Married life doesn’t suit this pair.
Creative Staff:
Story: Joe Harris
Art: Carlos Valenzuela
What They Say:
For years they investigated the paranormal, pursued the “monsters of the week,” and sought the truth behind extraterrestrial activity, along with the grand conspiracy surrounding it rooted deep within their own government. But when AGENTS MULDER and SCULLY reunite for a new, ongoing series that ushers THE X-FILES into a new era of technological paranoia, multinational concerns and otherworldly threats, it’ll take more than a desire “to believe” to make it out alive. The X-Files: Season 10 also sees creator Chris Carter return to the fold as Executive Producer!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
It feels weird at times to remember how ahead of the curve this show was at times back in the day, and back when it was a little watched show overall without the power of the internet to really propel it forward for fans. After watching it for its entire run and the theatrical side, I never really looked back as it felt like it wouldn’t be possible to do things right in the climate that it was created in. With a new event season coming next year, I ended up having a couple of issues of this comic book original series land in my lap to check out and I certainly felt game with a renewed sense of optimism towards the property. And while it doesn’t sink its teeth in fully here for the reader, it certainly tantalizes.
Of course, it has to work in a curious form so that it shifts its place in time a little bit, and admittedly if you don’t remember where things stood at the end of all the TV material, it will take a few pages to acclimate. The gist of it is that after all that went down before, Mulder and Scully are living normal lives in a witness protection-like plan. She’s doing pediatric medicine at her own place while Mulder has taken on a magical name and is playing to that angle, since it fits his personality so well. The two are living together at this stage, though there’s nothing really going on there. Which, to me, always felt like the right thing. While pairing them is definitely part of the appeal for many, I rather liked that for the majority of it, it was more of a real partnership kind of venture rather than a romantic entanglement as its primary focus.
While the two are getting along as best as they can in these circumstances, things take the expected turn for the worse when recently minted Deputy Director Skinner arrives, filling them in about how the FBI network has been compromised and a lot of data potentially went missing, which includes their whereabouts and what they’re up to. He’s essentially putting them on alert, though the skeptical side has the pair wondering what the real objective of whoever hacked the network is after. There’s some fun banter mixed into all of this, though Mulder comes across as far more of a jokester than I recall with his lines. What it progresses into is what we get teased at the start with Scully being chased by a group clad in black that cause networks in the immediate area to go down. It’s one by one as we see Skinner taken out as well, with Mulder attempting to rescue, but mostly it’s just painting the initial threat without much of an idea of what the objective is. Which works as it definitely creates a particular mood and fear here wit Scully being chased, though I admit I’d rather her not be in the damsel in distress mode once again since that’s plainly not her character.
In Summary:
The start of the tenth season of X-Files in comic book form gets off to a decent start here, with a couple of minor quibbles. Part of it is just getting back into this particular tone and mindset with minor adjustments to bring it up to date a bit. Scully comes across well and Skinner is Skinner, but Mulder just feels off as I try to process the dialogue through David Duchovny’s voice and intonation and I’m just not hearing it. The artwork is spot on and completely appropriate to this kind of title in that it adds to the overall atmosphere well, especially the creepy factor of those that are lurking in the shadows and chasing after Scully within the bookend sections of the opening issue. Part of the book is just trying to remember where things left off as there’s no real “Since we last saw them…” kind of moment. But beyond there, it’s definitely interesting to step back into this world and see if the unexplainable can be more intriguing than the old TV budgets could produce.
Grade: B
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: IDW Publishing via ComiXology
Release Date: June 19th, 2013
MSRP: $1.99
