This series simply takes me back. When I first started reading X-Men comics "back in the day," I was immediately sucked into Chris Claremont's writing. I was just blown away. Uncanny X-Men #188 was the first issue I bought (along with the " God Loves, Man Kills" graphic novel). I was familiar with them from their appearances on "Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends." Right away I started buying up all the back issues I could get my hands on. With X-Men Forever, Chris Claremont returns to the X-Men and is doing things his way. Is it still as good as it was back then?
This series has been surprising me. While I'm a fan of Chris Claremont and Tom Grummett, I'm normally not a fan of "alternate reality" stories. The idea that this series of X-Men branches out and has become a long running What If? series doesn't really matter. I think because at its heart, it's still Chris Claremont doing the writing. He's spent so much time with these characters that he clearly knows them inside and out. This almost seems like some sort of experiment. Sure there are lots of fans of the "old school" X-Men adventures but I'm sure there are loads of readers that haven't actually read those past issues.
I haven't really heard what others think about this series. In some ways, it's almost like an Ultimate comic. It has the whole "anything goes" attitude. That is part of what makes this exciting. I'm not one for pointless deaths but the idea that no one is safe keeps you on the edge of your seat. The other great thing is that it isn't tied to all the other X-titles. Yes I love a good crossover but I also love being able to read a single comic and not have to worry about what is happening in others series and what reading order I have to be aware of.
Simply put, if you enjoy the X-Men and what a semi-classic feel to your stories this is a title to pick up. There's also the fact that if you are on a budget, you won't have to worry about the massive "events" that so often seem to pop up. It's just a shame about Wolverine...