Serenity by Joss Whedon Times Two - Take Two

Serenity Volume 2: Better Days by Joss Whedon, Brett Matthews, & Will Conrad

Completion Date: April 23, 2011

Reason for Reading: Carry on with the Series.

Serenity: Better Days follows everyone's favorite space cowboys in a thrilling, action-packed adventure, where Mal and his crew take on a heist that promises a big payoff. But when one of Serenity's crew is taken captive and tortured, the gang must put their enduring differences aside and work together to save one of their own, even if it means losing the cash prize of a lifetime!

Joss Whedon returns to the world of his blockbuster film Serenity, reuniting with Brett Matthews and Will Conrad, his collaborators on the bestselling 2005 series Those Left Behind.

I love the television show Firefly and the movie Serenity, so I was very excited to have the chance to read on in the series. My biggest complaint is that it is in book form and not on the screen. I really think there was a lot of potential for this series, so I am forever disappointed that it was cancelled. The artwork is really good, but it is just not the same. My favourite part is that Adam Baldwin, Jayne, writes the introduction. It was entertaining. The comic obviously takes place before the movie and shows that they can actually successfully complete a mission. It was fun to revisit with the characters again.

Serenity Volume 3: The Shepherd's Tale by Joss Whedon, Zack Whedon, and Chris Samnee

Completion Date: April 23, 2011

Reason for Reading: Carry on with the Series.

One of Serenity's greatest mysteries is finally revealed in The Shepherd's Tale, filling in the life of one of the show's most beloved characters - Shepherd Book!
Who was Book before meeting Mal and the rest of the Serenity crew, how did he become one of their most trusted allies, and how did he find God in a bowl of soup? Answers to these and more questions about Book's past are uncovered in this original hardcover graphic novel by rising stars Zack Whedon (Dr. Horrible, Terminator, Fringe) and Chris Samnee (Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps, Daredevil). A pivotal chapter in the ongoing Serenity saga, The Shepherd's Tale is also a rollicking, action-packed epic in its own right.

Okay, I am disappointed. I was really excited to read this because Book was one of my favourite characters in this series. I just wish that this could have been addressed in the show. It was the big secret hanging over the show. We deserved to know what happened. They could have even worked it into the movie. I liked the story well enough. The artwork was different than the previous books, though, and the characters didn't always look right. I won't say much else because if you are planning to read this comic, you don't want it to be ruined for you.

Series:

Those Left Behind

Better Days

Float Out

The Shepherd's Tale

Serenity by Joss Whedon Times Two

Serenity: Those Left Behind by Joss Whedon, Brett Matthews, and Will Conrad

Completion Date: February 9, 2011

Reason for Reading: I was a fan of Firefly.

Joss Whedon, the pop-culture mastermind behind Buffy the Vampire Slayer, bridged the gap between his cult-hit Firefly TV series and his Serenity motion picture with this three-issue miniseries. Serenity: Those Left Behind is a previously unknown chapter in the lives of these space brigands, and a must-read for avid Whedon fans and Browncoats alike.

Penned by Whedon and Brett Matthews, a Firefly show writer, the ragtag crew takes on a scavenger mission with the promise of a big payoff. Only too late do they realize the gig is orchestrated by an old enemy eager to remake their acquaintance... with the help of operatives wearing bright blue gloves.

I was a little late to discover that I was a fan of the television series Firefly, but after watching it last year I was a bit taken in. I wish it hadn't been cancelled quite so soon, but I am glad that you are able to enjoy more from the series through the comic books. This occurs between the television show and the movie that they had made after it was cancelled. It fills in what you might be wondering when you are watching the movie because it sort of jumps ahead a bit. It is three stories in one. It was fun to visit with everyone again and pretend that things that are going to happen in the future haven't occurred yet. There were obviously a lot of things that were meant to be played out, but then the show was cancelled and they never got the chance. The movie just assumes that you know what is happening before you actually do.

Overall it was good, but not as great as it would be if they had made it for the television show. It is so sad that it was cancelled!

Serenity: Float Out by Patton Oswalt, Patric Reynolds, and Joss Whedon

Completion Date: February 9, 2011

Reason for Reading: Fan of Firefly

Acclaimed writer/actor/comedian Patton Oswalt (The Goon, Batman, JLA, Dollhouse, Ratatouille) brings back one of Firefly's most beloved characters in this special spotlight issue!

Always ready with a brilliant aerial maneuver and a terrible one-liner, Wash was pilot of the Firefly-class ship Serenity in Joss Whedon's cult-classic TV series before being killed in the movie. Float Out includes three brand-new stories of Wash in a series of exciting smuggling raids, each providing a hair-raising escape or daring last-minute rescue! Featuring a cameo that will leave Serenity fans reeling, this special one-shot presents new tales of the Serenity universe's past and tantalizing hints about its future!

Wash was probably one of my favourite characters in the show, so when I saw that there was a comic dedicated to him I had to read it. I have to admit it didn't interest me quite as much as I had hoped. It would have been better if it was the crew of Serenity sitting around reminiscing, but instead it was people that you had never seen before talking about him. The stories were entertaining and truly Wash, but overall I was very disappointed. The cameo, though, that was really the best reason for reading the comic. I am glad I read the comic just for that one moment. It was the best thing!

These comics count for the Sci-fi Experience hosted by Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings!

Series:

Those Left Behind by Joss Whedon, Brett Matthews, and Will Conrad

Better Days by Joss Whedon, Brett Matthews, and Will Conrad

Float Out by Patton Oswalt, Patric Reynolds, and Joss Whedon

The Shepherd's Tale by Joss Whedon, Zack Whedon, Chris Samnee, and Dave Stewart