Serenity: Those Left Behind

In a harshly regulated future universe first pictured in the TV show Firefly, there are always a few rebels. One run-down little transport ship named Serenity has a crew comprised of mercenaries, thieves, fugitives and an elegant prostitute who is the only one who makes her living legally. This is the group readers follow on heists and general trouble-making. This comic helps to explain a few of the loose ends that come with a canceled TV show, while throwing a few more mysteries at its fans.


I love Firefly. I tend to curse in accented Mandarin, spontaneously re-enact or recite scenes with friends and family, and sometimes drawl Broad Browncoat so badly that I have been asked if I come from down south because it is the closest real dialect to the slang featured in the show. I mention these facts because it means I am a very biased reviewer when I say that this is an excellent comic.

I have been very disappointed by most comics that are based on a TV show. The mediums are very different and the "feel" of the show is almost always lost. Not so in this case, this still feels like the 'Verse fans know and (obsessively) love. There are some things lost; readers will find a lack of striking scenery, gritty "wild west" styling seems to mostly be abandoned in favor of a harder sci-fi story and the comic layout feels rushed and crammed, even a touch claustrophobic. The art is some of the highest quality I have seen in American comics, from the expressive, yet technically solid line art to the well-balanced colorization. Characters are instantly recognizable and the dialogue is spot-on.

This is definitely a book no Browncoat should pass up.

5 Stars

Emme