The “Firefly” comics have, up until now, helped fill in some time between the end of the Firefly TV series and the Serenity movie. But what comes next? Well, Greg Pak is attempting to carry on the story with the new arc in the “Firefly” comics, bringing us in after the movie ends. Let’s see if they still can’t take the sky from us with this new storyline.
Oh, and there’s a special place in hell for people who post spoilers without advanced warning, so now you know.
Written by Greg Pak
Illustrated by Pius Bak
Colored by Marcelo Costa
Lettered by Jim Campbell* New Characters! New Enemies! The BRAND NEW VERSE ers starts here!
* For the FIRST TIME EVER, it’s the most-demanded Firefly story ever, as the series jumps forward in time after the battle with the Reavers that left Wash & Book dead.
* Mal and the new crew of Serenity set a course for the EARTH THAT WAS!
* That’s right, fans will see what’s happened to Earth for the first time in Firefly history – and that means all the rules are going out the window, in ways even Mal can’t imagine…
* A Perfect Jumping-On Point For New Fans!
The new “Firefly” arc pulls a double-duty with this issue. First, it has to catch readers up with the characters after the events of Serenity. Secondly, it has to bring in comic-only elements in a way that feels natural in order to maintain comic continuity. Fortunately, it accomplishes these in a number of ways.
While “Firefly” #25 is set after the movie, it’s not set directly after – there’s a significant time jump that it drops us into, which means we as readers are going to have to catch up on the events that brought the characters from then to now. This raises important questions, like what caused the crew to split into two groups, why Simon isn’t on the team with his sister or Kaylee, and where exactly Mal and Inara are.
Its ties to the comic arc up to this point are also effective. Even using one of the Robot Sheriff Mals from the previous arc as a piece of wreckage brings us in to the moment and scene nicely. Chang-Benitez’s appearance as part of the crew feels a little more out of place, but it could easily be explained when we see what brought the characters to where they are now.
We’re brought into the story at a fitting pace for “Firefly,” as it uses travel and character dialogue to set the stage and the atmosphere. Without needing to spell anything out for us, it helps us as readers understand where the characters are not just physically, but mentally and emotionally.
The use of bounty hunters chasing the Serenity and its crew also helps establish the scene. The entire moment is pulled off very nicely, with the crew nonchalantly finishing their dinner while the bounty hunters call out the prices on their heads until River swiftly defeats them. Not only does it show us how effective they are as a team (or at least how effective River is) it also helps move the plot forward after the bounty hunters kick it off.
Plus, it gives us an amusing reveal where we see Kaylee is currently acting as captain of the Serenity, complete with Mal’s signature brown coat. It’s a cool moment for the character, but also a surprise that makes us wonder what exactly happened to Mal.
From there, the story picks up speed, moving from introduction to action smoothly and keeping the pace nicely by switching between plot exposition/dialogue scenes and more spacefaring action. It ensures that things never get boring. Plus, there are a few more twists waiting for us that I’m not going to spoil, but are sufficiently intriguing to keep us hooked for the next issue.
At this point, Greg Pak has the characters and their personalities down with ease. Every line can easily be read in the characters’ voices, or even with the background music from the show. (There’s a reason the Firefly theme song has been stuck in my head since I read this issue.)
Continued belowOf course, the story is only part of the whole. The art still needs to pull it all together and present it in a visually-interesting manner. Pius Bak is the latest artist to take on the reigns of this comic, and the results are… decent.
From the first page, we see that Pius Bak is great at setting the scene. The full-page panel shows us a sprawling desert, an alien sky with a planet casually hovering in the distance, and crashed wreckage littering the ground. It’s a good establishing shot that suits the atmosphere of “Firefly.”
On the other hand, the characters are a bit more sparse on the details. Even when we get closer looks at them, they’re all drawn with very angular features and minimal detailing, especially from mid-body shots and further back. If you’re looking for photo-realistic representations of Jewel Staite, Adam Baldwin, or Gina Torres, you’re not going to get it here. In fact, there’s one moment where we get a nice look at Kaylee in her captain’s outfit, while Jayne is in the background like a faceless hulking mass.
Yet this is not necessarily a negative overall. The art style suits the atmosphere of the “Firefly” ‘verse and comic, as the rough designs match the harsh landscape and the overall tone of the moment. Bak’s style also works to the comic’s advantage during River’s fight scene, utilizing six separate panels to show individual moments from the beatdown she delivers in quick succession. The use of shadows there works nicely, emphasizing how swiftly River strikes.
The more angular style of Bak’s artwork also suits the space scenes very nicely. The angular style really brings out the designs of the ships, from Serenity’s distinct design to the blocky, triangular ships that lay fire upon Zoë and her team. Each explosion is also drawn with massive shadows and blasts, emphasizing the danger of the situation particularly well.
Mercelo Costa provides the colors for this issue, helping add to the “space western” style the show was known for. From the sandy desert dunes to the brown walls of a saloon, the color work helps draw us in to the world with a stylistic flare. This is equally true in the darkness of space, where the ships’ interiors use shades of blue and gray to call out the cold illumination.
It’s a very stylized use of color, focusing on dull tones and alternating between light or dark shades based on the surroundings. Overall, it’s very fitting for a “Firefly” comic.
As the solicit advertises, “Firefly” #25 is a good jumping on point for new readers, but having knowledge of the comic’s run up to this point certainly helps. Overall, it brings readers in to the world, sets up some questions to have answered, and is supported by artwork that is uniquely suited for this ‘verse and setting.
Final Verdict: 7.0 – A solid start to a new storyline, bringing the comic over to the post-Serenity setting nicely.
PS. I kept trying to find an opportunity to work in a “I swear by my pretty floral bonnet” reference in here, but I couldn’t fit it in naturally enough. You’ll have to forgive me for that failure.
