Exclusive Interview with Greg Pak: Part One

[Stephanie]

Comic book writer/filmmaker Greg Pak (http://www.pakbuzz.com) was kind enough to answer some pressing questions about the new Marvel Knights mini-series, X:men: Magneto Testament!

Photo by Paige Barr

This interview was set before the release of issue #2.

Impulse: Thanks so much, Greg, for taking the time to answer my questions! I really appreciate it. So let's talk about X-men: Magneto Testament! The first issue came out last month---the first of five. How did this mini-series get started, and when you signed on, what kinds of things were running through your mind regarding how you wanted to flesh out this origin story and the direction you wanted to take it?

Greg Pak: About three years ago, Marvel editor Warren Simons approached me about the project, and before six words were out of his mouth, I knew I was going to do it. I was honestly terrified at the prospect of tackling a story set during the Holocaust. But I knew that meant I probably would never forgive myself if I said no. From that very first meeting, I could tell Warren felt the same sense of responsibility towards this project---it's been a mission for both of us to do justice to this story.

Impulse: I found it really interesting the way you and the artist, Carmine Di Giandomenico, started the premiere issue. In the second panel on the first page you see pieces of metal jewelry and someone talking to "Erich," but you don't yet see anyone's faces. At first I thought Erich was, you know, young Magneto (Erik Lehnsherr); it's actually his uncle. Magneto's birth name, we find out, is Max Eisenhardt. Is it just a coincidence that Max's uncle's name is practically the same as the name Max later takes, or is this foreshadowing something that happens later in the mini?

Greg: I'll diplomatically keep my mouth shut for fear of spoilers.

Impulse: We get a really interesting family dynamic going on here, too. What made you decide to portray Max's family in this way? I mean, what were some of the things you thought were important and that you wanted to clearly portray when showing his home life?

Greg: The key was always to make Max's family completely understandable as the kind of everyday, decent, funny, brave, and sometimes goofy folks any of us might know and love. They're not faceless, helpless victims; instead, we wanted to depict them as everyday heroes struggling to make sense of their suddenly insane world in ways with which readers could completely identify. Most importantly, I wanted to find ways to show the tremendous love Max's father has for his family---especially his son. My favorite moments in the series have been little interactions between Max and his father---the tiny gestures, the little jokes, and the awkward embraces. I love Max's father as much as any character I've ever created.

Impulse: You handle the oppression and rise of the Nazis with such finesse in the comic. It's subtle at some points (even though the reader is certainly aware, from knowing about what Magneto went through growing up and also the historical context), and dramatically strong at others. Why did you feel this route would work, and how does it play into the overall story, especially regarding Max as a character? Was there anything that influenced you in the way you chose to tell it?

Greg: I wanted to begin the story relatively early so that we could get to know Max and his family as human beings before the full gravity of their situation sank in. And I knew we should see almost everything from Max's point of view. That would let us discover things bit by bit at the same time he does and help us understand how the Nazi rise and the Final Solution crept up around and then swept away their victims.

Impulse: I really loved the inclusion of the character Kalb, who genuinely cares for and can definitely (as we later learn) emphasize with Max. But things didn't look so good for him by the end of the issue. Will we get to see him again, by any chance?

Greg: I should probably just hold my tongue, but since you asked so nicely ... Yes, we will see Herr Kalb again. And you're the first to know!

Read part two …