Think of this title as Xavier Junior High or Mutant's Creek... a teen drama set in a world in which super-heroes exist. There's definitely strong potential in the combination of the two genres, as J. Torres's Sidekicks comics and the X-Men: Evolution cartoon attest. Michael Ryan does a great job of distinguishing the teen characters from the adults; they really look young here but not like little kids either. The writers deliver an accessible and down-to-earth script, but I think the book is bogged down by a cast of characters -- and a number of subplots -- that's just too large.
David's sister Kim comes to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters for a visit, and she's dazzled by the colorful array of students on the campus. She's not scared of or intimidated by mutants... quite the opposite. The weirder or more exotic the mutant, the more fascinated she becomes, wishing she could be a part of the world she feels her brother was lucky enough to join. Meanwhile, strange events start happening around the members of the New Mutants squad, leading some to believe the newly rebuilt and refurbished school is haunted.
Michael Ryan brings more realistic figures to bear here as compared to the simpler, more cartoony style of cover artist and previous penciller Randy Green. As noted above, the most important contribution Ryan makes here is capturing the youth of the main characters. His detailed backgrounds reinforce the realism he strives for here. Overall, the storytelling is capable but not overly remarkable either, and I feel that there's a brightness throughout the book that works against the supernatural tone of the emerging plotline. The writers are aiming for a creepy, tense atmosphere here, but the art just isn't in keeping with one.
I love the idea of the sibling of one of the Xavier students visiting campus for a few days. It rings true, as does Kim's envy for her brother and the amazing experiences he's now privy to thanks to his mutant power and training. I'm not so taken with the haunting plotline yet. In a world where anything is possible and life-or-death situations are commonplace, a haunting just doesn't seem like the crisis it would in another context.
DeFilipis and Weir have their hands full with this series. In every issue, they must acknowledge what's going on in other X-titles (such as references to the assault on the school by the Brotherhood of Mutants and Sammy's death, from X-Men), provide plenty of exposition for what's gone on before in this book, introduce new characters and develop new plotlines. It's just too much. They're trying to juggle too much at once. I like what I'm reading, but I'd rather see more depth, more focus on one or two characters at a time rather than trying to give each member of the entire, expansive cast a moment in the spotlight. 6/10
