The X-Files X-Mas Special 2016by Sheena McNeilReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Publisher
Credits Grade: 5 Mulder gets the Scrooge routine from a being trying to understand how so many people can be so unhappy at Christmastime.While I haven't watched any of the new X-Files yet, I also correctly assumed that the X-Mas Special would be very readable stand-alone. Overall, the Scrooge routine is a bit forced and doesn't fit in all the right ways. However, the characters for the "ghosts" are spot-on. I love Smoking Man as the "Morley" figure; it makes wonderful use of his smoke as a visual along with the chains to set a creepy vibe. His attitude and need for a cigarette also adds some humor. I'm glad he's also on the main cover, as it certainly hints at the Scrooge aspect and visually stands out as an "X-Files X-Mas" cover. Samantha as the past spirit is an obvious choice, though I'm quite glad it was just her visage and not actually her (otherwise that would have been quite a can of worms to open for just one issue). Skinner as the present spirit is wonderful -- he gets to be very physical and in Mulder's face, and I like how this spirit version is tied back in with Skinners real-life appearance at the end. The future spirit was unexpected, but those scenes were also where the Scrooge parallel really started to fall apart. I was glad that Mulder was in a state of mind to call BS and vocalize that he's made peace with things and for this being to stop playing in his head. The end is classic X-Files with how things wrap, and with the interactions between Mulder and Scully. I can appreciate the role of the observer in this story, though, like the Scrooge routine, it sometimes seems forced. It definitely falls into the logic of the series that many things revolve around Mulder. The twists to Christmas carols and the "holiday pageant" (which is obviously the story of Jesus' birth, so I'm not sure why it tries to dance around that) are strange, and I don't really understand the point or reason for it. The art is wonderful -- brightly colored yet realistic -- and the characters look like the real people. The coloring for Smoking Man's scenes is excellent in silvery blues, making it very ghostly. If you like X-Mas specials in your fandoms, then check it out. I was a bit disappointed at the lack of reason for this or any lead as to who this being is, but your mileage may vary. Written: December 23, 2016
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