The Good
Once upon a time there was a television show created by Chris Carter called The X-Files. Then we got a show called Millennium. The two shows were separate but eventually crossed over. With the success of Joe Harris' THE X-FILES SEASON 10 at IDW Publishing, it was a given that we would have a comic book crossover with the two series.
Millennium focused on a former FBI profiler named Frank Black. Frank had some psychic abilities that allowed him to see into the mind of killers. After leaving the FBI, he became part of the Millennium Group, who were apparently set to stop the evil forces threatening the world. It turned out the group was actually doing the opposite.
The issue begins with a flashback to 1999 to plant some seeds and jumps back to the present day. We soon find Fox Mulder and Black come together over a hearing for an alleged killer captured back in 1988. It's been some time since the two last interacted and that's mentioned. Hopefully we'll find out what Black's been up to since we last saw him and he went off the grid.
Colin Lorimer has ventured into the X-Files world before so his art captures the feel of the story. In both The X-Files and Millennium, creepy moments are called for and Lorimer delivers.
The Bad
The biggest problem this miniseries will face is making sure new readers will care about Frank Black. Obviously if they're picking up the book, they likely recall the show (unless it's because of the X-Files connection). The issue does a good job in explaining who Black is and the case involved. I personally haven't watched the show since it first aired but I still have a fondness for the show and characters. Those that didn't catch the series might be a little in the dark.
I did enjoy the art but there were a couple moments of confusion. Mulder is in a hearing when the lights go out. He then steps out into the hallway and appears to just leave. Another moment when they walk into a building, Mulder starts introducing himself to an unseen person but Black cuts him off possibly because the desk clerk was killed?
The Verdict
This is a comic for fans of Chris Carter's Millennium and X-Files. With Joe Harris involved, we can expect the same care and attention he's been showing on THE X-FILES SEASON 10. Jumping back to a case mentioned in the pilot episode of The X-FIles, we find Mulder and Frank Black come together. This issue sets up the situation and fans can hope to discover what Black has been up to since he was last seen in the seventh season of The X-Files. New readers or those unfamiliar with Millennium might be a little lost but then they probably wouldn't pick up the series if they were completely unfamiliar with the characters. This is the crossover we've been waiting for and it's clear Joe Harris is the person to write it.