X-Men Blue #34 from Cullen Bunn and Marcus To sets out to prove once again why Magneto is the X-Men’s greatest enemy. Bunn’s Magneto arc has been thrilling for years, and this issue seems to put him back where many fans want him. To’s art is a great addition to the title, especially when Magneto cuts loose. And as the series winds down, this issue hints that so much more could’ve been coming for us.

Summary

Picking up where the last issue left off, X-Men Blue #34 has Magneto some years in the future. The time lost original X-Men, now adults have confronted him hoping to stop him from ruining their planet more than he already has. They see him now as the villain they met him as, accusing him of having destroyed New York City. Magneto is learning that all of the destruction he sees stems from Mothervine, which we of course know he put a stop to in a troubling way. But this story gives us the reason Magneto killed so many mutants during that story arc. Bunn has added the weight of the future to Magneto’s already burdened shoulders, adding new layers to the character.

The issue of course turns to an incredible battle between the grown X-Men and Magneto, though he’s protected as a savior by the future’s mutant population. He escapes back to the present to take the actions we see in X-Men Blue #23-28. But then we cut to Magneto in the present, officially leaving the X-Men behind. But he’s not done trying to protect mutantkind, as we seem him rally other forces together to do whatever it takes to protect the future of his people.

Creators

I can’t praise Cullen Bunn’s work on X-Men Blue, or Magneto, enough. It’s clear he’s had long term plans for the character. I would have loved to see what he would do with this Magneto in the future, but sadly he has no future X-Men plans. Here we see him move the character back to what we saw in his Magneto series from 2014. A Magneto who is ready to save his people no matter the costs. He’ll take the burden of hard choices and terrible decisions from others to achieve his goals. It looks as though our villainous, misunderstood Magneto that so many fans love has come back to us, and Bunn did a great job recreating him these past four years.

Marcus To’s art fits the series so well. We can see the pain in the characters as they debate actions taken. His emotional scenes are just as entertaining as his action, and he gets to show it all here. Energy, magic, and physicality are all on display in the X-Men’s battle with Magneto, and To does a fantastic job. He fits in so well with the style this book has carried, and I wish we’d seen more of him on the title.

Final Thoughts

This book has been the better of the first two “color” books in the X-Men line. While nearly every artist rotating on the book has been entertaining and fit with a certain style, it’s truly Bunn’s storytelling that’s captivated me every issue. While the focus here has been on Magneto, it shows the writer’s strength. Morally ambiguous characters and deceptive actions running through the book have been the hook and drama the title needed. Now that we have a reinvented Magneto, I’m eager to see just what Bunn does in the end. If only we had more than two issues of this book left to see what he really had planned.

Final Grade: A-