Catnip for well-versed fans.
A collected anthology of out-of-print comics that expand a short-lived and beloved television franchise.
Despite only airing for one season, the sci-fi/Western mashup Fireflyearned cult status and garnered myriad spinoffs including a movie and a number of comics. This legacy edition collects seven tales previously published by Dark Horse that are since out of print. For those unfamiliar with the series, Firefly(created by Joss Whedon of Buffyfame) follows spaceship captain Mal, a tough-on-the-outside-but-with-a-heart-of-gold captain, and his motley crew for hire as they navigate the fringes of a fractured universe under a broken authoritarian regime. Mal’s crew—including mechanic girl-next-door Kaylee, surgeon Simon and his troubled sister, River, and clergyman Shepherd—find themselves in gunfights against the domineering Alliance, fighting cannibals called Reavers, and in the midst of many near misses with spaceships and shootouts. True to its television roots, these comics are driven by the clever amalgamation of genres alongside cinematic scenes of big guns and even bigger explosions. The plotlines are easy enough to follow, but for those not already acquainted with the cast or the overall narrative arc, little exposition is provided. The crew of the Serenity is predominantly white, save for two dark-skinned characters, and all are hetero; expect stereotypical (for mainstream comics) character stylization: attractive, buxom women alongside macho men with chiseled pecs.
Catnip for well-versed fans. (Graphic science fiction. 14-adult)Pub Date: Nov. 20, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-68415-320-6
Page Count: 288
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2019
A thoughtful and thrilling story of life, death, and meaning.
Two teens train to be society-sanctioned killers in an otherwise immortal world.
On post-mortal Earth, humans live long (if not particularly passionate) lives without fear of disease, aging, or accidents. Operating independently of the governing AI (called the Thunderhead since it evolved from the cloud), scythes rely on 10 commandments, quotas, and their own moral codes to glean the population. After challenging Hon. Scythe Faraday, 16-year-olds Rowan Damisch and Citra Terranova reluctantly become his apprentices. Subjected to killcraft training, exposed to numerous executions, and discouraged from becoming allies or lovers, the two find themselves engaged in a fatal competition but equally determined to fight corruption and cruelty. The vivid and often violent action unfolds slowly, anchored in complex worldbuilding and propelled by political machinations and existential musings. Scythes’ journal entries accompany Rowan’s and Citra’s dual and dueling narratives, revealing both personal struggles and societal problems. The futuristic post–2042 MidMerican world is both dystopia and utopia, free of fear, unexpected death, and blatant racism—multiracial main characters discuss their diverse ethnic percentages rather than purity—but also lacking creativity, emotion, and purpose. Elegant and elegiac, brooding but imbued with gallows humor, Shusterman’s dark tale thrusts realistic, likable teens into a surreal situation and raises deep philosophic questions.
A thoughtful and thrilling story of life, death, and meaning. (Science fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: Nov. 29, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4424-7242-6
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 25, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2016
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in.
Black is back with another dark tale of Faerie, this one set in Faerie and launching a new trilogy.
Jude—broken, rebuilt, fueled by anger and a sense of powerlessness—has never recovered from watching her adoptive Faerie father murder her parents. Human Jude (whose brown hair curls and whose skin color is never described) both hates and loves Madoc, whose murderous nature is true to his Faerie self and who in his way loves her. Brought up among the Gentry, Jude has never felt at ease, but after a decade, Faerie has become her home despite the constant peril. Black’s latest looks at nature and nurture and spins a tale of court intrigue, bloodshed, and a truly messed-up relationship that might be the saving of Jude and the titular prince, who, like Jude, has been shaped by the cruelties of others. Fierce and observant Jude is utterly unaware of the currents that swirl around her. She fights, plots, even murders enemies, but she must also navigate her relationship with her complex family (human, Faerie, and mixed). This is a heady blend of Faerie lore, high fantasy, and high school drama, dripping with description that brings the dangerous but tempting world of Faerie to life.
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in. (Fantasy. 14-adult)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-316-31027-7
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Sept. 25, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2017
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