This three-part mini-series from Dark Horse Comics helps fill in the gaps between the TV show Firefly and the movie Serenity. What happened in those six months? When did Inara leave? Why isn’t Shepherd Book on board anymore? Why is Mal so mad in the movie? Written by Joss Whedon and Brett Matthews and illustrated by Will Conrad, this series answers… well, some of your questions, and it brings up a few old characters the crew didn’t want to see and one you probably won’t expect. Each issue featured 3 different covers to allow every cast member to get their own chance at glory drawn by some of today’s hottest artists.
In the first issue we see the crew in the middle of a job gone wrong, and Book’s uneasiness about traveling with criminals starts to build to a head. And some nasty bad guys hook up with another nasty bad guy, which is rarely good. Covers: Mal by John Cassaday, Inara by J. G. Jones, and Jayne by Bryan Hitch.
Preview pages: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
An unwholesome accord is reached, Badger brings a job, Book expresses his growing dissatisfaction, River smells sex, and the crew sails into a dangerous area looking for loot. Covers: Zoe by Joe Quesada, Kaylee by Jo Chen, and Book by Tim Bradstreet.
Preview pages: 1, 2, 3, 4
Surrounded by corpses in a cold, floating graveyard, about to be killed by a man who blamed Mal for his death; this is not Mal’s best day ever. The crew on the Serenity have their own hands full with some blue-handed gentlemen and things just get worse from there. Covers: Simon by Leinil Yu, Wash by Joshua Middleton, and River by Sean Phillips.
Preview pages: 1, 2, 3, 4
The comics sold fairly well — at least that’s what I assume it means when they go into 3rd printings — and may be tricky to find. Dark Horse has some of them here, Things From Another World has them listed, and 258 West Authentic has autographed copies of some of the 1st printings (Summer, Jewel, Ron and Adam). Your local comic shop may have some still (and bug ’em if they don’t), and online shops like Things From Another World usually keep them in stock.
Or you can just pick up the trade paperback coming out in February.
I work in a comic shop and am responsible for the ordering, the Serenity comic flew off the shelf, I sold out the day I got them in. I underordered it by a long ways. Everyone wanted it. It outsold nearly everything I had.