The X-Files: Case Files—Florida Man #2
Writer: Delilah S. Dawson
Artist: Marco Castiello
Penciler: Elena Casagrande
Colorist: Arianna Florean
Inker: Silvia Califano
Letterer: Shawn Lee
Publisher: IDW
Review by Anelise Farris
So, The X-Files is pretty much one of my favorite things in the world. So, when IDW announced that they would be celebrating the 25th anniversary of the show with a new comic series, I was stoked. And The X-Files: Case Files—Florida Man does not disappoint; just check out my review of issue #1 here.
This two-part arc began with Scully and Mulder travelling to the small Florida town, Halpadalgi, to investigate a mystery involving bath salts. While the sheriff attributes all of the strange events to the hallucinatory effects of the bath salts, it is clear that something more sinister is going on—like a gator cult (it is Florida after all).
The X-Files: Case Files—Florida Man #2 picks up right where the last issue left off: Scully having killed a man (clearly high on bath salts) in order to protect a pregnant woman. As if that’s not enough, Mulder becomes interested in the strange brand on the man’s body. Consequently, both Scully and Mulder set out to investigate where the strange salts are produced. Mulder goes to a trailer park, Scully to a church. And, it turns out you shouldn’t follow a gospel choir through the swamp. I’ll just leave it at that.
The writing in The X-Files: Case Files—Florida Man #2 is fantastic. You can just hear Mulder’s and Scully’s characteristic tones through the dialogue. And the story moves along at a terrific pace, wrapping up in classic X-files fashion. As I said of the first issue, the art balances minimalism with just the right amount of detail. And the soft colors capture Florida in August beautifully—you can basically feel the humidity.
Verdict: Buy it.
Reading The X-Files: Case Files—Florida Man #2 is a tactile experience. You hear Mulder and Scully through the writing, and you experience Florida in late summer through the art. Also, definitely take a look at the variant covers of both issues; they are down-right gorgeous.
