Joss Whedon’s world is still going strong in FIREFLY #8. Yet the change of format hasn’t prevented our cast from getting themselves into all sorts of trouble.
***SPOILER WARNING***
Joss Whedon may not be writing the current plot for Firefly, but that hasn’t exactly prevented the crew from getting themselves into a whole new mess. If anything, Greg Pak has proven how creative he can be when it comes to putting them at risk.
For those that haven’t been following the series; the crew of Serenity has been split apart. That in itself isn’t actually all that unusual. However, Mal has been arrested (sort of – that varies moment to moment), and Jayne too for that matter. Granted, he’s been arrested under a false name…which is probably a new experience for him. Meanwhile, Zoe and the Browncoats are prepping for war. Yes, you did read that right.
But don’t you worry – they all have plans for dealing with the situation. Not that anything has ever gone according to plan. Ever. In the history of this series. But we can’t blame them for trying. Honestly, it’s little things like this that make the series feel so much like the original we know and love. Almost like we’re coming home.
It’s still hard to believe how quickly this seemingly simple plot evolved into something much more complex. Though that really is the natural result of having everyone split up. All of the plots are working towards one end goal – saving Mal’s skin.
Firefly #8 did a solid job of making sure that everyone got a moment, even if it was just a small moment. Mal likely got the most attention, naturally, but it trickled down from there. Even Kaylee had a chance. There were a few moments in particular that are noteworthy – especially for fans of Shepard and his hidden past.
This plot had been feeling a little formulaic at times, until the introduction of a new player. Suddenly the old saying of ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend’ comes into play, and you better believe Zoe isn’t dumb enough to pass up an opportunity like that.
Adapting a series into comic book format is always a little bit difficult. Do you try and make the characters look exactly like their television counterparts? Do you go with your own interpretation? The art team behind this latest reboot decided to go somewhere in between, and it was the smart decision.
Three artists came together to make Firefly #8 a possibility. Dan McDavid (illustrator), Vincenzo Federici (inks) and Marcelo Costa (colorist). Together they brought us something that feels both familiar and different at the same time. More often than not, it takes no time to identify which character is which. Though from time to time they’ll have an expression on their face that delays identification. The series certainly has more color now than it did before, but it also fits the space theme a bit better.
This plot has a little ways to go before we can consider it resolved. And this cliffhanger of an issue has left us with more questions than answers. How are they going to resolve this mess? And how many issues is it going to take?
How do you feel this series has been going so far? Are you a fan of seeing Firefly in this format? Or would you prefer they left it alone?
