MRL - Magneto: Testament (2008)

[sonotadream]

Magneto: Testament (2008) - written by Greg Pak, art by Carmine di Giandomenico

So, this isn't a superhero comic, not really. There's no heroes or absurd supervillains, just the harsh reality of growing up during the Holocaust. 

The authors were striving for realism and I think they accomplished their goal.

The story starts in 1935. Max Eisenhardt is a regular school boy, trying to impress the girl he likes by excelling at a sports competition. He wins a medal, even after a sympathetic teacher warns him not to stand out. In the end, he's accused of cheating and expelled - can't make the arian students look inferior…

 

Life for the Eisenhardt family doesn't get easier in the following years. They end up fleeing Germany for Poland, just in time for the invasion that starts WWII. Young Max becomes a smuggler while living in the Warsaw ghetto. One day, he sees another boy get shot, but his uncle stops him from killing the Nazi soldier responsible, arguing that action would only lead to more retaliation - a theme that reoccurs several times in this story. 

Max' family attempts to flee when the ghetto evacuation starts, but they are betrayed and executed. Only Max survives - the only time he uses his powers, and anything supernatural happens - and he's sent to Auschwitz anyway. 

He ends up a Sondercomando - the prisoners forced to help in the mass killings. This job grants Max a certain degree of privilege, which he uses to help his crush, Magda. In the end, she's the only person he manages to help.

In conclusion, this is a very somber story, dealing well with difficult themes. Magneto is one of the most fascinating Marvel characters and I'm looking forward to meet him again in this project.