Magneto: Testament Review – A Powerful and Emotional Holocaust Origin Story

I recently finished reading Magneto Testament. This story was a very difficult read as it covered in depth the atrocities and horrors of the Holocaust.

The story is called Magneto Testament but it does not focus on the Magneto we know from the comics, aside from the fact that it reflects the historical impact the Holocaust had on his character. I’m not sure how old Magneto was before he realized he had powers, but in this comic, his abilities are not part of the narrative.

This story could have easily been titled “Memoirs of a Jewish boy in Auschwitz.” It is a heavy and educational read that is also emotionally challenging. Reading about the terrible things that the Nazis did to Jewish people, Romani, and others they targeted is very difficult. The lack of humanity displayed by the Nazis is profoundly troubling.

I’ll mention again that this story doesn’t really align with the Magneto character as I know him. In fact, the person’s name wasn’t even Eric here. I’m not sure why they titled it Magneto or connected it to him because it doesn’t follow his typical story. Then again, I’m new to comics and it could be that this is intended as his backstory before he became Magneto. It also seems likely his name was used to bring recognition to a story that stands well on its own.

My one real disappointment with the limited series was that I expected at some point for Magneto to become the character we know and to use his powers against the Nazis, but that moment never came. Aside from that, this was a very good read, and I recommend it. Just be prepared for heavy and emotional content.