Whedonesque Mobile : Comments on 15065 : (SPOILER) Sneak peek at 'Serenity: Better Days' #1.

This is just not fair at all, a day after I removed pdf reader for being the damnedest most annoying program on my computer comes this! Where is the justice? I made a blood oath to stay away from pdf reader. How am I to stick to my steely resolve which involved a great deal of pain and possibly permanent scars. Again where is the justice?!

[ edited by eth3er on 2007-12-30 00:07 ]

eth3er | December 30, 02:51 CET

Eth3r, please format your posts according to standard capitalisation rules, it makes what's written easier to read for everybody.

Caroline | December 30, 02:58 CET

eth3r, install this.

Also, new Firefly words. I don't have the words.

[ edited by gossi on 2007-12-30 00:05 ]

gossi | December 30, 03:03 CET

Pretty cool. Likenesses are very good and the art fits the mood/tone of the series. However, I'm worried about this series. If it is, like Those Left Behind was, a mediocre lost episode of Firefly, then I don't see this series ever becoming an ongoing.

patxshand | December 30, 03:10 CET

patxshand, Dark Horse have wanted to do it as on going -- or certainly much more regular, anyway -- for a long time. Years. I can see why that hasn't happened - Firefly is very easy to do wrong, and the universe isn't that expansive due to it's premature death.

On happier news, I also think the artwork is seriously cherry. I'm looking forward to this.

gossi | December 30, 03:16 CET

Thank you gossi. No words though.

eth3er | December 30, 03:16 CET

This looks very good.

But as patxshand said, its unlikely to become an ongoing if it continues this way. There are only so many 'lost' episodes we can read until it becomes stale, and we will want stories set after Serenity. Now I know Joss still wants to do a live action, and that would make me very very happy. But if it doesnt then comics is the way to keep the verse and characters alive - like Angel and Buffy are doing. Otherwise it will die away.

Still picking this up the second it hits the shelves though!

angeliclestat | December 30, 03:27 CET

Yeah, I think that BtVS and AtF have adapted to the medium of comics way better than Firefly/Serenity has, which is odd, considering the content of the latter. I think if Firefly hadn't had such a premature death (as gossi said), that the series might vibe better as a comic. But as it is, I'm not sure how effective "Serenity" as a miniseries or an on-going could be.

But like angeliclestat, I will buy it on the release date. I will always support Joss's work. I've been wanting to buy the hardcover of "Those Left Behind" for the same reason (plus, that softcover of mine is so puny), but the only one I saw in any store had a cover that was ripped to bits. Joss's work deserves to be in hardcover (I'm so glad I was able to get a good deal on the Long Way Home hc!).

patxshand | December 30, 03:30 CET

Personally, I think there is room for more post-Serenity stories - but I'd leave it a few years to make sure the movie dream really is over. (Oh god. Fetch the razor blades). There's certainly a good few arcs left to explore. I don't think they could do a 'Buffy season 8', though.

For those who missed it first time around, Ron Glass has said Dark Horse are looking at another SERENITY series, about Book.

gossi | December 30, 03:35 CET

I have to say, I didn't understand what was going on at all in the page with words, but damn, I am excited nonetheless. March can't come soon enough.

Jobo | December 30, 03:36 CET

"Yeah, I think that BtVS and AtF have adapted to the medium of comics way better than Firefly/Serenity has"

True, but I think that if utilised properly, then the Serenity story could be told through comics. There is room for the characters to grow in comics, and use the artists freedom to show new worlds.

I think with the conclusion to the River story (in as much as the reason for her craziness)...the question has to be asked where would the verse go from there. I suppose an ongoing comic made up entirely of issue after issue of heists gone wrong would get boring very quickly - so a new reason for the gang to continue would have to be created. That is the challenge.

The River story on TV was to be over 2 seasons (if I am correct in my memory), so Joss would have had to given the story a new direction after that. So I am sure that a Serenity title could overcome these difficulties with ease.

angeliclestat | December 30, 03:37 CET

Unanswered Serenifly questions:

- During the River Tam Sessions, references are made to other test subjects. River actually names one, I think. Who are those test subjects? WHERE are those test subjects? What was tested on them? What special abilities do they have?

- Inara. How her story impacts Mal.

- Book. How his story impacts the crew.

gossi | December 30, 03:41 CET

The artwork looks fantastic, can't wait for this one. I love that Joss continues his series in comics.

archon | December 30, 03:41 CET

I didn't understand what was going on at all in the page with words

Uh, it's pretty clear it's an art heist.

During the River Tam Sessions, references are made to other test subjects. River actually names one, I think.

She does reference another subject, who died on the table. But he's unnamed. The only name she mentions, other than Simon, is Volger, a fellow student in GenEd, prior to her heading into the Academy.

[ edited by theonetruebix on 2007-12-30 00:56 ]

The One True b!X | December 30, 03:55 CET

bix, you're like Google, without me having to make an effort.

gossi | December 30, 04:01 CET

Ooh this is nice. I liked the artwork a lot but even without it, I would recognize who is speaking. The voices are spot on. I'm really looking forward to this.

Lioness | December 30, 04:03 CET

Great assortment of pages-- love that we get to see Jayne pick up what is presumably the ashtray (and he's right; it does look nice!).

gianetta | December 30, 04:13 CET

Can't wait! Just 2 questions: When exactly does this come out? and Does it take place after the BDM?

chunkymonkey | December 30, 04:33 CET

chunkymonkey (great name), I think it's March, and it's set pre-BDM.

gossi | December 30, 04:38 CET

Ooo. This looks really good. No way I could forget this was set in the past, with Simon's robotic poshness immediately leaping off the page like that. Jayne mistaking the ash tray for an art exhibit already has me smiling.

So Simon used those sunglasses to avoid a retina scanner when he boarded Serenity? Did we know this before and I missed it?

Sunfire | December 30, 04:48 CET

Did we know this before and I missed it?

Nope. Seems someone decided to explain Simon's weird glasses from the pilot. (Although I suspect it had more to do with him getting around on Persephone in order to find a ship and get off-world than it had to do with actually boarding the ship.)

[ edited by theonetruebix on 2007-12-30 01:51 ]

The One True b!X | December 30, 04:50 CET

I have always figured River would continue to get flashes of secrets and such even after Serenity, though not to such a murderous degree of course. This would keep our crew busy with plenty of rights to be wronged -- er, I mean, wrongs to be righted. Or do I? Anyway, her brain is still physically changed so there's no telling what she might "overhear" that's not even related to the Hands of Blue guys.

cabri | December 30, 04:55 CET

I still haven't read the third issue of "Those Left Behind", but that's because I mostly just wanted to see the movie, and my comic store wasn't keeping it on the shelf.

This one looks pretty good, so far. The pencilling is excellent, I think, the characters look right on. And, we get a nice little bit of continuity because we get an explanation for Simon's rather bizarre glasses from the pilot episode, which is actually pretty cool and explains why he didn't wear them again.

KingofCretins | December 30, 05:08 CET

Love it! It's like coming home after a while. Got me all excited about Firefly again.
I was disappointed by Those Left Behind, but a look at those pages set my heart aflatter. Maybe it's seeing Simon in his smashing suit and those shades. :) But everyone looks and sounds great here. And the art is shiny.
And extra significance of the shades: cool detail!

Nata | December 30, 05:13 CET

Nice! Looking forward to this.

palehorse | December 30, 06:04 CET

Of course, with the glasses, we have to ask if Joss meant those glasses to block retinal scans in Episode One or if they were part of what Wardrobe brought to it and thus, this is merely a later addition and thus perhaps not canon.
*runs*

Lioness | December 30, 06:38 CET

Lioness, the proper term is "retcon"--retroactive continuity, new information that changes (or reveals a previously unseen aspect of) something that went before because a different answer now provides an interesting story hook. Like, for example, who sired Spike. *ducks and runs*

jclemens | December 30, 06:56 CET

But my question is, is it retcon? Or did Joss in his infinite wisdom always intend this? And being a comic, is it indeed...... ;-)

Lioness | December 30, 07:31 CET

Ooohhh...shiny. I've got to make sure that I pick up the set when it comes out.

As for the glasses...weren't they supposed to be a kind of a data/monitor screen already? (I could've sworn I've read/heard Joss say it was supposed to do that.) If it was, I would imagine that the lenses being able to block retinal scans would be easily retconned or even canon.

Leafdancer | December 30, 09:22 CET

weren't they supposed to be a kind of a data/monitor screen already

Those were the Operative's glasses, which we never actually saw.

The One True b!X | December 30, 09:29 CET

Well as I understand it, this book will be canon. So the glasses thing is part of canon now whether it's what Joss originally meant or not.

Anyway, extremely cool art and dialogue. I can't wait.

RaisedByMongrels | December 30, 09:34 CET

Didn't get much from that preview at all.. besides the glasses thing. Need more.
I enjoyed Those Left Behind. Looking forward to any new Firefly stories. Especially the Book book coming up eventually... guess they are saving the Inara story for a possible second movie?

alexa | December 30, 09:39 CET

Those Left Behind wasn't bad, but I do hope this will be better. As fun as it is to find out about the characters' past, I want to find out what happens next. Progressing the story while discovering the past (much like they did in Serenity with Reavers) provides action that is easier to relate to.

The artwork is beautiful, and whether the glasses are retcon or planned cannon, it really does not matter. As long as the idea fits the story line, and makes it more interesting, I say bring it on. And the word of Joss is the law, after all!

Now, is it March yet? :)

Valentyn | December 30, 10:10 CET

My laptop is not loading the .pdf file. No frets however, I can wait until March. A Shepard's Tale may be another story however. :)

crazygolfa | December 30, 10:14 CET

The resemblance to Mal is uncanny, and for what the one page shows so far, the dialogue is great as well.

Now is a great time for comics.

CaptainTightpants | December 30, 11:38 CET

theonetruebix | December 30, 06:29 CET

Those were the Operative's glasses, which we never actually saw.

Saw Operative's glasses in the deleted scene. Operative tracks Mal. Operative says something like The Captain has to have an obvious weakness and then a picture of Inara shows up on the Operative's glasses.

Anonymous1 | December 30, 13:49 CET

But my question is, is it retcon? Or did Joss in his infinite wisdom always intend this?

I think these may be the Earth 2 glasses that would have been sent back in time from the season 4 episode "All Tomorrow's Spectacles". Then Earth 8 Simon came through the dimensional rift (as shown on the special edition commemorative 'Serenity' postage stamps) and stole them back thus completing the time loop initiated in the prequel mini-series "There and Back Again: A Vampire's Tale".

The real question of course is "Are the glasses replicants ?"

*ruuuuuns*

...

*then sidles sheepishly back to say*

Nice art, the likenesses are pretty serviceable for the most part and the voices were spot on during the thieving. I was also a bit underwhelmed by 'Those Left Behind' but Brett Matthews has the capacity for good stuff in him so maybe this will be better.

Saje | December 30, 13:59 CET

I'm in the minority, but I thought that Those Left Behind was great. On Christmas Eve, I discovered that my softcover Those Left Behind TPB had fallen behind my bookshelf and had gotten all twisted and fucked-up. :-(

I still have the single issues, and now I wish I could buy the hardcover.

Anyway, as for these preview pages...

What a pleasant surprise to wake up to! The art looks great, and the voices are perfect. Nice bit about the glasses, too.

But Saje, jeez, did you get your continuity wrong. It wasn't Earth 8 Simon that came in through the dimensional rift, it was Earth 6 Simon. Earth 8 Simon was the evil Simon that ripped a wormhole in the galaxy to come and scam on Kaylee. This is all clearly shown in the I Aim to Misbehave Fun Colorforms sticker book.

UnpluggedCrazy | December 30, 17:33 CET

True UpC but on the bottom of the limited edition "Mal and Inara 4EvaH !" coffee mug, it makes it very clear that Earth 6 Simon was actually Earth 8 Simon in disguise (it even mentions the shoelaces thing) and though most fans saw him as "evil" he was, canonically - and this is straight from the mouth of Joss's dog walker's best friend's brother - only "slightly shirty" and "a bit of a misery guts".

Course I personally think it'll all be superceded when they reboot the continuity with their range of serialised baseball caps.

Saje | December 30, 17:59 CET

Hilarious!

Pointy | December 30, 19:07 CET

Stealing art, historic artifacts (e.g. the Lassiter laser pistol), and medicine from the Man (er, Alliance) is classy - kind of like being a companion. Stealing medicine from the poor and needy (even if it does include some thrilling heroics) isn't classy - more like the status of a common whore.

I guess I felt a flash of disappointment upon learning the crew haven't fared well enough to secure more respectable employment. But then again, I don't know the why of the art heist.

I guess that means the sample pages did their job. Smart TFAW marketers did theirs.

napua | December 30, 19:53 CET

Now, where is the fun in "respectable employment"?
This looks fantastic, I need new Firefly, all that worries me is that March in the States could translate to ...? in England?

Twoflower | December 30, 20:19 CET

Looking good, would prefer there being stories after Serenity, though I'd hope that would be live action. But I do like the idea behind this storyline.

sportforredneck | December 30, 23:33 CET

guess they are saving the Inara story for a possible second movie?

Well, Joss did tell Morena that he'd make up to her the fact that she suffered the most in editing. And he didn't allow her to reveal Inara's secret at Serenity LA.

The One True b!X | December 31, 00:19 CET

This looks fantastic, I need new Firefly, all that worries me is that March in the States could translate to ...? in England?

Twoflower, comics are released the next day in the UK (so Wednesday is comic book day in the US whereas it's Thursday over here). It's not like with films or TV shows where we may have to wait weeks, months or (rarely) never get it at all.

Saje | December 31, 00:31 CET

Thank you very much Saje, I must get my act together.

Twoflower | December 31, 02:29 CET

Nothing much to say here but the often quoted and wonderful exclaimation: SHINY!!!
Well, I guess there was a little bit more to say after all...Can't wait for it!

BrowncoatHeart | December 31, 05:55 CET

Colorforms!

Anonymous1 | December 31, 06:09 CET

This is all clearly shown in the I Aim to Misbehave Fun Colorforms sticker book.

*sticks little illegal cargo boxes onto secret hiding places on the Serenity cargo hold page*

*moves Mal over to the dining area page with Jayne and some grenades*

*ponders adding Batman*

Sunfire | December 31, 08:01 CET

I love it... I'll take new FireFly ANYWAY I can get it...

refuge5 | December 31, 19:32 CET

oooo this looks wicked shiny! Jayne cracked me up. lol

Maharet83 | December 31, 22:02 CET

I would love for Jayne to nab the ashtray just for him. I can see it now, there's his room with guns and girls all over the walls, dirty clothes thrown about, and this delicate Faberg� type thing next to his bed. he he he.

First whedonesque post, yeah!

NEStar | January 01, 00:57 CET

December 30 2007