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Firefly #21-24
Firefly: Blue Sun Rising Deluxe Edition
The first-ever comic book event in the world of Joss Whedon’s Firefly is here as Mal must reunite the crew of the Serenity for one last impossible job to save the ‘Verse from the Blue Sun Corporation in a new hardcover collecting the entire story.
THE FIRST-EVER FIREFLY COMIC BOOK EVENT! Sheriff Mal Reynolds has a new partner—a law enforcing robot from the Blue Sun corporation, who doesn't care about motives, about mercy, about anything other than enforcing the law—no matter the cost. The Blue Sun Corporation has helped to run the ‘Verse from the shadows for years, but they’re ready to step into the light and take over. If Mal wants to keep his job and protect his sector, the smart move would be to play by their rulebook. But for Mal, there’s really one choice —reunite the crew of the Serenity for one last impossible job to save everyone they love. Now the ‘Verse is changing in ways no one ever expected - and will lead to the beginning of an all new, all different chapter in the world of Firefly. New York Times best-selling writer Greg Pak (Darth Vader), along with acclaimed artists Dan McDaid, Lalit Kumar Sharma & Daniel Bayliss, launch Mal & the crew of Serenity into their biggest war yet. Collects Firefly Blue Sun Rising #0-1, and Firefly #21-24.
THE FIRST-EVER FIREFLY COMIC BOOK EVENT! Sheriff Mal Reynolds has a new partner—a law enforcing robot from the Blue Sun corporation, who doesn't care about motives, about mercy, about anything other than enforcing the law—no matter the cost. The Blue Sun Corporation has helped to run the ‘Verse from the shadows for years, but they’re ready to step into the light and take over. If Mal wants to keep his job and protect his sector, the smart move would be to play by their rulebook. But for Mal, there’s really one choice —reunite the crew of the Serenity for one last impossible job to save everyone they love. Now the ‘Verse is changing in ways no one ever expected - and will lead to the beginning of an all new, all different chapter in the world of Firefly. New York Times best-selling writer Greg Pak (Darth Vader), along with acclaimed artists Dan McDaid, Lalit Kumar Sharma & Daniel Bayliss, launch Mal & the crew of Serenity into their biggest war yet. Collects Firefly Blue Sun Rising #0-1, and Firefly #21-24.
300 pages, Hardcover
Published November 30, 2021
10 people are currently reading
80 people want to read
About the author
Greg Pak
1,644 books583 followersGreg Pak is an award-winning Korean American comic book writer and filmmaker currently writing "Lawful" for BOOM and "Sam Wilson: Captain America" (with Evan Narcisse) for Marvel. Pak wrote the "Princess Who Saved Herself" children's book and the “Code Monkey Save World” graphic novel based on the songs of Jonathan Coulton and co-wrote (with Fred Van Lente) the acclaimed “Make Comics Like the Pros” how-to book. Pak's other work includes "Planet Hulk," "Darth Vader," "Mech Cadet Yu," "Ronin Island," "Action Comics," and "Magneto Testament."
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 17, 2022
This book felt kinda off, similar to the movie for me, the tone just isn’t quite firefly. Still a fun sci-fi story but grander in scale and less cowboy small town stuff. The ending was great though and they felt like tv characters during that last sequence.
May 4, 2024
Despite thinking the first Boom Studios’ collection for their Firefly series didn’t “feel” like Firefly most of the time, I thought it good enough. I liked it enough that I’m pushing forward with the next deluxe edition which includes the next few arcs “New Sheriff in the ‘Verse” and “Blue Sun Rising”, as well as additional stories like “The Outlaw Ma Reynolds”. My thoughts on the arcs are as follows:
“The Outlaw Ma Reynolds”
This oneshot issue is a lot more enjoyable than a lot of the rest of the collection. While I don’t think we needed to meet/know about Mal Reynolds’ mother and who could be grating at times (although that’s the point of the character), she’s a decent addition to the Firefly universe. The issue has some weak parts (i.e., still adding in moments of Mal x Inara that are retcon-y) but the only one I had a real problem with is the continuation of the controversial setup of Mal Reynolds working for the Alliance as a sheriff. Speaking of…
“New Sheriff in the ‘Verse”
To anyone that has seen Firefly and Serenity and read the Dark Horse Serenity comics, Mal as a government sanctioned sheriff is controversial because at no point in his history would that have made sense for Malcolm Reynolds to have worked for the Alliance. Sure, Greg Pak emphasizes the Alliance is blackmailing Mal and Mal’s working with the Serenity crew to skim money from the Alliance to justify. It just remains a tough pill/retcon to swallow.
The story itself is serviceable, Mal and original character Boss Moon have a new case, Mal’s having doubts about leaving this new position, etc. only to have things interrupted by a new type of cyborg enemy that would feel more in line with franchises like Star Wars or Alita Battle Angel than Firefly. Then in comes Blue Sun, the corporation that had its logo plastered everywhere on the show and believed to be the Alliance subcontractor that experimented on River. That was fairly interesting, particularly the idea that Blue Sun is so vast that its divisions literally have no idea what the other is doing. Beyond that, the arc really ranges in quality. Other than Mal, most of the focus on Serenity’s crew feels limited, with Inara, Jayne, and Kaylee getting the lion's share while the rest get a lot less (although Zoe’s group do find “Haven” from Serenity). Other Firefly stories have done this, it just felt particularly aggravating here. Beyond that I’m still thinking this isn’t quite Firefly, mostly due to sci-fi concepts that feel out of place. Likewise, there’s just a feeling of disconnect between Pak’s depiction of these beloved Firefly characters and what has come before. Some are harmless, like Inara turning into Wonder Woman at some point (no joke she’s got WW’s shield and is in a fight scene with cyborg man). Others are just weird and don’t have the emotional impact Pak might think they have (i.e., Bandit King’s real identity) within the comic and in the franchise as a whole.
Overall “New Sheriff in the Verse” was a let down, even the “Unification War” arc was better.
“Blue Sun Rising”
While New Sheriff in the ‘Verse had its moments, that was not really the case in Blue Sun Rising, the culmination of this “Mal as an Alliance sheriff” plotline. It’s built up as this big event style comic but it just fails to fail climatic. Only one faction of Blue Sun is the focus and their defeat means little as another branch just takes over. There’s some more of Mal agonizing about playing cops & robbers and being the hero but it felt repetitive coming off the last few arcs. As for the “Robocop Mals” plotline, that feels more like it belongs in the “Destiny” video game (you know where Nathan Fillon played a robot instead of a space cowboy). So yeah, ultimately this big event ended in a fizzle (and honestly a few retcons from previous Firefly lore).
“Queen of the Night”:
I…don’t know what the point of this story was. Serenity shows up briefly but none of the main Firefly characters, just this comic’s original character Leonard Chang-Benitez (Simon’s romantic rival for Kaylee’s affections). He and his old flame somehow go through a portal when they try to attack Serenity and end up trapped on a medieval-esque world. Maybe there will be payoff in Pak’s final story arc but this was pure filler that has no place in the ‘Verse.
Conclusion:
I know Joss Whedon is (rightfully) on the outs of the Hollywood/society but as I continue to read Boom Studios’ Firefly comics I keep thinking it would have been useful to have Whedon on retainer to go through Greg Pak’s drafts and bring them more in line with what Whedon would have done. I understand that a long-standing franchise like Firefly based on a show that was cut down before its prime needs some expansion to its lore/universe but all of this feels like Pak should have told these stories without adding the word “Firefly” to the title.
“The Outlaw Ma Reynolds”
This oneshot issue is a lot more enjoyable than a lot of the rest of the collection. While I don’t think we needed to meet/know about Mal Reynolds’ mother and who could be grating at times (although that’s the point of the character), she’s a decent addition to the Firefly universe. The issue has some weak parts (i.e., still adding in moments of Mal x Inara that are retcon-y) but the only one I had a real problem with is the continuation of the controversial setup of Mal Reynolds working for the Alliance as a sheriff. Speaking of…
“New Sheriff in the ‘Verse”
To anyone that has seen Firefly and Serenity and read the Dark Horse Serenity comics, Mal as a government sanctioned sheriff is controversial because at no point in his history would that have made sense for Malcolm Reynolds to have worked for the Alliance. Sure, Greg Pak emphasizes the Alliance is blackmailing Mal and Mal’s working with the Serenity crew to skim money from the Alliance to justify. It just remains a tough pill/retcon to swallow.
The story itself is serviceable, Mal and original character Boss Moon have a new case, Mal’s having doubts about leaving this new position, etc. only to have things interrupted by a new type of cyborg enemy that would feel more in line with franchises like Star Wars or Alita Battle Angel than Firefly. Then in comes Blue Sun, the corporation that had its logo plastered everywhere on the show and believed to be the Alliance subcontractor that experimented on River. That was fairly interesting, particularly the idea that Blue Sun is so vast that its divisions literally have no idea what the other is doing. Beyond that, the arc really ranges in quality. Other than Mal, most of the focus on Serenity’s crew feels limited, with Inara, Jayne, and Kaylee getting the lion's share while the rest get a lot less (although Zoe’s group do find “Haven” from Serenity). Other Firefly stories have done this, it just felt particularly aggravating here. Beyond that I’m still thinking this isn’t quite Firefly, mostly due to sci-fi concepts that feel out of place. Likewise, there’s just a feeling of disconnect between Pak’s depiction of these beloved Firefly characters and what has come before. Some are harmless, like Inara turning into Wonder Woman at some point (no joke she’s got WW’s shield and is in a fight scene with cyborg man). Others are just weird and don’t have the emotional impact Pak might think they have (i.e., Bandit King’s real identity) within the comic and in the franchise as a whole.
Overall “New Sheriff in the Verse” was a let down, even the “Unification War” arc was better.
“Blue Sun Rising”
While New Sheriff in the ‘Verse had its moments, that was not really the case in Blue Sun Rising, the culmination of this “Mal as an Alliance sheriff” plotline. It’s built up as this big event style comic but it just fails to fail climatic. Only one faction of Blue Sun is the focus and their defeat means little as another branch just takes over. There’s some more of Mal agonizing about playing cops & robbers and being the hero but it felt repetitive coming off the last few arcs. As for the “Robocop Mals” plotline, that feels more like it belongs in the “Destiny” video game (you know where Nathan Fillon played a robot instead of a space cowboy). So yeah, ultimately this big event ended in a fizzle (and honestly a few retcons from previous Firefly lore).
“Queen of the Night”:
I…don’t know what the point of this story was. Serenity shows up briefly but none of the main Firefly characters, just this comic’s original character Leonard Chang-Benitez (Simon’s romantic rival for Kaylee’s affections). He and his old flame somehow go through a portal when they try to attack Serenity and end up trapped on a medieval-esque world. Maybe there will be payoff in Pak’s final story arc but this was pure filler that has no place in the ‘Verse.
Conclusion:
I know Joss Whedon is (rightfully) on the outs of the Hollywood/society but as I continue to read Boom Studios’ Firefly comics I keep thinking it would have been useful to have Whedon on retainer to go through Greg Pak’s drafts and bring them more in line with what Whedon would have done. I understand that a long-standing franchise like Firefly based on a show that was cut down before its prime needs some expansion to its lore/universe but all of this feels like Pak should have told these stories without adding the word “Firefly” to the title.
May 30, 2022
One of the things I've disliked about other Firefly comics is that the writers would just recycle events/actions/dialogue from the TV show/movie. Sure the situation would change, but they just recreate specific scenes without adding to the history and mythos of the show or expanding on the characters.
Greg Pak's run, specifically this volume, doesn't do that. He introduces Mal's mom, which explains some of Mal's upbringing, and as a result drives his actions as an adult. Some of the team is on a quest for a location to call home, which leads to someplace seen in the movie. And the most significant story is that Pak writes a situation that truly tests Mal's code. It gives an opportunity to show just who Mal is; someone who wants to help others that need it and allow them to have a fair chance at life. His code becomes very clear and he'll go to great lengths to live by it. He's also extremely clever and while he can annoy those around him it's this incredible devotion to his friends and code that keeps them around.
My biggest complaint is the art. While I don't expect a photorealistic likeness, most of the time it's not really close, maybe with only a couple of the characters and this is across 3 or 4 different artists. Some have a cleaner look versus a sketchy look by others. For the most part the color palette is consistent but even that varies from issue to issue.
A worthy read for fans of the 'verse.
Greg Pak's run, specifically this volume, doesn't do that. He introduces Mal's mom, which explains some of Mal's upbringing, and as a result drives his actions as an adult. Some of the team is on a quest for a location to call home, which leads to someplace seen in the movie. And the most significant story is that Pak writes a situation that truly tests Mal's code. It gives an opportunity to show just who Mal is; someone who wants to help others that need it and allow them to have a fair chance at life. His code becomes very clear and he'll go to great lengths to live by it. He's also extremely clever and while he can annoy those around him it's this incredible devotion to his friends and code that keeps them around.
My biggest complaint is the art. While I don't expect a photorealistic likeness, most of the time it's not really close, maybe with only a couple of the characters and this is across 3 or 4 different artists. Some have a cleaner look versus a sketchy look by others. For the most part the color palette is consistent but even that varies from issue to issue.
A worthy read for fans of the 'verse.
June 19, 2023
Sheriff Mal ends
Sheriff Mal’s time comes to an end. But of course Mal can’t do anything quietly. He and Moon are banning together to stop the BluSun cooperation. Many of these chapters were missing the team element. I’m going to take a break from Firefly, but I will be back to finish this adventure through the ‘verse.
Sheriff Mal’s time comes to an end. But of course Mal can’t do anything quietly. He and Moon are banning together to stop the BluSun cooperation. Many of these chapters were missing the team element. I’m going to take a break from Firefly, but I will be back to finish this adventure through the ‘verse.
September 21, 2024
I was unaware 'Deluxe' meant oversized repack with only a dozen pages of new material - new material that is underwritten, under plotted, and contains none of the actual Firefly characters.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews