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Australian Ninja asks "How's the Serenity?"
Fri, 18 August 2006
by: Australian Ninja
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Dinosaur A "We will rule this land. And we will call it...this land"
Dinosaur B "I think we should call it your grave"
Dinosaur A "Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!"
Both Dino's "Aarrghh, arrghh arrghhhh - mine is an evil laugh, now die!"
Firefly and Serenity. A Western sci-fi that rocked my world but now has gone the way of the dinosaurs.
Deciding to write an article about the Serenity comic book was a tough call. It's a good comic, but not a great comic.
However a friend of mine wanted a copy just because it was Firefly/ Serenity related. She normally does not read comic-books, but was prepared to buy Serenity regardless of the price. That prompted me to consider that others may not have heard of the comic, or had trouble getting hold of it like she did.
So I guess this spotlight is more for the Firefly fans out there, than for the people who regularly read comics.
A couple of things are worth paying attention to regarding this comic. This trade-paper-back collects the four issue mini-series that was published by Darkhorse. The story was written by the Joss man himself. He's taken a crack at writing comics several times in recent years [Fray, Tales of the Slayers, X-Men] and he does a fair job of it.
The story kicks off with Mel, Jane and Zoe having yet another simple deal turning into a lemon. Losing the cash they make a hasty getaway to be picked up by a sleepy Wash.
Meanwhile, an old enemy encounters some shady Alliance secret operatives. He makes a deal with them only to get a chance to be close enough to kill Mal Reynolds. Of course, the Alliance secret ops are after River. It may be standard stuff as far as story and the events that unfold - but that doesn't stop it from being as enjoyable to read as any single episode of the show is to watch.
The humour and heart of the show is intact in this highly enjoyable comic-book. Were I to make one minor complaint about this trade, it would be that it does nothing new. It adds nothing in particular to the show or film. Perhaps it was the advertising for it that gave me overly high expectations. A second reading gave me a chance to truly appreciate it for what it is. A good -but not great- comic that tells another tale in the Firefly universe.
Basically this trade edition takes place before the Serenity film but after the final episode of Firefly. So Inara is still on board and itching to get off and Mal is as surly and complacent as ever about Inara's inevitable departure.
A quick word for those who are unfamiliar with comic shops. If you are interested in obtaining a copy of this trade, then you can do a couple of things. One is to turn and order a copy. Another is to call on the phone/email and pay by credit card or money order. I still buy my comics from Perth and have them posted each month, even though I live in rural Victoria, so it can be done if you really want something.
The comic is a short read and in terms of the plot structure and pacing it is the equivalent of a single episode of the Firefly TV series. While the press for it originally stated that it filled in gaps between the series and film, that's really an exaggeration. There is nothing significantly new in this story at all. What there is - is action, sly humour, quirky moments, money troubles, and a whole lot of heart.
This story may not be a fantastic or original story, but it does have the main elements that made the show so very special to watch. This is your chance to enjoy one more adventure with the misfit crew of Serenity. So climb aboard, you'll be glad you did.
The way I see it, this can go either one of two ways. You can read it, or you can walk away now - don't make it any more complicated that it needs to be, you hear me?
by: Australian Ninja
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