When Boom! Studios announced that they had acquired the license for both “Firefly” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” it seemed like a new era for the publisher. Each series has a relative amount of fan-fare based on the property alone. Thankfully, Boom! continued to put their best foot forward by bringing out a creative team for “Firefly” including comics veterans Greg Pak and Dan McDaid. Both creators have worked on a litany of excellent books in the industry and seemed like the perfect team to tackle the “Firefly” cast members with the utmost grace. Now the series is finally here. Do Pak and McDaid channel the incredible highs of the original television show or is this issue a navel-gazing nostalgia trip from another era repackaged for 2018?
Written by Greg Pak
Illustrated by Dan McDaid
Colored by Marcelo Costa
Lettered by Jim CampbellBOOM! Studios, along with visionary writer and director Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Avengers), presents an all-new era of the pop culture phenomenon Firefly, as one of the most demanded stories in the franchise’s history is revealed for the first time! Captain Malcolm “Mal” Reynolds, a defeated soldier who opposed the unification of the planets by the totalitarian governed Alliance, will undertake any job-legal or not-to stay afloat and keep his crew fed. Find out now how his story began as BOOM! Studios delves into Mal’s past, how he met his first mate Zoe and the real truth about the War of Unification.the intergalactic civil war that divided friend and family alike. Focusing on family, loyalty, identity, and the price of redemption, writer Greg Pak (Mech Cadet Yu, Totally Awesome Hulk) and artist Dan McDaid (Judge Dredd: Mega City Zero) take you back to the battleground where Mal’s journey began.
Did you miss those great scenes of Wash playing with dinosaurs from the original “Firefly” television series? What about Kaylee’s stoic but slightly cynical brand of humor? If not, how about some of the odd sexual tension between Mal and Inara? Thankfully, “Firefly” #1 takes the opportunity to double-down on these tried-and-true plot beats from the original television series and serves to assist readers in remembering why they love these characters in the first place. Writer Greg Pak even remembers to disperse the hot-headed nature of Jane with an air-tight, refined script.
Joss Whedon shook up the original status quo of “Firefly” quickly in the film “Serenity.” Side-stepping some of the sweeping changes of the movie and getting back to the old continuity is an asset to the issue. Getting the original cast members and team dynamics from the original show is a blessing. All the intriguing status quo and character directions that were never fully explored are given some additional time to develop in the issue.
This issue follows the formula of the original show incredibly close to the point where seasoned readers could potentially get déjà vu. The issue sets up all the original plot beats for the characters and features a classic set-up of the ship being damaged. From there, the cast members start to crash into a new planet and the locals are disturbed by their oddball personalities. Readers haven’t gotten a truly new story from this franchise for some time, but getting a script that subverted expectations a little more would have made a solid issue great. Pak’s excellent handle on each character’s voice and character relationships already give an absurd amount of credibility to the narrative.
Dan McDaid’s pencils are aggressive, sharp and arresting. McDaid excellently captures the likeness for each cast member of the television series while adding his own personality and direction for the story. Readers would likely have no idea that that the issue was based on a television show if this comic was taken out of context. McDaid’s more fluent approach to the story gives the title an incredibly expressive and dramatic feel. The page between Mal and Inara communicates a lot about the couple’s strained relationship with very few words spoken between the pair.
When the issue bursts into some incredibly fluid action sequences, McDaid’s ability continues to impress. McDaid draws fluid action and big moments with even more detail than some of the sparse talking head scenes. The protagonists of the issue are always incredibly expressive and have a secondary action when it comes to their part of the story. The last page of the issue is an emotionally potent way to frame a story beat that is a little tired and conventional for the series. McDaid’s work is stylish but also brings a more subtle, nuanced approach to “Firefly” that captures what the show is all about.
Continued belowWhile “Firefly” #1’s script is a little too conventional for its own good, the series features pitch-perfect characterization for the full crew. Each member of the ship carries the same personality and character traits from the television series. If you are a fan of the series and have a desire to experience new stories with these characters I can’t help but recommend the issue. Book’s part of the issue seems particularly redundant as someone challenges his faith once again because of the company he keeps. While it was nice to see Book interacting with someone, this is a plot beat explored in-depth on the show in much better detail than what the issue has time to allow.
“Firefly” #1’s is an incredibly strong, unique take on a franchise that hasn’t been able to find solid footing over the past few years. The issue’s familiar tone is both a blessing and a curse, as a familiar return to the days of the old crew feels incredibly refreshing despite the tired plot and direction of the issue.
Final Verdict: 6.9 – Thanks to a strong script and good artwork, “Firefly” #1 is a solid return to comics for the beloved television series.
