Broken Frontier

I’m a Browncoat. My bias should be noted before you read this review. I’m a fan of Joss Whedon’s too-soon-cancelled space western Firefly.

If you’re not sure what I’m talking about, you should know that the Firefly series DVD was one of the most worthwhile video purchases I’ve ever made, and that the series has been made into a feature film called Serenity which will be opening September 30th. The Serenity comic book is a three-part mini that bridges the 6-month gap between the television show and the film.

To completely honest, I wanted no expectations for the comic adaptation. I’m most often disappointed by these things, and I hate to be disappointed.

Luckily, the book is a really a gorgeous achievement. The characters all ring true and I’d think even to someone who hadn’t met them before. Their interactions, on the whole are very telling. Brett Matthews, who had previously written with Joss Whedon on the Dark Horse Angel mini-series, handles the crew finely. Each character’s voice is distinct, and their behavior compelling.

The story, by Whedon and Matthews, ranges from heist to romance, and even achieves a bit of Wrightson-esque horror. It’s a thrilling caper and it looks to lead up to an answer for one of the character questions that fans have been grumbling since the announcement of the film.

Will Conrad handles the action stunningly. From fight scene to chase scene, Conrad takes us on a rip-roaring ride! Most crucial, however, are the subtle things: the brief and breathtaking glances that define the cast. Conrad finds the characters’ faces, beside the fact that the likenesses are startling.

Laura Martin’s colors take on the best of Western comics, reminding me of Doug Wildey’s classic cowboy comics. There is the feeling that these are paintings of beautiful, glorious violence that lighten up at times for the big action sequences. She handles each space uniquely and works for the most part seamlessly with Conrad’s drawings.

The covers, three portrait-variants for each issue of the series, are very good, but perhaps a bit plain. This book has a stellar line-up of cover artists, all with their unique take on our hapless crew. Each character is framed by a page of white, with the logo above them. The first issue features Inara lushly drawn by J.G. Jones, a gruff etching of Jayne by Brian Hitch, and Mal as classic tough guy by John Cassaday.

I’d highly recommend buying, cheating, or stealing a copy of Joss Whedon’s lost classic Firefly series on DVD for best effect. This issue of Serenity is an exciting first act, a great introduction to the characters, and an even better way to revisit these old friends, and prepare for them to take off again into the black!