Joss Whedon’s Firefly hit the big screen in 2005’s Serenity, and with it came (15-year old spoiler alert) the shocking demise of Alan Tudyk’s pilot Hoban “Wash” Washburne. Even if you hadn’t seen the show, it was an unpleasant surprise, happening immediately after Wash had successfully navigated a bumpy landing, and triumphantly declared, “I am a leaf on the wind; watch how I soar.” BOOM! Studios have now gathered together several writers and artists to pay tribute to Wash, and like many anthologies, it’s a mixed bag.
Cover by Miguel Mercado
Written by Jeff Jensen, Ethan Young, Jared Cullum, Jorge Corona, and Giannis Milonogiannis
Art by Jorge Monlongo, Ethan Young, Jared Cullum, Jorge Corona, Giannis Milonogiannis, and Jorgi Perez
Colored by Jorge Monlongo, Ethan Young, Jared Cullum, Fabiana Mascolo, Giada Marchisio, and Maxflan Araujo
Lettered by Fabio AmeliaReturn to the critically-acclaimed world of Joss Whedon’s Firefly and Serenity, in an all new graphic novel spotlighting Hoban “Wash” Washburne, pilot of the spaceship Serenity… who has just realized he’s about to die. As Wash’s life flashes before him, he revisits untold moments in his life, from growing up on a planet ravaged by pollution, to meeting the woman of his dreams in Zoe. And in those final moments, Wash will reach out to connect with a surprising someone he never thought possible to meet… proving that some bonds transcend our mortal coils. With original short stories from superstar creative teams, learn the untold past, present, and maybe even future of the best pilot in the ‘Verse — Hoban “Wash” Washburne.
“Watch How I Soar” consists of six short stories, largely written and penciled by the same person. In contrast to the book’s official description (above), it’s not clear why we’re transitioning from one era of Wash’s life to the next, although it does open with (an admittedly morbid) panel of his bones beneath his resting place, implying… his soul is reminiscing? It’s weird, and with that said, let’s move on to breaking down each chapter:
– ‘Windfall,’ by writer Jeff Jensen and artist Jorge Monlongo, depicts a “normal” day-in-the-life for Wash and his wife Zoe, performing maintenance on Serenity before taking a well-earned break on a lush green planet. It’s a pleasant, tranquil and romantic diversion that retroactively foreshadows his death, with a conversation between the two about how they’d like to be buried, which proves to be a surprisingly thought-provoking question (have you ever wondered if you’d disapprove of the music chosen for your funeral?)
Monlongo’s art is fluid and lovely, and particularly delights in Wash and Zoe maneuvering through zero gravity; however, the lack of black outlines and muted colors means it becomes difficult to distinguish the characters amidst the backgrounds, and the pages become too busy as a result. It improves when a sunset causes the color palette to darken slightly, but overall the art here is (no pun intended) a wash.
– ‘The Land’ by Ethan Young takes us back to Wash’s youth, exploring his relationship with his father, Hoban Senior, and how he became a dinosaur fanatic. Young’s art is fantastic: it’s very reminscent of Chris Samnee, with strong contrasts between light and shadow, and simple yet expressive linework. The script does a great job of imagining what it’s like to be poor, yet living aboard a family-owned spaceship, as well as emphasizing how dinosaurs can light a child’s imagination aflame. It’s simply a sweet backstory about the act of kindness behind Wash’s unforgettable introduction in the series, explaining why he’s such a sweetheart in a universe this harsh.
– ‘Born for the Stars’ by Jared Cullum shows how Wash proved himself worthy of becoming a pilot during the Unification War. The story is particularly short, but manages to introduce a whole supporting cast for this time in Wash’s life — and his baptism of fire — effectively. The art is distinctive, being painted in watercolor on canvas with thick outlines for emphasis, though this means the action can come across as murky.
– ‘Take the Sky Away’ by Jorge Corona and colorist Fabiana Mascolo ostensibly depicts how Wash became Serenity‘s pilot and met Zoe, but it’s really the story of why he left his homeworld after a deal-gone-wrong, in an intense and poignant escape sequence that has some really topical overtones. Corona and Mascolo’s art is colorful and cartoonish, but the segment is also a beautifully written tearjerker, that ends on a doozy of a transition to the next story.
Continued below– ‘Home’ by Giannis Milonogiannis and colorist Giada Marchisio is similarly cartoonish, but the characters designs don’t pass for recognizable caricatures of the cast; everyone has huge jaws and beady eyes, as if they’re characters from a generic French cartoon. There are a couple of amusing twists, and the story does convey how important Serenity is to Wash, but overall, it’s the most basic entry in the book; the chase here feels like it could’ve been a part of any Firefly comic.
– ‘The Flight Lesson’ by Jensen, Jordi Perez, and Maxflan Araujo, imagines if Wash hadn’t died, foreshadowing a couple of recent developments in BOOM!’s Firefly ‘Verse. I could quibble over this not being about Emma Washburne learning who her father was, but it’s still a fun, sweet tale about a girl being taught to fly by her father (even if Perez’s faces are strangely rubbery.)
Overall, it’s a collection of stories that are less than the sum of their parts, a slim read that might’ve felt more impactful if it had the stronger linking narrative promised on the back of the cover. Still, if you like Firefly or Alan Tudyk, it’s a nice commemorative comic, though much like a memorial service, you’ll probably struggle to remember anything specific afterwards. Like Wash, my favorite part would probably be the dinosaurs — Ethan Young is superb at drawing them, and I hope he will do a (more scientifically accurate) graphic novel about them soon.
