Giant Size X-Men: Magneto #1 // Review
Magneto is looking to purchase an island in Giant-Size X-Men: Magneto #1, by writer Jonathan Hickman, artist Ramon Perez, colorist David Curiel, and letterer Clayton Cowles. Of the three Giant-Size books so far, this one is probably the least interesting; it's good but nothing special.
Magneto steers a giant container ship to an island. He meets with the caretaker. They talk about Magneto buying the island, and the caretaker says he will contact the owner. In a flashback, Magneto is at a dinner with Emma Frost when she asks him to go and buy a certain island. In the present, Magneto waits for a day until the owner of the island shows up- Namor. Magneto tells Namor that Emma wants to buy the island, and Namor agrees before asking Magneto to accompany him underwater. They find a quiet metal door with the mark of an Atlantean king on it, and Magneto opens it. They are attacked by a Kraken. It eats them, and they enter a room and encounter three witches who present them with a riddle. Namor guesses incorrectly, but Magneto is able to save the day. After they part, Magneto uses the contents of the container ship to build a tower for Emma.
There's really not very much to this comic. Namor snipes at Magneto a bit, but they make nice rather quickly once Magneto explains that Emma put him up to the whole thing. Emma and Namor may have a history, but Namor is basically a villain nowadays, so him acting the way he is kind of strange.
In fact, the whole issue feels kind of strange and aimless. They fight a Kraken, and it's barely a fight. In fact, the entire sequence is kind of confusing. The sea witches' scene is run of the mill sea witch stuff- a riddle and picking the choice that isn't obvious is the way to beat it. It's all kinds of cliche, and one expects better from a writer of Hickman's quality.
The art by Ramon Perez is okay. The Kraken and the sea witches look cool, but nothing really stands out. Sometimes, the faces of characters have a peculiar look to them. All in all, the art fits the comic- it's merely okay with nothing to really distinguish it.
Giant-Size X-Men: Magneto #1 is one of the most disappointing books during Dawn Of X so far. One remembers X-Men #4, with Magneto sniping at world leaders and can dream of what could have been between Magneto and Namor, who is one of the most prominent mutants to not come to Krakoa, and also has been making mutants look bad by fighting the Avengers and doing his whole "attack the surface world" thing. The art by Perez is fine, but like this issue does, nothing to distinguish itself. Maybe Emma's new tower will play into things later (it has a Sentinel head on it, which is an odd choice), but for now, Giant-Size X-Men: Magneto #1 is an okay book that feels pretty aimless and hollow.
