FIREFLY: BLUE SUN RISING #1, available Wednesday from BOOM! Studios, concludes both the Blue Sun Rising plot arc, and the main plot for the most recent run of Firefly. However, their story is far from over.
It all comes to a head here, in Firefly: Blue Sun Rising #1. The crew on Serenity has gotten in over their heads on more than one occasion, and this time is no exception. Heck, even the stakes are something they’ve had to deal with before. It’s almost refreshing to see them tackling it all head on, once again.
Blue Sun Rising was the first-ever crossover event that Firefly got a chance to play with. So it makes sense that it was also used to conclude this major plot arc at the same time. That doesn’t mean that the series will conclude after this issue is over, however.
The next issue of Firefly (Firefly #25) will begin a new plot arc. One that follows the events of Serenity – as in, follows the events of the movies. That’s going to be…tough. It’ll be one of the first times fans have seen the crew (in comic form) since all of the changes that occurred over the course of that plot.
We’ve always wondered how they continued on after that, and very soon, we’re going to be getting a chance to find out. Any theories?
The Writing
Firefly: Blue Sun Rising #1 made one major promise in its advert – that everything was going to change. As far as that promise goes, they really hit the nail on the head there. Everything did change. The crew went up against new enemies, made new friends, had some scraps, and kept on moving. It’s what they do.
Written by Greg Pak, this issue is the one that ties the last plot arc up in a neat little bow. It’s clear that this is meant to be a finale of sorts, even while the series continues on. After all, it’s going to be quite a jump from here, as a whole new plot and timeline take control.
While I haven’t loved every moment of the Blue Sun Rising plot, I have to admit that it was wrapped up rather cleanly here. Each character seemed to get a moment to shine, even the newer ones introduced over the course of this series.
Yes, that does include the enemies. Though perhaps ‘shine’ isn’t the best descriptor in that case. The point is, everything felt…complete by the time it was all said and done. There are no loose ends, and we’re left with a reminder of the original characters and how we fell in love with them.
The Art
Firefly: Blue Sun Rising #1 is one of those issues that has a little bit of everything, at least on the artwork side. It has drama and action (in the form of some difficult flying), it shows pain and love, and it even has a little bit of humor.
Dan McDaid was the lead artist, with Vincenzo Federici providing some of the inking for this issue. As such, the scenes are highly stylized, yet feel thematically appropriate. Once again that odd blend of space and Western is found here, with a few heavier science fiction elements thrown into the mix.
Marcelo Costa’s colors help to bring it all together. The skies are an absolute highlight, as always. Even when the stars aren’t visible. The tech of the enemy really does stand out once colors are brought into the mix, and I think that helps solidify the concept and name of it all.
Then there’s the lettering, created by Jim Campbell. The lettering is another highlight of this issue, especially given all of the space battles going on. You can see that a bit of fun was had there, but that is far from being a bad thing here.
Conclusion
And so, with Firefly: Blue Sun Rising #1 coming to an end, so this crossover event, and the plot arc as a whole. It had its ups and downs. But at least it’s good to know that the series is still up for taking risks.
Now we’re left wondering how things will go, following the events of the movie. Granted, there isn’t much longer to wait.
