“Better Days Part 2 (of 3)”

Written and Drawn by: Joss Whedon, Brett Matthews, Will Conrad, and Michelle Madsen

Better Days is a bit more in tune with the universe it is in. It seems more in character, and in the proper tone.

It opens amusingly with the different dreams of how the characters might spend all their newfound riches. I do appreciate the varying humor from the different dreams, but I couldn’t help feeling that it was more filler. I mean half the book is spent of these little dreams instead of advancing the story.
Read more

“Better Days Part 1 (of 3)”

Written and Drawn by: Joss Whedon, Brett Matthews, Will Conrad, and Michelle Madsen

Better Days opens up with the same problem that the last comic, Those Left Behind faced. It’s a third of an episode and it’s the set up third at that.

To be honest Better Days doesn’t have the feel of a Firefly episode though. I honestly thought that for the most part Better Days was going through the motions instead of having a real story to tell. The art didn’t seem as crisp as Behind either.
Read more

Serenity

Starring: Nathan Fillion, , Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, Morena Baccarain, Adam Baldwin, Jewel Staite, Sean Maher, Summer Glau, and Ron Glass

Written and Directed by: Joss Whedon

It’s not often that a failed tv show that barely makes it one season before being cancelled gets to be made a feature film. But in this case, I’m certainly glad it happened. Firefly was a great show that never completely found it’s footing or audience, but it definitely made it’s mark.

In a show that was full of questions, it was great to have some answers finally and right from the get go. We get to see Simon break River free from the Alliance. This sequence also introduces us to the main villain of the movie, the Operative who reminds me very much of Jubal Early from the final episode of the series, in that he’s a well spoken monster.

We see our gang is mostly still together, although lnara and Book are no longer flying with them. They are on a bank heist of Alliance money. They crew brings River along due to her psychic abilities against Simon’s wishes. It’s a good thing she does, as by the end of the heist she starts to feel…

Reavers.

Read more

“Those Left Behind Part 3 (of 3)”

Written and Drawn by: Joss Whedon, Brett Matthews, Will Conrad, and Laura Martin

Part 3 really does draw everything together in a fairly satisfying manner and really helps lead us into the Serenity film. This is the action slamboree finale and everyone gets in on the action.

Mal, Jayne, and Zoe enter the dead craft, full of dead Alliance and Browncoats looking for the treasure Badger promised was there.

Read more

“Those Left Behind Part 2 (of 3)”

Written by: Joss Whedon, Brett Matthews, Will Conrad, and Laura Martin

The second issue is as fun as the first one.

We open with quite a surprise as Agent Dobson from the “Pilot” of Firefly…yes the one that Mal shot in the eye, is alive and well.

And ready to work with the Men with the Blue hands.

This seems a little too much for TV but it does work in the comic book world. Of course my argument is negated by an interview with Joss who said if Firefly would have continued, he would have made Dobson a recurring opponent.

Read more

“Those Left Behind Part 1 (of 3)”

Written by: Joss Whedon and Brett Mathews

Penciller: Will Conrad

Colorist: Laura Martin

It is very difficult to turn a tv show (or film) into a different medium (such as books or comic) and maintain the same feel. Much of the time, it feels like it’s a parallel universe because something is missing.

I’m happy to say that Those Left Behind does a great job of maintaining the feel. I only wish it had been longer. I would guess that by the end of #3 we’ll have enough for a full episode of the show or so, but that only makes me wish for an ongoing title rather than a limited series.

Read more

“Objects In Space”

“Objects in Space” is a phenomenal way to go out, considering there was no tying up of loose ends possible. It just happened to end here. Unfortunately, it probably gives much more questions than answers and definitely a few hints as to directions the series might have gone if continued. So with that in mind, you have to forgive that.

Read more

“Heart of Gold”

Firefly is always at it’s best when it combines it’s action with its relationships. Then add a touch of morality, a dash of humor, and you got a good episode.

Inara gets a distress call from an old friend. A former Companion who left companioning to run a whorehouse on a distant planet. Mal agrees to help without hesitating…and without payment. Although Inara won’t let that happen. They have to keep this business.

Mal makes it specific that it’s not an ordered mission, it’s purely volunteer. Of course, Jayne isn’t going to do something charitable…until he finds out they’re whores of course.

Read more

“The Message”

A day at the post office. When Jayne gets a hat with pom poms from his mom and Zoe and Mal get a dead buddy of an old war buddy…well Jayne gets the better of the deal.

The Message is a solid episode, with the normal Firefly humor (Jayne), entangling relationships (Simon-Kaylee), intriguing notions of undisclosed pasts (Book), and a ship chase.

Simon and Kaylee open the episode and their relationship is very intriguing. The high class, very polite, but ultimately very socially awkward doctor with the down to earth, very blunt, but always cheerful grease monkey. Par for the course, the doctor says something stupid, which insults Kaylee who storms off.

Read more

“Trash”

I once said that Firefly didn’t seem to have a filler episode due to the fact that the very nature of the show is too anthology based.

However “Trash” is one that seems to me to be an episode to declare filler. That doesn’t mean bad however, it just seems, par for the course.

The episode starts out alright (not eating for once!) with Mal meeting up with an old war buddy. Things heat up awful quick when he introduces his wife Bridget…

or should we say Saffron.

Read more