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Review: “The X-Files Season 10” # 5

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The first arc of “The X-Files Season 10” concludes this month in wonderfully mysterious fashion. The Acolytes true motivations are further developed. Mulder and Scully find themselves right back where they left off, and the status quo is reset for another generation of paranormal adventures. Joe Harris and Michael Walsh end “Believers” true to the source material, which means it, will leave you dying for more.


WRITTEN BY: Joe Harris
ART BY: Michael Walsh
PUBLISHER: IDW
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: October 16, 2013

The X-Files season 10 is an absolute joy to read. The voice of the show comes through the page in droves, and a moment is never wasted. The rapidly paced storylines always begin with a beautiful tease and end with a fantastic thread dangled for the next issue.

This month is no different. Harris concludes “Believers” by quickly wrapping up loose ends. The result is a story with a breakneck pace that will leave you overwhelmed and underwhelmed at the same time. Overwhelmed at the proposed conclusion, underwhelmed at its lack of expositional clarity.

Which is more a fault of the source material than the story itself. This is the X-Files after all, a franchise in which clarity was never paramount. Instead Harris gives a smattering of the typical explanations for the Acolytes true purposes.

The character voices are still spot on and Michael Walsh’s art is nothing short of incredible. His work with Scully’s eyes in her moment of revelation can be felt through the page. The emotion conveyed just by the repetition in his panels sells the gravity of the moment in its entirety.

Walsh also hits a homerun with his depiction of certain X-Files tropes. Here, we’re treated to our first FBI debriefing in season 10. I couldn’t help but feel a chill of nostalgia run down my spine as I saw Walsh’s art inside the FBI. It’s perfect and brings the issue back to the glory years of the series.

Overall the conclusion remains true to the series but doesn’t offer much in the way of satisfaction. The ongoing narrative may roll off of this story in an attempt to bring serialization to the X-Files. There are still many loose ends at play by the end of this issue that makes me hopeful the series is heading that way.

In the final beat Harris reminds the reader of his command of this series. It’s a masterful tease at what’s to come and just what has changed since all of these familiar pawns were last in play. It’s the dawn of a new era for the X-Files and it couldn’t be brighter.

If this first arc is any indication Season 10 is off to an incredible start. Hopefully with a little more in the way of resolution the next arc will cement this series as a necessary read.

Rating: 3/5 Skulls.

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‘The Wicked Trinity’ – Preview New Archie Comics One-Shot Inspired by ‘The Craft’ [Exclusive]

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From Sabrina’s Magical World, Bloody Disgusting has learned this afternoon that Archie Comics will be releasing brand new one-shot comic The Wicked Trinity this coming June.

You’ll be able to meet The Wicked Trinity in the 32-page comic on June 12, 2024.

In The Wicked Trinity, “Sabrina’s magical nemesis Amber Nightstone and her sidekicks, Jade Kazane and Sapphire Gill, are intent on becoming the most powerful witches in the world. Isolated from so many around them, the three have formed a coven based on their individual needs for vengeance and true freedom.

“But when there is some dissent among the ranks, their small coven is threatened to be obliterated from within.”

The Wicked Trinity features a script by Sam Maggs, art by Lisa Sterle, colors by Ellie Wright, letters by Jack Morelli, main cover by Lisa Sterle, and variant cover by Soo Lee.

Archie Comics Senior Director of Editorial Jamie L. Rotante tells Bloody Disgusting, “When Editor-In-Chief Mike Pellerito came up with the idea of the Wicked Trinity—Amber Nightstone, Jade Kazane, and Sapphire Gill—I was immediately intrigued. I even had the good fortune to work on the script for Jade and Sapphire’s first appearance in last year’s SABRINA ANNUAL SPECTACULAR comic for younger readers. What I especially loved about these magical teens is that they could seamlessly transcend from classic-Archie stories into more mature, even horror stories. I was eager to start developing their world with a modern sensibility, taking cues from the great work of Kelly Thompson and Veronica Fish on our SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH series, and Sarah Kuhn and Carola Borelli on our recent DARKLING one-shot. Inspired by series like Charmed and films like The Craft, I knew there was so much potential to build up this coven in a story that beautifully blends magical fantasy with horror.”

Writer Sam Maggs previews, “Real witches writing real witches—that’s how we do things over at Archie Comics! I was named after a famous witch—Samantha from Bewitched—and so I grew up absolutely obsessed with everything witchcraft, devouring every book series I could about teen witches. That makes WICKED TRINITY a dream project for me. The power and energy of teen girls is absolutely unmatched (just look at the engine behind fandom culture) and being able to harness that metaphorically for a story like this is such a delight. Everything I write focuses on the power of female friendship, and this story is no exception. And what’s better than a morally grey female character? I struggle to think of anything. Cat familiars, maybe? Also, I’m totally a practicing witch now. So maybe if you read this, you’ll find yourself imbued with magical powers, too.*

Artist Lisa Sterle adds, “I can’t wait for people to be re-introduced to The Wicked Trinity! Witches, fashion, and Archie Comics; this is truly a magical trifecta and I’m so happy to have the opportunity to put my own personal stamp on this. I love to create stories in which girls find their own power, both from within themselves and through their friendships and coven. If you’re a fan of my Modern Witch tarot, you’ll find this comic just as magical.”

Exclusively check out the two covers for The Wicked Trinity one-shot comic below!

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