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Archive for July, 2013

S10 #2: The Lowdown

As with the lowdown on #1, a full review will only make sense once the five-issue arc closes. But these lowdowns are the opportunity to mention some details that will be lost on a review of 110 pages of comics, and to theorize like it’s the 1990s again.

Before we delve in the story, as is often the focus in EatTheCorn, two words on the art: Michael Walsh is doing a great job on the likeness of the characters, and his style that gives importance to thick black lines fits perfectly with the X-Files. Jordie Bellaire’s colouring stands out in the issue, with scenes having their own distinct atmosphere, the dreams/flashbacks in particular. Joe Harris’ dialogue continues to be spot-on (with the exception of where Mulder explains Dana Scully and William to the Lone Gunmen, who know all this much better than us readers).

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Huge spoilers below!

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S10 Week Three and Beyond

The X-Files Season 10 #2 is coming out tomorrow!

Art by Michael Walsh

Art by Michael Walsh

As with every issue, Comic Book Resources has published a 7-page preview (which corresponds to about a third of the length of the issue!…). A season 8-9 character makes a painful return, and it’s been months we have been teased with the return of the Lone Gunmen. Will they be ghosts like in 9X19/20: The Truth? Will they have faked their deaths, as Dean Haglund has been saying for years? Will they be zombies?

#2 cover gallery previously posted in EatTheCorn here.

As with every month over three months before publication date, IDW Publishing releases its solicitations, for comic book buyers to place their pre-orders and for comic book makers to better assess their print volumes. The program is out for October 2013, and The X-Files Season 10 #5 is out; beware of spoilers below!

S10 #5 cover by Carlos Valenzuela

S10 #5 cover by Carlos Valenzuela

The X-Files: Season 10 #5
Joe Harris (w) • Michael Walsh (a) • Carlos Valenzuela (c)
“Believers,” Part 5 of 5: The sense-shattering conclusion! Reunited at last, Mulder and Scully pursue the Deacon deep beneath the surface of Yellowstone National Park. Also in pursuit are the telltale black helicopters of the FBI, but are they friend… or foe?
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

The first translated edition for Season 10 is known: it will be in German! The edition will collect the first five issues (128 pages), i.e. the whole of the first story arc, Believers, and is announced for December 2013. This will also be the first collected volume of Season 10 to be published: for the time being, no word yet from IDW on a first trade paperback (TPB) and how many issues it would collect. Previous IDW collections gather 4 issues, Believers is 5 issues, most comics TPBs gather 6 issues. (Thanks to Thomas!)

Edit: Thanks to the super powers of Twitter, we know that the IDW collections will be hardcovers for every 5 issues, with collected “Believers” coming in December 2013. (Thanks to S10 editor Denton J. Tipton!)

Michael Walsh has continued teasing with art from the upcoming issues, with an old lady who will probably be appearing somewhere around issue #4. As per twitter (amazing how much you can find!), he finished #4 on July 12!

Edith. X-Files inking.” (July 9 2013)

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So what’s coming after the mythology-filled Believers? menton3 has posted his cover art for issue #6. My take on the title? “Invasion of the Mutant Fluke Men!

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For those interested in numbers, Bleeding Cool announced the comic books sales for June 2013 and issue #1 is barely at number 94 — however consider that it came out late in June (on the 19th), that it exceeded IDW’s expectations as a second printing was necessary, that it’s IDW’s third best-selling title (after My Little Pony!…), and that digital sales are not included (which should be important given that X-philes are a quite international group).

On July 10, IDW also started publishing its “X-Files Classics” in hardcover, which collect the old Topps Comics. Volume 1 collects the first 9 issues of the monthly comic, in my opinion among the best issues of the entire XF comics run, by Stefan Petrucha & Charlie Adlard. More on this later; in the meantime, read more about pre-S10 XF comics on EatTheCorn here!

The other big event is the Mecca of popular culture, crowd madness and consumerist marketing, the 2013 San Diego Comic Con, in which several events celebrate the X-Files’ 20th anniversary and the publication of Season 10!

Los Angeles-based X-Files News has collected all the XF-related events in one nice post here. Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter, Comic Book Resources, Joe Harris and Chris Ryall (IDW) have also posted. The biggest event is TV Guide’s panel, with the biggest cast & crew reunion since the Paley Festival in 2008 right before the release of I Want To Believe, and as it seems it will be the biggest event related to the 20th anniversary of the series! I still hope FOX will announce in September a BluRay release, but don’t hold your breath about anything related to an X-Files 3. Interesting that Carter will be joining the IDW panel for promoting Season 10, which shows his good faith in the project. Expect a host of SDCC-related news in all pop culture sites this week!

Season 10 News – Week Two

We’re in the middle of the wait between #1 and #2…

Bleeding Cool, which follows these things on a weekly basis, and IDW editor Chris Ryall, broke the news on June 27: barely 8 days after #1 came out “X-Files Season 10 sold out of #1, I’m told to a total of 27,450 copies. Retailers are making sure they are not caught short with the second issue, upping their orders.“! A week later, S10#1 2ND PTG was number 15 in the top advance reorders.

And according to IDW editor Chris Ryall, this second printing will differ in its cover:

S10#1 2nd printing cover

S10#1 2nd printing cover

IDW editor Denton Tipton confirmed that S10#2 is coming out on July 17 (Thanks to Agent Skulder!). Just in time for IDW’s San Diego Comic Con booth & signing (July 18)! #2 apprears as number 6 in the top advance reorders (#1 was number 14, which shows the increase in interest!).

IDW Publishing CEO Ted Adams plugs Season 10.

Cover artist Carlos Valenzuela offers a tease for the cover of #5:

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Back in March, artist David Daza had posted an “X-Files Pin-up” , “An test illustration for the upcoming IDW series“. Is this an abandoned concept or an upcoming cover? (Thanks to starbux from X-Files Memories!)

X-Files Pin-up by David Daza

X-Files Pin-up by David Daza

Some more S10#1 reviews to add to the on-going list:

  • A great review that is also an interview with editor Denton J. Tipton and writer Joe Harris, by Good To Be A Geek.

Denton Tipton on Mulder & Scully: “They are indeed living under the same roof as a married couple. The relationship between the two has always been the heart of The X-Files, and we will carry on that tradition. But things are far from ‘happily ever after.’

Tipton on Season 10 Monsters of the Week: “to let things breathe, explore other mysteries, and give us a break from the mytharc. There will be some direct sequels to fan-favorite episodes, and lots of new threats and thrills for Scully and Mulder.

Tipton: “[Chris Carter] sees and comments on everything we do, from outlines, scripts, art, to final product. Nothing will be released without his final stamp of approval. The X-Files remains very near and dear to Chris Carter’s heart, and it’s been an honor to collaborate with him. I don’t think he’ll ever truly have Scully and Mulder out of his system.”Tipton: “Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny’s likenesses are being used in the comic, and all our artists must be approved by both. We’re as official as official can get!”

Tipton on potential spin-offs (Young Smoking Man diaries? The Lone Gunmen revival?): “That all depends on the demand for such a spin-off. As it stands now, the debut issue is selling very well, and the reviews have been great, so I want to believe that there will be!

The biggest reveal is of course this:

Tipton: “But rest assured that many other familiar faces will be returning in the comic. Krycek is a favorite of the writer Joe Harris, so I suspect that he’ll [Krycek] turn up in some fashion sooner or later.

Harris: “Who doesn’t love Alex Krycek?? Maybe Skinner, I guess…

As with the tease on the return of the Cigarette-Smoking Man, this would step bravely into the territory beyond the suspension of disbelief — unless these are flashbacks or life after death, or a very intelligent storytelling device for ret-conning. The mere mention of Krycek is most exciting; but we will be watching.

See, it’s like dating someone really fantastic. It’s great. You spend a few years together. It’s wonderful. It’s magical. But then you realize that things aren’t quite what they used to be, so your relationship limps on for a few more years, going through the motions before you finally realize it’s time to break up. You spend the next ten years or so trying to move on, you have one awkward hook up that involves a pedophilic priest, but eventually you finally get over it. You’ve closed the door on that. You can appreciate it for what it was, but it’s time to continue living.

And then here comes The X-Files knocking on your door, promising it’s changed, swearing things will be like they were, and, damn it, you don’t want to, but you let it back in.

Artist Michael Walsh has all of his original artwork for S10#1 on sale at ComiConArt! Some of it is gone already!
Walsh has continued to offer teases of the artwork for future issues via his Instagram account:

July 1 2013: “Misty woods #xfiles” [Awesome! X-Files return to Vancouver via comics!]

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July 2 2013: “Scully! X-files inkin’.

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And also: June 29 2013: “Mulder found an alien … Mash up commission @ Stadium comics!” (Thanos from Marvel’s universe, appropriately an alien invader of Earth!)
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And that’s all the Season 10 news for now…