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Whedonversity: Serenity – Leaves on the Wind #1 [Review]

By and | January 29th, 2014
Posted in Reviews | 5 Comments

Hello, everyone, and welcome to Whedonversity, a new column here on Multiversity here we look at the books following the extended stories from all of our favorite Joss Whedon shows (so, everything but SHIELD). Every month, Scotland’s own Colin Bell and I will sit down to discuss the books, what we like, what we don’t like, extended continuity and all that jazz, and we’re excited to kick things off with the brand new Serenity series.

As a note, since this is our first foray into talking about the book, spoilers abound — both for the series, the film and this comic. However, hopefully you’ve had enough time to go to the story and pick up your own copy of the book (and if you haven’t, get going!).

Written by Zack Whedon
Illustrated by Georges Jeanty

Malcolm Reynolds’s crew shook the ’verse to its core when they laid bare the crimes against humanity undertaken by their sinister government—the Alliance. Always outlaws, Mal, a very pregnant Zoe, new pilot River Tam, and the other surviving crew members are in greater danger than ever. Meanwhile, everyone is asking the same question . . .
• Buffy’s Season 8 and 9 artist conquers the galaxy!
• Executive produced by Joss Whedon!
“As a science fiction story, Serenity has it all.”—Broken Frontier
Where’s Serenity?

Matthew: So before we start breaking things down, let’s just give our gut reactions here. I kinda sorta loved this comic. How about you, Colin?

Colin: You know what, Matthew? I heartily enjoyed it also. Let’s quantify why!

Matthew: Well, I think the easiest reason why would be that it simply just feels like Firefly, doesn’t it? I mean, honestly and genuinely so. This isn’t meant to knock the previous “Serenity” comics or anything like that, but I picked up this book and sat there reading it and just thought, wow, it feels like I’m getting back into this universe that we’ve been apart from for so long. And that was always my biggest complaints about every other comic that we were given up to this point, in that they were entertaining enough but always felt a little bit off, like they were missing that singular spark… and here it is, hidden in this issue at the center.

I also, and it took me a second to realize I was reading it, but this is basically Serenity 2, right? At least partially, anyway; I remember Whedon talking about what he would’ve done if he made another movie in the ‘verse, and the two things he said was that he would explore Book’s background and bring back Jubal Early. And then there’s a graphic novel about Book’s background and now Jubal is back and, hey, look, this is the real continuation of the adventure of Malcolm Reynolds and his merry bunch of bandits.

So, yeah. Firefly the comic that actually feels like Firefly.

Colin: If it’s not Serenity 2, it’s TOTALLY like season… three(?) of Firefly. It’s dealing with the after-effects of the Big Damn Movie head on – we’re seeing the direct fallout of the Miranda broadwave, and it appears to be a big factor in where the story’s going.

I think that a big part of this Firefly feeling is that we’re forging ahead with some uncharted territory here. Again, not to dismiss the previous comic adventures, but there was only so much story that they could tell given that they were either set between Firefly and Serenity (Those Left Behind, Better Days), or filling in backstory (The Shepherd’s Tale). These stories were hapered by our already KNOWING WHAT happened next. Even Patton Oswalt and Patric Reynolds’ Float Out one shot – the first comic to chronologically take place post-Serenity – was mainly flashbacks to before the series started. That said, Float Out left us with a revelation that directly feeds into this issue…

Matthew: Right, and which seems to be a big impetus of what the ongoing story is going to be here with the crew coming out of hiding for Zoe. So it’s this really nice mix where that which came before in the comics clearly gets a nod as continuity, but it’s not beholden to it; it’s more taking off of what happened in the movie and logically what happens next.

Continued below

Which includes the return of Jubal Early in, like, this bad ass space superhero costume, helmet and cape and all. And I have to say, more than anything else in this issue, that’s what got me jazzed the most. “Objects in Space” is easily my favorite episode, though I imagine that’s the case for a lot of people.

What else in particular spoke to you about the issue?

Colin: Oddly, Early’s return was the only moment that gave me pause in the entire issue. I say oddly because clearly Jubal Early is an interesting character who made an incredibly memorable appearance, and fans – including myself – have clamoured to see more of him ever since. I think it’s just because we’ve already seen a returning villain in a previous story – Dobson, in Those Left Behind, and it just seemed a bit soon to go back to the returning villain well.

But I just checked and it’s been nine years since that story saw print, so what do I know.

Matthew: And again, to be totally fair, Whedon had indicated that Jubal would return when talking about the potential for a second Serenity film. Makes total sense that he’d appear in the comic in a new, tricked out uniform.

Colin: Is your definition of “tricked out” just “wears a tattered cloak” now?

Matthew: And a helmet! He had a very nice helmet!

But let’s move on from this. What else did you like? How did you feel about where the gang was in terms of distance between each other and relationships?

Colin: The big hoopla is going to be over Mal and Inara finally being more overt in their feelings towards each other, and I’m glad that that’s another plot-strand from the series and movie that Zack Whedon felt would benefit from moving right along. Factored in with Kaylee and Simon off doing their thing though, to the casual observer, it would appear that all the couples have just shacked up and abandoned Zoe and River, which is sad. There are fewer things worse than living in close proximity with a couple, never mind two of them. That probably goes double when you’re in a spaceship. My math’s rusty, but I make that out to be FOUR TIMES WORSE than the norm.

Other stuff I liked: Wash’s dinosaurs still in the cockpit. Zoe’s gag-name for Emma continuing a long-line of medical bay pranks. Laura Martin’s colours making Georges Jeanty’s work look its best ever.

Matthew: That’s an excellent segue, because I was going to say — as much as I liked the writing and could talk about all the little moments of this series that “got it right” in terms of the show, woah, Georges Jeanty has never looked better. I mean, I liked his work in Buffy, but the general “problem” I had (especially towards the end) is that it grew kind of visually stale. But with this it looked brand new, fresh; it almost looked like it wasn’t him at all.

I mean, obviously it was. His character work was still on point, I really like the way he draws faces and emotion, but good lord, Laura Martin. Way to make this book sing. Easily one of the best parts of the book.

Colin: The art team were just on song, top to bottom. I think any warm feeling towards Jeanty’s work here is not only because it’s absolutely solid, but because it’s just great to see him drawing something new. Just like on Buffy he gets across the essence of the characters without being slavishly devoted to photo-realistically capturing the cast’s likenesses. And he draws a mean gorram spaceship. And space hoverbike thing. I’m as excited to see him cut loose in this new world as I am anything else going on in the comic.

Matthew: Yeah, I think that’s a good point to make. I mean, “Serenity: “Those Left Behind” and “Better Days” both featured Will Conrad, and Conrad was good but it didn’t stand out. And I don’t mean that in a particularly bad way, either; if I have one criticism about those books art, it’s just that they kind of meshed in on the rack; there wasn’t too much to pick it apart from the rest of what was coming out from comics at the time.

Continued below

But I think the team of Jeanty and Martin has offered up a really dynamic and exciting comic. I mean, this is a sci-fi book and it feels wonderfully science fiction-y; both in terms of exterior planet and space landscapes and interior ship shots, the book really sings. It all came together very well, and I really like it because for the first time I feel like Dark Horse is serious about making a Firefly comic.

Again, nothing against what came before, but they just felt like stuff designed for fans to consume and enjoy and move on. With just one issue of this, I’m so much more hyped and jazzed for more of Mal and the crew than I have been after any of the previous comics.

Colin: Well, I’ve suggested that Jubal’s return might have been a bit too EARLY for my tastes – was there anything that didn’t sit well you? Because it really seems like we just loved this book.

Matthew: Matthew: True. We did.

Well, I guess if I had to pick something, it would be that I fear too much is going on. Like, we have six issues here — and that’s it, I guess? Scott makes mention of it in the back I think this series has enough to be an ongoing, and who knows, maybe sales will help determine that, but it seems like there is a wealth of material to mine from from this issue alone (politics, relationships, the crew vs. the Alliance, the Browncoat Resurgence, Shadow, Bea, etc) and I wonder if they’re going to be able to stick the landing. Or, if it’ll just feel too rushed. That’s maybe the stronger possibility.

I’d love to see “Serenity” get the same treatment as “Buffy” at Dark Horse, and I would hate to see them plow through what already feels like more than six issues worth of material. I think the fans would happily support it, don’t you?

Colin: “Waiter! This soup is too delicious!” That’s an analogy for what you JUST SAID. I don’t think we can complain about there being a wealth of ways this story can go, and it’s probably a bit early to speculate on whether or not it’ll all land. Let’s just watch how they soar for the time being, eh? And if someone could stop me dropping Firefly references into a discussion about Firefly, please do.

I just took the Shadow reference to be a nod at the extensive knowledge some fans possess about the characters. You think we’re actually… GOING THERE?

And yes, I don’t think there’s any signs of Firefly fandom abating, so I would guess that an ongoing would be supported, but who knows? Maybe this is just a toe in the water to see how things go. No harm in that.

Matthew: My soup IS too delicious, Colin, and I FIND THAT TO BE A PROBLEM. WHAT IF THE REST OF MY MEAL IS GOOD AS WELL?

So, out of 10, what would you give the issue?

Colin: A good solid 8. Thoroughly enjoyable, plenty promising. Good to have the gang back. If you were to grade it like it were a homework assignment, what would you give it?

Matthew: I would say “9/10, well done, interesting read, where does it go from here? are you sure you haven’t set too much up? looking forward to next installment! –teach”

But, hey, it’s been a decade since Firefly was on air and I’m just excited to see it again.

Colin: Look Matt, all I know is this – when Firefly was first on TV, we had Bob Hope, Johnny Cash and Wash. Now twelve years later we’ve got no Hope, no Cash and no one washes anymore.

Final Verdict:: 8.5 – Buy


//TAGS | Whedonversity

Matthew Meylikhov

Once upon a time, Matthew Meylikhov became the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Multiversity Comics, where he was known for his beard and fondness for cats. Then he became only one of those things. Now, if you listen really carefully at night, you may still hear from whispers on the wind a faint voice saying, "X-Men Origins: Wolverine is not as bad as everyone says it issss."

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Colin Bell

Writer, letterer, gentleman of comics, Colin Bell is at least partly responsible for the webcomics JONBOT VS MARTHA, DETECTIVE SPACE CAT, and the barely updated SAMURAI COP: THE WEBCOMIC His small-press empire commences when Dogooder Comics releases its first comic DUNGEON FUN in November.

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