This little two-part arc was especially crafted for all us diehard X-Files fans — yes, the Flukeman has returned! And in a move that shows IDW is serious about harkening back to the original series, issue #7 even retraces Flukeman’s origin.

Here’s the official word from IDW:

Hosts, Part 2 of 2: Missing persons reports point to the return of the “giant, bloodsucking worm” known as the Flukeman, sending Mulder to Martha’s Vineyard to investigate and Scully to Quantico to examine the supposed remains of the creature. And what they both discover lies beyond belief and terror!

Flukeman’s been up to his old tricks — sucking people under water and implanting them with parasites. In an effort to stop this latest rampage Mulder sneaks down into the sewer only to become the latest victim himself. Overall, writer Joe Harris’ greatest contribution to the Flukeman mythos will not be this two part-arc (the story is rather bland), but rather, his revisitation and deeper exploration of the Flukeman’s origin. So if you’re looking for a kick-ass story, issue #7 will surely disappoint. But if you want a ton of Chernobyl flashbacks and an opportunity to meet Flukeman before he got messed up, this provides the perfect opportunity — and adds some enjoyable backstory to one of X-Files most beloved monsters.

The art for issue #7 is provided by Elena Casagrande and Silvia Califano — each takes a turn depicting Flukeman in either his present day state, or in flashback as they unpack his story as a former Russian naval officer. While none of the art is bad, the flashbacks, with wonderful washed-out coloring provided by Arianna Florean and Azzurra M. Florean, is the real treat of this issue.

While issue #7 doesn’t provide a top-shelf story, it does provide a delightful trip down memory lane as readers get to revel in all the nastiness of Flukeman one more time.

3.5/5