Amy Richau reviews The X-Files: The Official Collection Vol. 1 The Agents, the Bureau, and the Syndicate…
Reopen The X-Files with this definitive new collection. Celebrating the iconic show of the 90s set to return to our screens in a new six-part mini-series this indispensable volume collects together cast and crew interviews, in-depth features and behind the scenes pictures and secrets, making it an essential read for X-Philes old and new.
For X-Files fans new and old looking for a quick refresher on the characters and plot lines of The X-Files, Titan Comics X-Files collection will remind you what you loved about the series in the first place. A collection of previously published materials from The Official X-Files Magazine, this first volume has profiles of both the characters in the cult sci-fi ensemble and interviews with the actors and actresses who portrayed them. In addition to having a wide variety of printed materials about the characters from The X-Files, X-Files Vol. 1 also is filled with a great assortment of photographs from the beginning to the end of the series.
Vol. 1 is broken down into four section: The Agents, The Bureau, The Syndicate, and The Show. Vol. 2 Little Green Men – Monsters and Villains which Titan Comics will release in March will have even more interviews with some of most memorable UFOs and bad guys in the series as well as behind the scenes interviews with members of the X-Files FX crew.
Character information included in Vol. 1 (from cast interviews, character profiles, or both) includes Fox Mulder, Dana Scully, Walter Skinner, John Doggett, Monica Reyes, Alvin Kersh, Jeffrey Spender, Leyla Harrison, the Cigarette Smoking Man, “Ratboy” Alex Krycek, the Well-Manicured Man, the 1st Elder, Division Chief Blevins, Gene Crane, and Marita Covarrubias. There is also of course an interview with X-Files creator Chris Carter and an article dedicated to the impact of the series.
One of the goofier items included in Vol. 1 are photo shoots of Mulder and Scully’s apartments. These photo spreads are fun to read, but don’t add a lot of value for the reader. The real misses in Vol. 1 are some of the lists included. The “How to be the Next Agent Mulder” list which includes “Have more lives than a cat” and “Don’t have a life” and the following Scully version which includes gems like “Don’t have a social life” and “Be respectful to your peers” are hard to read without a bit of cringing. The more generic articles about the FBI also included in Vol. 1 may only be interesting to a smaller audience. Some of this filler could have easily been left out from the finished collection, but can also easily be ignored.
Not all of the lists in Vol. 1 are a bust however. Some of the lists that do work, and in fact are a great addition, include episode lists for characters such as the Cigarette Smoking Man and Krycek. For fans who want to zero in on specific areas of the series, these lists can be quite handy time savers.
The volume ends with two of its strongest sections – the Series Guide and the ‘20 Coolest Moments” list. The Series Guide lists by season every X-Files episode and includes a brief explanation about the plot. It’s a great way to refresh your memory about specific episodes and get a feeling for how often the show’s overarching mythology played a part in the story. The “20 Coolest Moments” list also does a fine job of jogging viewers memories of some of the most shocking and moving moments in the show’s history such as the murder of Mulder’s dad in “Anasazi” and when Scully meets a group of female abductees in “Nisei”.
Overall The X-Files: The Official Collection Vol. 1: The Agents, The Bureau & The Syndicate is an excellent compilation for X-Files fans to enjoy before the premiere of the upcoming revival series. Unless you kept all your back copies of The Official X-Files Magazine, it will be a nice addition to any X-Files fan collection.
The X-Files: The Official Collection Vol. 1: The Agents, The Bureau & The Syndicate out now, priced $19.99.
The X-Files: The Official Collection Vol. 2: Little Green Men – Monsters and Villains is set for release on March 8th, priced $19.99.
Amy Richau is a freelance entertainment and sports writer. Follow her on Twitter.
Originally published January 12, 2016. Updated April 14, 2018.
