So remember that last issue which I thought ended on a cliffhanger? Well, turns out it was actually a just a very perplexing end to the story arc. So…now I guess we dive into a new one. Is it good?
The X-Files: Season 10 #18 (IDW Publishing)
It’s been a while since we’ve seen Agents Doggett and Reyes—and there’s no way you really thought Doggett died in that gas explosion back near the beginning of the series, right?
Well it turns out that both of them have been imprisoned by the weird-eyed shape shifter types who have plagued this title with really bad stories…UNTIL NOW! After a touching reunion, a tense standoff, and a daring escape, Doggett/Reyes meet up with Mulder/Scully, bringing one hell of a story about where they’ve been all this time and some badly needed intel about their captors.
“This prison sucks, but it’s still not as bad as having to be on Brotherhood for two seasons”
Is It Good?
It’s still early, but it looks like this might actually be a good mythology arc. One thing that works in this one’s favor is writer Joe Harris’ knack for dialogue and chemistry between his characters. It’s not just a Mulder and Scully thing, either; the dynamic between Doggett and Reyes manages to feel completely different but just as authentic as the relationship between the title characters.
I’d also like to give some huge props to artist Matthew Smith, whose work I was pretty critical of on previous issues. This is by far the best stuff we’ve seen by him, and not just because of the story’s atmosphere/aesthetic fitting his style. Smith’s kinetic storytelling looks much better this time around, as well, giving the more action-oriented panels a great deal more motion and energy.
The facial line work is also much cleaner throughout the book, providing us with some wonderful likenesses of well-known characters and significantly adding to the emotionally charged reunion of Doggett and Reyes. Whether he’s consciously doing anything differently or not, Smith’s work on this issue is some of the very best we’ve seen in the series to date.
Now let’s just hope the story stays good and no other dead characters come back from grave.
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