You all know Magneto. He is arguably the most well known X-Men character outside of Wolverine. He requires no preamble. He’s getting a spotlight issue by Ben Oliver & Jonathan Hickman.
Oliver has been away from comics for a while but jumped at the chance to work with Johnny Hix saying “I’ve long been a fan of Jonathan’s work, and Magneto as a character, so to collaborate on this project is fantastic.” This project will be the second of 5 one-shots focusing on different X-Men character, following February’s Giant-Size X-Men: Jean Grey & Emma Frost #1.
More importantly though, lets talk about Hickman’s favorite topic, graphic design. The cover image here is bold and evocative. The high contrast catches the eye and makes it pop. The logo work, however, is a mismash of ideas that don’t work. The use of the original Giant-Size X-Men logo is cute but reminds us that the iconic issue has one of the worst “X”s to ever grace the cover of a book. It clashes with the italic of “Men” and has no distinct light source for the shadow. Additionally, next to the sans-serif “Giant-Size” it looks out of place. The heavy letters and use of serifs in the credits copy evokes a 40s college football poster. All of which work against the modern and angular “Magneto” logo from his last solo. Here’s hoping Tom Muller can work his magic when this goes to print.
Anyway, here’s the press release.
Press Release
When Giant-Size X-Men hits stands next year, X-Men fans will get to see Jonathan Hickman’s bold vision for mutantkind unfold in epic adventures told by the industry’s most acclaimed artists. These large-scale but standalone stories will be specifically designed to highlight the artist’s talents, and each issue will focus on a specific character. This March, Hickman will team up with legendary artist Ben Oliver to turn the spotlight on the master of magnetism, Magneto!
Created by Stan Lee himself, Magneto’s been a fixture in the X-Men mythos since the very beginning. Although he debuted in 1963’s X-MEN #1 as the X-Men’s premiere super villain, he eventually became one of their fiercest members. Under Chris Claremont’s pen, Magneto was equipped with a tragic backstory, shedding light on his motivations and developing him into one of the most complex characters in the Marvel Universe. An unrelenting champion for mutantkind, Magneto once again finds himself leading a mutant nation, but this time, he has all of mutantkind including the X-Men standing at his side. Determined to make this new dream of Krakoa prosper, Magneto must now make dealings with his former sworn enemy— humanity!
Ben Oliver, known for his seminal work on ULTIMATE X-MEN, is the perfect artist to capture the emotion behind Magneto’s new role as mutant ambassador. “It’s been many years since I last worked on an X-Men related project, and I couldn’t be happier than to be working with Jonathan,” Oliver said. “I’ve long been a fan of Jonathan’s work, and Magneto as a character, so to collaborate on this project is fantastic.”
GIANT-SIZE X-MEN: MAGNETO will be the second of five essential one-shots with the first, GIANT-SIZE X-MEN: JEAN GREY AND EMMA FROST debuting in February. Uniting Jonathan Hickman with the best artists in the industry, these stories are destined to be instant classics that fans won’t want to miss! Stay tuned for upcoming announcements about more GIANT-SIZE X-MEN issues coming your way next year and which of your favorite artists will be showcased next!
GIANT-SIZE X-MEN: MAGNETO #1
Written by JONATHAN HICKMAN
Art by BEN OLIVER
Zachary Jenkins runs ComicsXF and is a co-host on the podcast “Battle of the Atom.” Shocking everyone, he has a full and vibrant life outside of all this.
