• Pop Culture
    • Movies
    • Television
    • Comic Books
    • Video Games
    • Toys & Collectibles
  • Features
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Articles and Opinions
    • Interviews
    • Exclusives
    • Flickering Myth Films
    • FMTV
  • About
    • About Flickering Myth
    • Write for Flickering Myth
    • Advertise on Flickering Myth
  • Socials
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • Bluesky
    • Instagram
    • Flipboard
    • Linktree
    • X
  • Terms
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy

Flickering Myth

Geek Culture | Movies, TV, Comic Books & Video Games

  • News
  • Reviews
  • Articles & Opinions
  • Write for Us
  • The Baby in the Basket

Comic Book Review – The X-Files #13

May 12, 2017 by Tony Black

Tony Black reviews The X-Files #13…

“Skinner,” Part 2 (of 2): Assistant Director Walter Skinner finally gets the spotlight! When a face from the past resurfaces, Skinner must confront painful memories of the Vietnam War in his effort to keep a dark secret from being exposed.

The second part of ‘Skinner’, this two-part exploration of The X-Files most reliable and assured supporting main character, sees Joe Harris skilfully blend the supernatural with the conspiratorial. Set across the last almost fifty years, we continue uncovering the secret truth about Assistant Director Walter Skinner’s experiences as a young man during the Vietnam War; not just the out of body awakening following the indiscriminate murder of a Vietnamese child, but now we become aware that Skinner is connected to a mystical talisman found in an ancient temple, one which seems keen on visiting demons upon the Marine squad who committed wrongs in the name of the US government.

Harris, as ever, is as much interested in the political skullduggery as the paranormality within the story, and through a series of flashbacks around present day Mulder & Scully steadily beginning to piece together a series of mysterious deaths surrounding their loveable A.D., Harris presents a tale where Skinner is effectively on trial. Not just by the Army forces who serve to question him about his experiences, post-Vietnam, but by his own psyche and the demons metaphorically–and literally–coming home to roost.

Most interestingly, the revelations don’t directly come from Skinner himself, not at first – they come from the unfurling of the story around him, as he comes to realise that to a degree he traded off the reputations of the men he served with to insulate himself, again was afraid to face the supernatural truths at the heart of his experience. The story really is a logical extension of the monologue he gives Mulder in the episode ‘One Breath’, and by the end Skinner fundamentally has been changed and affected by what he learns about himself and his past here.

Some may end up frustrated that Harris keeps the source of the paranormality here on the fringes–bar a few suggestions typically from Mulder–but that would be to ignore the character conflict which dominates the story. The talisman is but a catalyst for Skinner’s own realisations here, which Harris conveys well alongside the undercurrent of Army tribunals and military justice rippling away and affecting Skinner’s journey. With some great art from Andrew Currie, who captures our main characters very well, this is a very good conclusion from Harris to an illuminating and fascinating X-Files story.

Rating: 8/10

Tony Black

Originally published May 12, 2017. Updated April 16, 2018.

Filed Under: Comic Books, Reviews, Tony Black Tagged With: Andrew Currie, IDW, Joe Harris, The X-Files

FMTV – Watch Our Latest Video Here

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

Asian Shock Horror Movies You Have To See

7 Prom-Themed Horror Movies You Need To See

Incredible TV Shows That Were Cancelled Too Soon

The Best 90s and 00s Horror Movies That Rotten Tomatoes Hate!

7 Great Body Switch Movies You Might Have Missed

Revisiting the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy

10 Essential Films From 1975

The 1990s in Comic Book Movies

David Lynch: American Cinema’s Great Enigma

The Must-See Horror Movies From Every Decade

WATCH OUR MOVIE NOW FOR FREE ON PRIME VIDEO!

Top Stories:

Movie Review – Ballad of a Small Player (2025)

The Essential Action Movies From Cannon Films

4K Ultra HD Review – Krull (1983)

Eight Essential Sci-Fi Prison Movies

Movie Review – Hamnet (2025)

10 Great Forgotten Gems of the 1980s You Need To See

10 More International Horror Movies You Need to See

Movie Review – Little Lorraine (2025)

Movie Review – Spinal Tap II: The End Continues (2025)

Movie Review – Night of the Reaper (2025)

STREAM FREE ON PRIME VIDEO!

FEATURED POSTS:

The Most Iconic Moments of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers

Ten Essential British Horror Movies You Need To See

10 Great Slow-Burn Horror Movies To Fill You With Dread

Nowhere Left to Hide: The Rise of Tech-Savvy Killers in Horror

Our Partners

  • Pop Culture
    • Movies
    • Television
    • Comic Books
    • Video Games
    • Toys & Collectibles
  • Features
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Articles and Opinions
    • Interviews
    • Exclusives
    • Flickering Myth Films
    • FMTV
  • About
    • About Flickering Myth
    • Write for Flickering Myth
    • Advertise on Flickering Myth
  • Socials
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • Bluesky
    • Instagram
    • Flipboard
    • Linktree
    • X
  • Terms
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy

© Flickering Myth Limited. All rights reserved. The reproduction, modification, distribution, or republication of the content without permission is strictly prohibited. Movie titles, images, etc. are registered trademarks / copyright their respective rights holders. Read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. If you can read this, you don't need glasses.


 

Flickering MythLogo Header Menu
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Articles & Opinions
  • Write for Us
  • The Baby in the Basket