For the first time, “Firefly Bad Company” #1 dives into the secret history of an enigmatic, fan favorite character from the TV series. Suspicions will be confirmed and secrets will be revealed. But not all of them…
Written by Josh Lee Gordon
Penciled by Francesco Montarino, Giuseppe Cafaro, and Moy R.
Inked by Vincenzo Federici
Colored by Gabriel Cassata
Lettered by Ed DukeshireIn this 40 page celebration, take a look into the never-before-seen history of one of the most beloved Firefly characters in the ‘Verse – SAFFRON! Journey through the early days of Saffron’s life, from before her fateful meeting/marriage to Mal. This is an origin story no Firefly fan is sure to forget!
Seventeen years ago, the TV show, Firefly, introduced us to the character of Saffron. No last name, like “Madonna” or “Cher.” Also known as “Yolanda” or “Bridget,” Saffron is a con artist, a wild card of a woman who gave Mal and his crew a run for their money (metaphorically and very nearly literally) more than once.
Was Saffron a companion, as Inara guessed in the TV series? Is she mentally unbalanced, or simply cutthroat because of her life experiences? And just what’s her real name, anyway? “Firefly Bad Company” #1 acts as an over-sized exploration into the cunning character’s past. As the inaugural issue of a new title, one might think that it would be the first installment in a much longer story arc showing a young girl’s slow development into the infamous grifter we all meet later in her timeline.
That’s why the final two words of the issue, “THE END,” were so confusing: it feels like we’ve only scratched the character’s surface. In fact, writer Josh Lee Gordon takes great pains throughout the issue to avoid even using Saffron’s real name. Most of the 40 pages of “Firefly Bad Company” #1 are spent on Saffron’s time with the Companions, a period that still manages to feel brief as if she couldn’t have been fully trained before running off to become an intergalactic menace of many names. Even though Saffron narrates the comic, we gain little insight into her character. Whether this is an issue with the writing or with editorial fiat is anyone’s guess.
Setting aside the problem of how the issue was marketed vs. its lackluster revelations, “Firefly Bad Company” #1 is still well crafted, and a welcome addition to the “Firefly” canon. While Saffron’s backstory isn’t necessarily a surprise, Gordon does his best to make her a sympathetic character. Her progression from poor street thief to studying as a Companion under the Priestess feels natural. Her hatred of the Alliance and willingness to steal from the rich are understandable when given the context of her early years. But how that turns into hatred and mistrust of everyone to the point where she’s constantly cheating or manipulating anyone she comes into contact with? What motivates her? What her real name is? Those are secrets that belong only to Saffron, apparently.
Though it ties loosely into the current “Firefly” comic, “Firefly Bad Company” #1 is incredibly approachable, even for people who have only watched the TV series. Francesco Montarino, Giuseppe Cafaro, and Moy R. (with Vincenzo Federici inking) align on a single, realistic house style, which seems to be a common practice on titles based on existing movies or TV shows. While Diego Galindo’s cover art captures that “Christina Hendricks aesthetic” the best, the interior artists bring their fair share of talent to the table with detailed backgrounds, hard-hitting splash pages and thoughtful panel layouts that leap off the page.
Some artistic elements don’t quite connect as well in “Firefly Bad Company.” At one point, there’s a hummingbird that seems like it’s meant to be an extended metaphor, but there are no other visual or contextual clues to reinforce or explain it. There’s a time jump about mid-way through the issue that’s unannounced. Saffron suddenly is drawn differently and has longer hair, and readers are left wondering if a different illustrator took over pencils or if months or even years have gone by, or if there’s some other explanation.
Gabriel Cassata’s color palette sticks closely to the original source material. In Firefly, the TV series, we get a lot of warm tones, fitting the trappings of the Western genre. Sparse reds pop like desert roses. Cool colors are an even rarer gem, existing to underscore a beautiful evening Saffron wouldn’t normally be able to experience, a lonely moment of vulnerability, or a future seemingly devoid of warmth and humanity.
Continued belowEd Dukeshire’s lettering is insidiously well done. Between Saffron’s narration and the story’s dialogue, the pages and panels could easily get bogged down with balloons, but Dukeshire finds elegant style and placement solutions that work perfectly with “Firefly Bad Company’s” tone. At one point, he even hides a word bubble tail behind a key element in a panel, using the limited space impressively without upstaging anything important. The sound effects are the “insidious” part, though – reading through the issue, you may only notice one or two. But if you look for them, they’re everywhere, and you remember reading them. They just blend so well with the art and the moment, they don’t stick out. Making lettering invisible is hard to do, and Dukeshire is a pro at it.
If it were just about how well the issue was put together, or if trailblazed a new story for new intellectual property, “Firefly Bad Company” #1 might feel like less of a trademark Saffron bait-and-switch. It’s possible the powers that be simply didn’t want to reveal every one of Saffron’s secrets at once. But the BOOM! Studios positioned the comic as this revelatory origin story, and yet, it feels like we learn so little about the character in the over-sized issue. The cognitive dissonance is only worsened by the ocean of character development between the Saffron we follow through most of the comic and the one at the end, who is more familiar to fans of the show.
All that aside, “Firefly Bad Company” #1 isn’t a bad place for fans of the show to jump into the comics and get a little extra information about Saffron, the Alliance and the world of “Firefly.” The story is enjoyable. The creative team is talented. And Jeanine Schaefer, Executive Editor at BOOM! Studios claims “Saffron has a big role to play in 2019!”
Maybe this isn’t “THE END,” after all.
Final Verdict: 6.5 –“Firefly Bad Company” #1 may not give readers everything they hoped, but it’s still a solid addition to the “Firefly” ‘Verse.
