[Raided] Serenity: Better Days #1 (of 3)
Posted by Graig on March 15, 2008
There is almost no point in reviewing this book, since the fans of the still much lamented Joss Whedon-spearheaded television program turned cinematic space opera Firefly/Serenity will no doubt pick up this new mini-series regardless of what any reviewer states about its quality. Unlike Buffy or Star Wars, Firefly market penetration remains fairly slim, no matter how vocal or loyal the Browncoats are, leaving this book a niche product amidst niche products and there’s only the slimmest of possibilities that this book will attract anyone new to the property. Thankfully, comics are all about satisfying niche demands, and a three-issue mini-series will no doubt sate the raving fanatic, even if it isn’t very good. “Better Days” sits within the gap between Firefly (the show) and Serenity (the movie), which makes it a quaint self-contained story, oblivious to the fate set to befall certain characters. I’m sure Whedon and crew are saving the post-film happenings of Serenity’s crew for the slim hope that they can do more theatrical/ direct-to-video/ made-for-TV releases, so the fans will really have to take whatever stories they can get. This story is co-written by Whedon and Brett Matthews, and is complete with violence, sex, thievery, clever quips and a theoretically game-changing cliffhanger. It’s truly your standard western-tweaked-sci-fi Firefly fare, which actually leaves me a little disappointed. The mini-series format leaves the writer unable to do long-form, serialized story arc building, and it’s three-issue size means it’ll wind up with more of a one-off episodic feel rather than a larger cinematic sensibility. I know, I know, comics aren’t movies or television, and I have to give Whedon tremendous credit for embracing and investing himself in the comics medium so wholeheartedly to continue the adventures of his other media characters, and in keeping with the theme and tone of the source (which comic book spin-offs, adaptations, and extensions so rarely did until recently). There’s nothing in this story that going to wow the Firefly fans (certainly it won’t impress any non-fans). It’s at best a decent placater, leaving hope that the franchise is still alive and that better days are coming down the pipe.
2.5 out of 5 Vikings
Adam said,
I disagree, I thought this was a vast improvement over the miniseries they did to correspond with the movie. The gags were funny, the story had a neat twist, and hey, it’s Firefly. It felt like a (bigger-budget) episode of the show, which is about what I’d be asking for from a comic like this. The art was the big problem for me, but it wasn’t *that* bad.
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