From cover to closing, there is only one word needed to describe X-Men Forever #1… and that word is Claremont.

As impossible as the task seems, X-Men Forever #1 clearly and fully channels the essence of the beloved Claremont era of the Uncanny X-Men. Certainly, for the full experience, the title requires the washing away of nearly two decades of convoluted story arcs and controversial character developments, as well the name LeBeau; but once that is done, X-Men Forever instantly sets the X-Men on the road that Marvel’s outlaw super heroes missed the turn for when Mr. Claremont left the book in 1991. That said, within the pages of X-Men Forever the open-minded reader will effortlessly discover something pure, enlightening and relieving; a sense akin to seeing old friends again.

When reading X-Men Forever, it is helpful to keep in mind the powerful impression of X-Men #1 through #3 (1991). The excitement surrounding that debut was unprecedented, and that force continues flawlessly into X-Men Forever. The unity doesn’t miss a beat from the 1991 series as this issue sets the team in hot pursuit of Fabian Cortez, a threat whose megalomaniacal schemes influenced even Magneto. The battles are articulate and the character interaction and drama is completely reminiscent of classic Claremont era. The dialogue is plentiful and perfect, and the characters are as identifiable today as they were during Claremont’s genre expanding run. As a throwback to a more traditional way of presenting comics, the issue even contains an enticing mention to the events of X-Men #94 and #95 (1975) and the death of Thunderbird; a detail that quickly puts the reader in the reflective frame of mind needed to receive the full impression of X-Men Forever.

Although Claremont’s storytelling ability is the might of the X-Men Forever’s impression, comic books being a visual medium suggests that an analysis of the enduring essence of X-Men Forever begins with the art. Tom Grummett has always been a solid artist, and his work here is no exception. Following in the steps of Jim Lee is no easy feat, but Grummett more than succeeds with his own timeless style, which can easily be described as “the way a comic book is supposed to look.” His sequential work is exceptionally fluid with immaculate backgrounds in each panel and characters that are ripe with easily perceptible emotion. A definite additive to Grummett’s pencils is the skilled ink work of Cory Hamscher. As the usual look of inked pencils seems to be giving way to computerized coloring techniques, Hamscher’s inks are an absolute compliment to Grummett’s style and a valuable contribution in connecting the artistic form of X-Men Forever to its 1991 bearings.

The visual appeal of the book doesn’t stop with the talents of Grummett and Hamscher, though. Falling in place with Claremont’s final X-Men issues from 1991outfits the cast in some of their most dynamic uniforms. Additionally, the return of Nightcrawler, Kitty Pryde and Jean Grey to the team makes the roster one of the most iconic groups of X-Men ever presented. And perhaps the biggest relief…. No feline beast. Overall, the team appears heroic and dynamic, the way the X-Men, and super heroes, are supposed to look; and with that look comes overwhelming tone of pure adventure that sets fans back to their favorite X-Men days. Perhaps the appearances and line up will change, as is the nature of the X-Men, but with Claremont at the helm, the changes are sure to be motivated by story rather marketing.

As enjoyable as it is to see the X-Men back in their iconic uniforms, it is the story that is the real gage of whether or not X-Men Forever is able to bring back the true essence of 18 years ago. Chris Claremont plots his stories in a big way, this is something that all X-fans understand, and a writer of his caliber should never be burdened with writing for the trade. As an example of his limitless storytelling ability, as well as his patience, Claremont wrote Uncanny X-Men for nearly two decades without revealing Wolverine’s origin, Nightcrawler’s connection to Mystique or bringing in a third Summers brother. Recent works of Claremont, such as Exiles and Genext, are incredibly demonstrative of the intelligence and devices the writer is known for, however, the epic qualities that hold fans in thrall for years seems restricted in such titles under the constraint of a limited number of issues. With X-Men Forever, though, the writer is granted a freedom to tap back into his nearly two decades of concepts, dangling plotlines and characterization in order to plan a captivating continuation for his original run.

To begin with, the diverse characterization and character development Claremont used to season Uncanny X-Men is immediately recognizable in X-Men Forever. The focus of the first issue seems to follow Jean Grey and Wolverine, but, as always with Claremont’s X-Men, each character can be considered the deus ex machina of the series. For example, Cyclops has always been more than an X-Man; he is THE X-Man. The brilliance of Claremont is that he leaves Cyclops in this role as the pillar of the team but also makes him a source of pathos for the book; Scott Summers may not be blue and fuzzy or have wings, but he considers himself an outcast because his powers are dangerous. Cyclops knows that if he were to ever lose control, he would provide the prejudice the X-Men fight with the ammunition needed to destroy mutantkind; thus, he has little more to consider than remaining in control… of himself, as well as those around him. Couple this with the various tragedies of Scott Summer’s life and it is easy to see why the man is too occupied with playing the part of Gabriel to Xavier’s God to notice the distance growing between him and Jean Grey. Cyclops is the heart and soul of Xavier’s dream; a trait that makes him his own worst enemy. Therein, the quandary of Cyclops is that you feel safe with him as leader of the team but also want him to break free of his responsibilities and maintain the institution that is Scott Summers and Jean Grey. Unlike other writers who have automatically gone for the shock drama of separating Cyclops from Xavier, Claremont grasps the roots of the character to develop him reasonably and naturally so that the reader can identify with his pain and accepts his motivation.

And it is this intimate connection between reader and character that is the secret to Claremont’s acclaim, a device that he is incorporating into the X-Men Forever. Like Shakespeare, who brought his works to a whole new psychological level with the introduction of soliloquies that allowed the audience to know the thoughts of his characters, Claremont, too, is known for adding an extra dramatic dimension to his work by revealing the snap thoughts and ideologies of his characters. This is a powerful storytelling tactic that Claremont utilizes to make his characters identifiable and sympathetic. Unless for comic relief or trendy recognition, the art of writing thought bubble dialogue has actually lost its presence in most modern comic books, but with X-Men Forever, it seems that Claremont is continuing this dramatic tradition in hopes of once again developing the powerful rapport between characters and readers that he is known for.

And finally, in true Claremont fashion, along with a methodical action story, X-Men Forever is wrought with the emergence of all-new, all-different blossoming plot lines. From the governments new monitoring of the X-Men to Nightcrawler’s doubts about rejoining the team and the reemergence of the Phoenix force, the future of X-Men Forever promises to be welcome reintroduction to old friends.