In another sign that IDW is staying true to its commitment to run a monthly X-Files comic that picks up where the television series left off, issue #6 of X-Files: Season 10 brings back — and expands — on one of its most beloved and nasty characters ever: Flukeman.

Here’s the official word from IDW:

Hosts, Part 1 of 2: Scully and Mulder try to come to terms with the fallout from recent events, but before they are able to catch their collective breath, they become embroiled in reports that a creature from their past as returned: “Flukeman”!

A swimmer has been yanked under under the dark waters of Martha’s Vineyard, only to be discovered washed ashore days later, a giant suction mark on her back. While the local authorities are baffled, old-school geeks who followed this series in its heyday know exactly what the hell is going on: yes, it’s Flukeman. And he’s nastier than ever. Joe Harris does an excellent job with issue #6, crafting a plot that’s both plausible within the X-Files universe, but also immensely satisfying as a new re-imagining of this epic and now classic monster. For those of you who consider Scully and Mulder’s original encounter with Flukeman to be one of the creepiest episodes the original series ever produced, issue #6 will totally satisfy.

Elena Casagrande tackles the art with issue #6, bringing a slightly tighter and more stylized approach than her predecessor Michael Walsh did.  Her characters are less washed out, and more expressive — the result is a look that feels a bit more independent from the series (Mulder doesn’t always look like Mulder; Scully offers expressions that Gillian Anderson never wore). But it doesn’t really matter. Her art offers a wonderful compliment to Harris’ good story.

After what felt like an uneven inaugural arc, issue #6 offers a delightful return to the X-Files we all know and love. Creepy, innovative and just plain fun to read.

5/5