew), comes of age during the brutal repression of the Third Reich. In some ways I think that this comic is a better choice for teens learning abou
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Nov 09, 2009
Brad
rated it: 
I'm not sure what sets this book apart. Yeah, it's a Holocaust story that uses Magneto as its main character, with his nascent magnetic powers only showing up a handful of times in the five-issue story. But it's not that different from other movies or books trying to turn the Holocaust into a story about one survivor. Snippets of the main character's life reflect wider social trends; his perseverance reflects millions. But this book tries to do too much. Every few pages exposition-heavy tex
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Oct 26, 2009
Aaron
rated it:
Fans of the X-Men know that Eric Lensherr, the man known as the evil mutant Magneto, was a German Jew who survived the concentration camps. Few know that his name was really named Max Eisenhardt. X-Men Origins told the story of Logan/Wolverine and was turned into a great movie. Magneto Testament was written for a different reason. Readers learn more about Magneto's youth and why he became Magneto, but the real story is the horror of the Holocaust.
The tale starts in 1935, Max is mistr More...
The tale starts in 1935, Max is mistr More...
Sep 18, 2009
Jacobi
rated it:
This book is deceiving. You would think a book about a young Magneto trying to survive in Nazi controlled Auschwitz would be one thing, but it's totally not that thing. This is a straight up story about a Jewish family being beaten and abused at every turn, yet still finding a way to persevere. This isn't the most original story, but it is very well done. I give Marvel credit for putting this out, and not going all cheesy with Magneto making metal monsters to fight Nazis (which could have easily
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Dec 24, 2011
mzd
rated it:
It's taken me a long time to read this because I'm well aware that for me fiction about Nazi Germany is somehow harder to read than non-fiction. With non-fiction, there is still that small blessing of taking in factual data and processing events as they have been reported and recorded, keeping a small distance. But with fiction, you see events through the eyes of a protaganist, bringing you uncomfortably closer to their emotions. It's why I found this to be a bleak and harrowing story, seeing fr
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May 20, 2011
Anne
rated it:
For all of you out there who think comic books are for kids (or for geeky adults with short attention spans and a lower than average IQ), I'd like to point out that graphic novels (as we like to call them) are actually fairly progressive when it comes to making social commentary. And they have been for years. So it's really no surprise that Marvel incorporated the Holocaust into the origin story of one of it's biggest characters. Kudos to Marvel and Greg Pak for a job well done.
This More...
This More...
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Mar 15, 2010
Kimberlee
rated it:
This book, you'll pardon the pun, is a marvel. Ostensibly a simple origin story for one of the most beloved villains (or is he an anti-hero?) in comic history, this book surprised me by being so much more. Author Greg Pak (who is fast becoming a recognizable name among peers in the industry and fans) and his creative team do a superb job of not only telling an origin story that has never been told before, but making it work within the larger context of one of the greatest events in recent histor
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Nov 05, 2011
Jane
rated it:
Beautifully illustrated and delicately presented graphic novel on the origins of Magneto, a survivor of the holocaust... and (although not visited in the comic on this occasion) mutant.
This comic is graphic in all senses of the word and does not scrimp on showing the gruesome and crushing history of the jews in the second World War. This was all presented much more sensitively than I envisioned it would be much to the author and artist credit. The story itself shows the struggle befo More...
This comic is graphic in all senses of the word and does not scrimp on showing the gruesome and crushing history of the jews in the second World War. This was all presented much more sensitively than I envisioned it would be much to the author and artist credit. The story itself shows the struggle befo More...
Nov 06, 2011
Helena
rated it:
I picked this up because I love Magneto and I'm a history teacher and the cover drew my eye to this book. I finished it in an evening and I became a true Magneto fan. This book, although heartbreaking and painful to read at times, gives a compelling portrait of the events leading up to the Holocaust, the camps and the formation of Magneto's ideologies.
The art is amazing in that it conveys the emotions clearly, be it the horror of the camps. Or hope and love, such as when Max and Mag More...
The art is amazing in that it conveys the emotions clearly, be it the horror of the camps. Or hope and love, such as when Max and Mag More...
Jun 12, 2011
V2
rated it:
This graphic novel is very good at explaining key points in the Holocaust, from the initial sanctions imposed against the Jews to the the death camps, it does that all very well and in a nice bullet point kind of way. What it's not that good at is actually giving you a real origin story for Magneto, it shows you what and where he came from and the undeniable horrors which would obviously stay with him and influence him for the rest of his life. Beyond that though there's no real origin story, Ma
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Jan 22, 2011
Jacki
rated it:
Summary: This comic compendium details Max Eisenhardt's childhood and adolescence as he tries to escape the Nazi regime, only to end up in a concentration camp where he will witness horror upon horror before escaping to one day become Magneto, the X-Men's greatest foe.
Verdict: Great as a history lesson, but not as a superhero tale.
Yay!: The beautiful art brings the heart-rending story to life. As a pure Holocaust tale, this comic definitely works. It's horrifying, saddeni More...
Verdict: Great as a history lesson, but not as a superhero tale.
Yay!: The beautiful art brings the heart-rending story to life. As a pure Holocaust tale, this comic definitely works. It's horrifying, saddeni More...
Nov 03, 2009
Flint
rated it:
I'm hesitant to put this in "non-fiction". The only fictional part is that the protagonist, later in his life, becomes an arch villain with mutant powers controlling magnetism. Mutant powers make an an extremely minor portion of the protagonist's story here--and could be even explainable as coincidence.
This is largely a first person Holocaust story, with Magneto living through it as a teenager. It touches on several key points like the Hitler Youth, the Warsaw Ghetto an More...
This is largely a first person Holocaust story, with Magneto living through it as a teenager. It touches on several key points like the Hitler Youth, the Warsaw Ghetto an More...
May 30, 2011
Francisco
rated it:
Más que un cómic es una novela histórica en formato gráfico. La historia de la infancia de Magneto en medio del Holocausto en la Alemania Nazi y en la Polonia ocupada. Históricamente muy exacta y con un dibujo muy oscuro que aporta al triste y denso relato. Me faltó que las indicaciones a la mutación que años después haría famoso al personaje principal fueran más explícitas y presentes, ya que inicialmente es la razón de comprar el libro. De todas formas, muy recomendable lectura y una excelente
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Dec 14, 2011
P.M.
rated it:
Completely divorced from the superhero world of the X-Men, this is the story of their greatest villain, Magneto.
This is a harrowing account of the holocaust, Magneto’s childhood and early adult life, and his time in a Nazi death camp.
While it is fiction, it was compiled from a lot of true stories & with the help of the Simon Wiesenthal Center.
An incredibly powerful book, both in story and in its artwork.
It was named one of the 2010 ‘Great Graphic Nove More...
This is a harrowing account of the holocaust, Magneto’s childhood and early adult life, and his time in a Nazi death camp.
While it is fiction, it was compiled from a lot of true stories & with the help of the Simon Wiesenthal Center.
An incredibly powerful book, both in story and in its artwork.
It was named one of the 2010 ‘Great Graphic Nove More...
Jan 29, 2010
Christopher
rated it:
Unbelievable! That’s all I can say. This book has such a moving tale and the art work is magnificent Forget the comic book and Magneto side of the book and you are left with a fantastic book none the less. This story of the Holocaust is one that I will never forget…
The small end story of Dina Gottliebova was a nice addition and made the book more important because of its connection with the current times. I agree that Dina should have her drawings and painting back, and I will never More...
The small end story of Dina Gottliebova was a nice addition and made the book more important because of its connection with the current times. I agree that Dina should have her drawings and painting back, and I will never More...
Jun 07, 2011
Justyn
rated it:
This volume demonstrates the transcendent power of comics.
I don't know that I can truly find the words to do this work justice in my review, but I will try.
This is an origin story of a complicated figure in comics, sometimes villain, sometimes hero, but always a compelling figure.
Most people know him as Magneto, but he began his life as a Jewish boy named Max. As a boy, Max has to endure the horrifying atrocity of the Holocaust.
This is his story.
More...
I don't know that I can truly find the words to do this work justice in my review, but I will try.
This is an origin story of a complicated figure in comics, sometimes villain, sometimes hero, but always a compelling figure.
Most people know him as Magneto, but he began his life as a Jewish boy named Max. As a boy, Max has to endure the horrifying atrocity of the Holocaust.
This is his story.
More...
Aug 04, 2011
Mike
rated it:
Well that was depressing. Well-researched and with vivid scenes and characters, I found myself pretty compelled to finish once I got started. That partly comes from deep knowledge of where the story is headed, rather than necessarily a compelling writer or artist.
This was admirable work, and while I wanted to enjoy it on its own merits it's hard to separate the "of course I know I'm horrified" conditioning from birth, from any specific response to the specific presentation h More...
This was admirable work, and while I wanted to enjoy it on its own merits it's hard to separate the "of course I know I'm horrified" conditioning from birth, from any specific response to the specific presentation h More...
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Jun 18, 2011
John
rated it:
This graphic novel explores Magneto's back story as a teenager in Auschwitz. But if you're expecting superhero action, you won't find out. In fact, this story would stand alone without the association with the X-Men's archnemesis.
Exhaustively researched, the high degree of historical accuracy makes the tale poignant.
Proof positive that comics, even comics about the fantastic, can be every bit as literary (and literate) as traditional literature.
Exhaustively researched, the high degree of historical accuracy makes the tale poignant.
Proof positive that comics, even comics about the fantastic, can be every bit as literary (and literate) as traditional literature.
Jun 16, 2011
bookme4life
rated it:
This graphic novel is Magneto's origin story, but it's also so much more than that. It's a a worthy tribute to those who survived or lost lives in the Holocaust. The artwork was beautiful, moving, but not too much. There are scenes I can still picture in my head that had no words while speaking volumes. The commitment to historical accuracy -- complete with end notes - really grounded the story without taking cheap, sensationalist shots.
Well done, folks.
Recommended.
Well done, folks.
Recommended.
Jul 26, 2011
Gail
rated it:
This is the only X-Men comic I've ever read that includes endnotes, suggested further readings, and teacher lesson plans. It was very grim and I would have preferred a bit more X-Men-like behavior from Magneto, but the author's explanation (that having a super hero save the day would have detracted from the real men and women who behaved bravely during the Holocaust) was fair enough.
Feb 16, 2010
Frank
rated it:
This is a great holocaust story as it brings the horror down to the human level of one family and it's response to Nazi Germany's persecution of the Jews. The holocaust is one thing that must never be forgotten. This story shows it to a new generation.
The story and the art are very good in and of themselves. Read it with your teenagers
The story and the art are very good in and of themselves. Read it with your teenagers
Mar 13, 2010
TJ
rated it:
Marvel does a Holocaust treatment while incorporating a Magneto origin story into the mix. As you read the last pages, it also appears that Marvel intended this to be used as classroom material when teaching about the holocaust.
Overall, I was impressed and couldn't lay the book down. Turns out, it wasn't much of an origins story, but it is still definitely worth a read.
Overall, I was impressed and couldn't lay the book down. Turns out, it wasn't much of an origins story, but it is still definitely worth a read.
Jan 25, 2012
Matt
rated it:
An excellent, affecting look at the Holocaust. Pak doesn't neuter or dumb down the book or use the character of Magneto to trivialize events; rather, he uses the character, whom the reader presumably already knows quite well, in order to enhance events and allow the reader to feel the pain of what's going on.
May 30, 2011
Nabby
rated it:
Phenomenal. I'm a sucker for good origin/back stories and this one rocked. This takes place before Magneto discovered his powers and the setting is in Nazi Germany. Apparently the author researched the holocaust history to craft this book and incorporated actual events within this story.
Feb 07, 2010
Abbie
rated it:
Magneto is my favorite character from the X-men Series, and this book had added interest as an historical fiction account of the holocaust. Interesting, without being extremely in depth, it seemed to focus more on the events than the characters. Quite enjoyable, even if I was unable to really pin point when Magneto came into his powers.
Aug 22, 2011
Bill
rated it:
WOW. Just, wow. No flying, no tights, no superpowers. Just a super-villain origin story that is guaranteed to give you deeper empathy for Magneto than you ever had before.
Heck, there's a teaching guide in the back of this book, and I would say that it would serve well in an educational forum.
Heck, there's a teaching guide in the back of this book, and I would say that it would serve well in an educational forum.
Sep 01, 2011
Ian
rated it:
While I admit I was disappointed that it wasn't really the Magneto origin story I had assumed it would be, it wasn't bad in its own right. Only, there are a million better works of Holocaust fiction out there, and the only one that could have had super powers in it simply doesn't.
