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Published by: IDW Publishing
Released on: Oct. 1, 2014
Writer: Karl Kesel
Artist: Greg Scott, Vic Malhotra
Cover artist: Carlos Valenzuela
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The telling of the original X-Files case from the post-WWII 1940s continues, as Special Agent Bing Ellison and specially appointed agent Millie Ohio do battle with a werewolf creature when the local yokel cops show up and kill the beast. The young Native American man they picked up along the way lets them know the beast didn't die, just the vessel it was in. He calls it a Manitou and says it escaped and will come back. Another letter comes to Millie with the next stop on their quest to find Mr. Xero and they make their way to his next known place of hanging out. And he knows they are on to him.
Meanwhile in present day, Scully and Mulder, a worker at an animal shelter is the latest person Mr. Xero visits. Yes, Mr. Xero is old. Dell Spoon is an unassuming man and his visitations from Mr. Xero at his home put the two agents on a stake out. It pays off, but it may not be exactly what they were hoping for. Mr Xero is on to them, just like the agents 60+ years ago, deepening his mysterious presence.
Most of the issue focuses on the 1940s portion of the story, and that's fine by this reader. Agents Ellison and Ohio are much more interesting than the two modern agents in this tale, who have nothing new to bring to the table. Same old same old with those two. Karl Kessel's story is a fine one, and his weaving the two timelines together is seamless and devoid of confusion. The artwork, though average and not all that awe-inspiring, also does a good job with helping on those time transitions. Thank the coloring for that; the past is bright, and the coloring in the present is dark. Easy to follow.
Despite the mediocre art, the solid script work keeps the comic flowing and entertaining. And although it's not a book that makes you want more it certainly results in comic worth reading even if you are not a big X-Files fan. You can pick it up and know nothing about the show or the printed material it still spawns and still have a good story to read.
