What Is Techno Again?

The television phenomenon whose supernatural, paranormal, and extraterrestrial graces earned it nine long seasons, two movies, and more praise than one basement office can tuck away has met revival in the comics community. After Topps Comics provided fans three years of issues, which matched the second through fifth seasons, the X-Files packed up and transferred to its new home at Wildstorm (DC). Now a successful writer and a guitarist are bringing two horrific sci-fi wonders together on the page. 30 Days of Night co-sire Steve Niles and Adam Jones of Tool fame have partnered for the six-issue crossover X-Files/30 Days of Night, which premieres this Wednesday.

Wildstorm isn’t holding back in celebration, either. They’ve arranged a total of three distinctive covers to accompany the debut: The standard cover features the work of Andrea Sorrentino (God of War), the X-Files variant that of Tom Mandrake, and the 30 Days of Night that of Sam Kieth (The Maxx, Lobo). With Mandrake previously contributing visuals to The Spectre and Batman comics, the DC familiar is providing the main artwork for this latest X-Files mystery.

Wildstorm immortalizes Kratos, Sony’s hottest poster-child for blood splatter, in an all-new limited series. Of course, by the time you’ve finished scouring these makeshift Greek tales, you’ll gladly seek refuge in the underworld.

In my opinion, when video games leap into comics, the two mediums should overcome that troublesome gap as seamlessly as the creators can forge that metaphorical bridge. Unfortunately, regardless of the labor’s intensity, the fusion tends to meet a sloppy end, and for all its might God of War #1 crumbles just the same. All the Spartans and Olympian gods could not salvage this mutilated comic, which—despite its flattering outward appearance and fair storyline—suffers from wretched oversight. Whatever research writer Marv Wolfman tapped fails to nudge this premiere issue in any glorious direction, and Andrea Sorrentino’s visuals only rub those vulnerable edges raw.