KIRKUS REVIEW
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 Firefly earned 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 Buffy fame) 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)
