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Review: “The X-Files Year Zero” #1

Published

10 years ago

on

While hunting a shape-shifting black leopard, Agents Mulder and Scully are assisted by a tip from the mysterious “Mr. Zero”.  Mulder notes some striking similarities to the first on record X-File which happens to involve animals attacks, a disgraced FBI agent teaming up with a disrespected female agent, and an enigmatic “Mr. Xero” in 1946.  Thus begins the cross-generational five issue miniseries “X-Files: Year Zero”.  Fans rejoice.

STK642824 (1)

 

WRITTEN BY: Karl Kessel
ART BY: Greg Scott and Vic Malhotra
PUBLISHER: IDW
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: July 16, 2014

Reviewed By Epic Switzer

Two disclosures:  First of all while I love The X-Files tv series I haven’t been reading the season 10 continuation and secondly I tend to stay away from licensed comics. To me they tend to feel both inauthentic and inconsequential (unless they are canonical like the current drool-worthy Serenity series) so I was biased against this book before I started it.  Having said that I did actually enjoy reading it.  Connecting the two time lines is an interesting convention and there is enough mystery in both to create something that feels both fresh and true to the original series.  This is going to be an obvious case of a “If you are a fan, you’ll like it” review but the good news is there is really nothing to dislike about it.  This book is pretty strong from beginning to end.

Despite my personal feelings of licensed comics being a cash in, as a fan I can’t help but feel nostalgia seeing Mulder and Scully investigating cat people together.  Their interplay is true enough, and it is pretty funny to hear them use and discuss modern technology like google and texting, appropriate as the show was always known to have the first fan base to embrace the internet and social media.  I would have loved to see Mulder texting on his infamous giant cellphone, but I digress.

The 1946 team are meant to be parallels of Mulder and Scully but socially appropriate to the time period.  I think this is a really interesting idea and in fact I would really love to see a mid-century X-Files show, so major points for a clever concept.  In the first issue the present day team is used to bookend the 1946 narrative but I hope in future issues there is some flipping back and forth.  I think it will help the pacing a lot, as I felt this book kind of dragged in the middle.

There is nothing wrong with this book, but there also isn’t really anything special.  Creating in an established universe can be difficult as well as rewarding for the creators, but personally like with all licensed comics I found myself not really excited to keep reading.  If you a hungry for more X-Files this series won’t betray you. Otherwise you’re better off reading something new.

Epic Switzer AKA Eric is an aspiring filmmaker and screenplay writer living in Los Angeles.  His work tends to focus on the lighter side of entropy, dystopic futures, and man’s innate struggle with his own mortality.  He can be found on twitter @epicswitzer or reached via email at ericswitzerfilm@gmail.com. 

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Comics

‘Witchblade’ is Getting Resurrected This Summer in New Comic Series from Top Cow and Image Comics

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15 hours ago

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April 17, 2024

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Witchblade cover

Witchblade, the popular comic series that initially ran from 1995 to 2015 and launched a TV series, is getting resurrected in a new comic series from Top Cow and Image Comics. It’s set to unleash heavy metal, black magic and blood this summer.

Look for the new Witchblade series to launch on July 17, 2024.

In Witchblade #1, “New York City Police Detective Sara Pezzini’s life was forever fractured by her father’s murder. Cold, cunning, and hellbent on revenge, Sara now stalks a vicious criminal cabal beneath the city, where an ancient power collides and transforms her into something wild, magnificent, and beyond her darkest imaginings. How will Sara use this ancient power, or will she be consumed by it?”

The series is penned by NYT Best-Selling writer Marguerite Bennett (Animosity, Batwoman, DC Bombshells) and visualized by artist Giuseppe Cafaro (Suicide Squad, Power Rangers, Red Sonja). The creative duo is working with original co-creator Marc Silvestri, who is the CEO of Top Cow Productions Inc. and one of the founders of Image Comics. They are set to reintroduce the series to Witchblade’s enduring fans with “a reimagined origin with contemporary takes on familiar characters and new story arcs that will hook new readers and rekindle the energy and excitement that fueled the 90’s Image Revolution that shaped generations of top creators.”

Bennett said in a statement, “The ability to tell a ferocious story full of monsters, sexuality, vision, and history was irresistible.” She adds, “Our saga is sleek, vicious, ferocious, and has a lot to say about power in the 21st century and will be the first time that we are stopping the roller coaster to let more people on. I’ve loved Witchblade since I was a child, and there is truly no other heroine like Sara with such an iconic legacy and such a rich, brutal relationship to her own body.”

“The Witchblade universe is being modernized to reflect how Marguerite beautifully explores the extreme sides of Sara through memories, her personal thoughts, like desire and hunger, in her solitude and when she is possessed by the Witchblade. So, I had to visually intersect a noir True Detective-like world with a supernatural, horror world that is a fantastic mix between Berserk and Zodiac,” Cafaro stated.

Marc Silvestri notes, “This is brand new mythology around Sara, and I can’t wait for you to fall in love with her and all the twists and turns. Discover Witchblade reimagined this summer, and join us as we bring all the fun of the 90s to the modern age and see how exciting comics can be. I can’t wait for you to read this new series.”

Witchblade#1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, July 17th, for $4.99 for 48 pages. And it’ll come with multiple cover variants.

  • Cover A: Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto (Full Color)

  • Cover B: Giuseppe Cafaro and Arif Prianto (Full Color)

  • Cover C: Blank Sketch Cover

  • Cover D (1/10): Dani and Brad Simpson (Full Color)

  • Cover E (1/25): Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto, Virgin Cover (Full Color)

  • Cover F (1/50): J.Scott Campbell (Full Color)

  • Cover G (1/100): Bill Sienkiewicz. (Full Color)

  • Cover H (1/250): Line art by Marc. Virgin Cover, Inks (B/W)

Witchblade #1 will also be available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.

Witchblade comic panel Witchblade #1 cover image

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