I have to be honest; I had the lowest of expectations coming into this book. In fact, I was pretty sure that Claremont was going to be the writer, trying yet once again to resurrect his glory days.
But boy, do I love pleasant surprises, and as far as pleasant surprises go, this book wasn't too bad.
Overall it has a real "New X-Men" vibe to it, only using classic characters. It is interesting the way writer Francesco Artibani was able to create an out of continuity story while holding true to important parts of each character's history. This is clever, considering how many character's history's are so deeply ingrained that it is hard to move away from them. Here, Artibani just runs with what is already there.
The story revolves around a younger Eric Magnus collecting young mutants for his school, the Worthington Foundation. As are the case in any good "young mutant" divisions form and sides are taken.
It is interesting to see these characters in a younger light. It sounds cheesy, but somehow it is not. It actually works. And to top it all off, the art is really good. The bubble gum colour and lines really suit the story.
I'm hooked. This could replace the giant "New X-Men" gap in my heart!