The Good
Cullen Bunn's new tradition of having Magneto kill all those who wronged mutants continues here. This series asks the question "What if the Punisher was actually Magneto?" The answer to that question is "it would be totally awesome." In this issue, Magneto confronts an organization that is taking young mutants to a camp, dissecting them, and cataloging their mutant powers.
This book is brutal, but not to a point where the whole book is about violence. The violence has a point and it really fits with the character. He's really a "take no prisoners" man who has faced horrors in his past and wants to right the wrongs in the present. This issue really fleshes out what this series, at least the first couple arcs, are about.
If there's one thing that really makes this book work, as a whole, it's the art team of Javier Fernandez and Jordie Bellaire. What these two do, artistically, really balances out the tone and violence within the book. Within this issue alone, as Magneto uses barbed wire to string up some mutant offenders, another art style wouldn't work. Even another colorist may not work. Fernandez and Bellaire are a great blend of house style with a bit of animated style thrown into the mix. Strangely enough, the art is very calming.
The issue leaves the reader at a point where they truly understand why Magneto does what he does and why he goes to extreme measures to do what he does. All of this really hits home through Magneto's monologue by Bunn. It's the perfect end to this issue, to really get inside his head.
The Bad
It may be a bit violent for some readers. This feels more like a Max title than anything else because of the tone and brutality. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but some readers may be turned off by this.
The Verdict
MAGNETO #4 is one fantastic read. It let's readers really get into the head of one of Marvel's most infamous villains and follows him on a journey to avenge his follow people. The book is brutal, sad, and hopeful all at the same time. Bunn, Fernandez, and Bellaire have crafted quite an extremely intriguing book that makes you feel for this character and look at him in a whole new light. Hopefully, this series continues to impress as it has the past four issues. Overall, I highly recommend this book.