Mulder & Scully Are Back! The X-Files Returns to Comics at Dynamite This Winter

August 13, Mt. Laurel, NJ: Yo, somebody fire up the flashlight, check the ceiling tiles, and make sure Cigarette Smoking Man ain’t lurking in the hallway, because The X-Files is officially heading back to comics. Dynamite Entertainment and Disney Publishing Worldwide are cracking open the classified files once again with an all-new ongoing series arriving this winter, bringing FBI Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully back into the world of conspiracies, monsters, unexplained phenomena, and all the wonderfully weird madness that made this franchise legendary.

And Dynamite ain’t handing the keys to somebody who just binge-watched three seasons over the weekend either. Joe Harris, arguably the definitive modern X-Files comics writer, is coming back to handle the new cases. Harris has written more X-Files comic scripts than any other creator, including the fan-favorite Season 10 and Season 11 storylines that expanded Mulder and Scully’s adventures beyond television more than a decade ago. Now he’s stepping back into that universe for another monthly run, and longtime fans already know this dude understands how to walk the tightrope between paranoia, science fiction, government conspiracy, horror, and the occasional “yo, what the hell did I just read?” moment.

Harris has built a career across Marvel, DC, and Dynamite, including work connected to Alice Cooper, but The X-Files clearly occupies a different piece of real estate in his creative brain. You can feel that history in the way he talks about returning to the franchise.

“The X-Files has always been sacred to me,” said writer Joe Harris. “From my own early TV fandom on Friday and Sunday nights to getting to work on one of the greatest supernatural thriller/science fiction franchises in history, the further adventures of Agents Mulder and Scully have occupied a very special place in my head and career. I am beyond honored to write them and I am absolutely over the moon to work with Dynamite on this new series.”

Joining Harris for this next round of unexplained insanity is artist Riley Brown, who steps into the franchise following work on titles including Dead Acre: Black Badge. The new stories will take place after the events of the television series, giving Harris and Brown plenty of room to push Mulder and Scully into fresh territory without simply replaying the greatest hits. That’s exactly where a property like The X-Files can still cook. Give us new mysteries, new monsters, bigger conspiracies, and maybe a few answers before throwing twelve more questions at us. We been trained for this since the ’90s.

Few television franchises were built for comics quite like The X-Files. The original series became a cultural monster throughout the 1990s and beyond, eventually spawning two feature films, revival seasons, spinoffs, and generations of fans who learned very quickly that fluorescent office lighting, cornfields at night, and mysterious government warehouses should never be trusted. Its combination of serialized conspiracy storytelling and standalone monster-of-the-week adventures practically begs for the comic book treatment, where creators can go absolutely nuts without having to explain to a television producer why the alien mutant sewer creature needs another $4 million in visual effects.

For Dynamite, the series also represents another major step in the publisher’s expanding relationship with Disney and the wider 20th Century library. It follows Dynamite’s work with properties including Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, with CEO and Publisher Nick Barrucci making it clear that Mulder and Scully are viewed as another major piece of that growing lineup.

“The X-Files is the next jewel in the crown for us at Dynamite in working with Disney and entering 20th Century territories, hot on the heels of Kelly Thompson’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel epic,” said Barrucci. “Multiple generations have loved following the cases of Mulder and Scully, and they translate absolutely perfectly to the format and serialized nature of comic books. We’re working to make sure longtime fans and newcomers will love the new stories, and can’t wait to share more!”

The biggest hook here is simple. Dynamite isn’t merely dusting off the logo and hoping nostalgia does all the heavy lifting. Bringing Harris back gives the project somebody with legitimate history inside this corner of the franchise, while Brown brings a fresh visual voice to the investigation. That’s a smart combination when you’re dealing with fans who can probably identify an obscure Syndicate conspiracy faster than Mulder can lose another cellphone.

The new The X-Files ongoing comic series is scheduled to debut this winter, with additional story details, covers, solicitations, and release information expected soon. Until then, keep one eye on the sky, another on the government, and maybe don’t answer any mysterious calls coming from an unmarked number after midnight. Because after all these years, one thing hasn’t changed.

The truth is still out there.

Stay locked into Dynamite Entertainment for additional announcements and keep it right here with Comic Crusaders as more details on Mulder and Scully’s next investigation are uncovered.

The Crusade Never Ends!