Dana Scully and Fox Mulder are older, wiser but still mixed up in the unexplained. Read on for our spoiler free review of “The X-Files Vol. 2: Came Back Haunted.”
Written by Joe Harris
Illustrated by Matthew Dow Smith
Colored by Jordie Bellaire
For years, FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully toiled in the X-Files Unit, a one-office division of the Bureau dealing with cases deemed unsolvable and related to unexplained phenomena. Eventually, both agents left the FBI and began new lives in peaceful anonymity. However, recent events prompted them to return to the Bureau and the X-Files. In “Came Back Haunted,” a thwarted attack puts a community of refugees at risk, but when a connection to a recent mall shooting is found, Mulder and Scully must determine the cause of the violent outbreaks, why the government is covering it up, and just what the connection to old secrets they’d believed dead and buried really is. Collects issues #6-9.
In 2016, The X-Files returned to television for a short, 10 episode season. With that, came a relaunch (not a reboot) of the comic series. These new stories take place in the here and now, with an older and world weary Scully and Mulder taking on cases centering around the paranormal and unexplained. This week, “Came Back Haunted” continues their newer adventures and while it doesn’t break new ground for the franchise, it stands on its own and quietly continues an underlying plot from the first arc of the new series.
“Came Back Haunted” begins with an attack by a Muslim refugee (we’ll get to this) being stopped. Before he dies, he says something and what he says sets Scully and Mulder on a worldwide mystery that includes a mysterious Elon Musk-esque philanthropist/businessman, Firas Ben-Brahim. As they continue their investigation, Mulder becomes a pawn of a mysterious force, centered in a forest half a world away from him. The attack, the forest and Ben-Brahim all merge into one big conspiracy as Scully has to race against the clock to help Mulder, who may have stumbled upon something bigger than he could imagine.
“Came Back Haunted” is a tricky story to pull off because the last thing fiction needs is more vilification of refugees, particular Muslim refugees. I am neither Muslim or a refugee so my mileage may vary (and feel free to talk about this in the comments) but I think the story was handled in a tasteful manner. Almost immediately, “Came Back Haunted” gets away from Muslim panic and focuses on the struggle and the way these people are taken advantage of here in the United States and abroad. It focuses on a made up myth like many other “X-Files” stories do and I’m glad for it.
Joe Harris has been writing “The X-Files” since the series began as a continuation of the then final season and a few years later, he hasn’t lost a step. In fact it’s what has made this series one of the better licensed properties in comics books. It is consistent and even when the stories aren’t my favorite, I feel like I always know what to expect from the series. However, “Came Back Haunted” shows a slight change and maturation in how he approaches the characters. This Scully and Mulder isn’t the same one from years past and Harris conveys that through less of a panic when things go wrong (because they’ve known each other so long) and the way both of them interact with Skinner has evolved. Mulder’s humor is slightly different now and Scully is a little more likely to believe these days. All of this helps make “Came Back Haunted” more than the older stuff. It’s aged but not in a bad way.
Matthew Dow Smith and Jordie Bellaire, like Harris have been working consistently on this series since the early days. Smith’s art in “Came Back Haunted” really works because in general “The X-Files” is perfect for his style. He has a very unique, dark style with heavy inking that really pulls you in. His work plays up the dark side of the series and in this story in particular, he gets to do a lot of that as Mulder’s journey goes on. The deeper he goes into the literal darkness of this forest, the more beautiful Smith’s art gets. He’s great with shadows and with creating a creeping terror as each panel goes on. It’s very hard to channel that from a television show into still pages but he does that wonderfully. Mixed in with all the darker and slightly creepy stuff you expect from “The X-Files” is also the more light hearted character moments. There are some amazing moments between Scully, Mulder and Skinner where Smith gets to show off some great character expression work. Not everything is dark and it’s this that makes “Came Back Haunted” a true “X-Files” story.
Continued belowJordie Bellaire is one of the best colorists in the industry and “The X-Files” is lucky to have her. Because Smith’s art has thicker inks, the colorist needs to come in and make all of that work. Bellaire is able to bring a colorful depth to Smith’s art and in darker scenes, is able to keep things from getting too murky. She’s able to convey such a wonderful moody darkness throughout Mulder’s journey and her use of bright colors during Scully’s part of this book compared to Mulder’s really enhances each respective setting.
This isn’t a flashy X-Files story that aims to do anything more than explore more of the unexplained. The four issues together make for an enjoyable read that would stand up just fine compared to many of the other “monster of the week” episodes. That’s really all I can ask for from this series and it’s why I keep coming back for more. It continues the series by finding new ways to frame things and thankfully, this finds a respectful way to do so.
Final Verdict: 7.6 – A solid and exciting mystery.
