Filed under: Comic Reviews, IDW Comics | Tags: Chris Carter, Doggett, FBI, Joe Harris, Jordie Bellaire, Lone Gunmen, Michael Walsh, Mulder, Scully, Skinner, X-Files
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last 20 years – you’ll have some knowledge or experience with the X-Files (if you don’t, then you better catchup ASAP) but to say this fanboy was hyped for X-Files return, albeit in comic book form, would be an understatement of other-worldly proportions.
OK, it’s JUST the X-Files right??….wrong….you must be abducted and converted into a believer….and I can only assume that the head honchos at IDW have had just such an experience to bring us this hidden gem as a significant addition to their other licensed titles. Picking up with Mulder & Scully in their hush-hush, non-FBI life it’s no time at all before we have some strange, hooded alien cult members kidnapping Scully and heading off to track down her son. It’s like it’s never been away and even I have to admit that these first 3 issues (of a 5-issue arc) had me pumping my fist in the air as another character cropped up on the pages.
Mulder & Scully were a given……but to see Walter Skinner, John Doggett, The CSM, The Lone Gunmen and more appear on the pages was as epic as epic could be. This even had me clambering to grab a loan of seasons 1-9 (plus films) from my sister and watch every episode with the more than occasional “Oooohhhh I remember this one….this is a cracker!” Sometimes these releases can take away from a show when it’s pushed out the door to appease a gap in the market (if such a thing exists) and worst case scenario is that it never matches up to what the show achieved. True, the show may have lost its way but I’d be hard pushed to think of a long running TV series that kept all the viewers happy all the time.
That being said, the folks at IDW just seem to “get” what this is all about and with Joe Harris writing this based on a story by him and Chris Carter there was always a significant chance it would ease into the X-Files mythology and add to the burning question “Why didn’t they MAKE a 10th season??” TV show politics aside, the other burning question outside my fanboy hype was “Is this any good?” and the answer is “HELL YEAH!” Recognized characters aside, there’s the humour, the underhanded government antics and the cliff-hanging moments that raised the show above many others and in comic book form it’s just as much of a success.
I love the artwork from Michael Walsh and that being backed up by Jordie Bellaire on colours captures that spooky, x-filesy feel with style. Then there’s the numerous covers on-offer too which take me into that rare realm of variant envy……but I’m sure it’s just a phase. If you love the show then get this and add to that X-Files mythology that you store in your head already….if you don’t love the show, read it anyway and let this comic book convert you into an X-Phile like me. Great fun with that conspiracy thriller element and quality art to boot…..what’s not to like? The Truth (and quality art) is in here.
9/10
G-Man
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