Comics Review | Firefly: Legacy Edition

Everyone’s favorite ragtag crew of heroes who aim to misbehave continue the fight in a Legacy Edition of Firefly collected comics.

While the show Firefly may have gotten canceled, the story continued in the comics that are collected in these Legacy Editions from Boom! Studios. Collected into two volumes, Book One is a collection of short stories and one-shots depicting the lives and adventures of Serenity’s crew after the events of the show (but before the movie). Book Two collects the six-issue miniseries Leaves on the Wind and No Power in the ‘Verse and the one-shot the “Warrior and the Wind”, all set after the events of the movie Serenity.

Firefly: Legacy Edition | Written by Joss Whedon & Others

Book One

“Those Left Behind” and “Better Days” are three-issue short stories depicting the everyday lives and adventures of the crew. The one-shots depict faster-paced action that takes place over a few scenes, except for “Float Out” and “The Shepherd’s Tale”.

As you might expect, “The Shepherd’s Tale” depicts Shepherd Book’s history. Beginning with his death, the short tracks his history from him joining Serenity, to his time with the Alliance, and eventually to his early years as a kid on the streets. While I was excited to finally learn this man’s history, it wasn’t what I was expecting. In the episode “Safe” he is shown to have once been of some importance in the Alliance, enough to receive immediate emergency medical attention, however, the comic reveals he was discharged in disgrace. So I’m not sure that meshes well with what was previously revealed. It was definitely unexpected to learn that he was, in fact, a Browncoat spy. I always assumed he was a high ranking official who saw what was really going on and resigned because he could no longer support what the Alliance was doing. And that would fit with what we are shown in the show. But that could be just me.

“Float Out” has three pilots talking about the times they’ve worked with Wash. They each tell of a time Wash did some fancy flying to outwit Reavers and others and generally save the crew’s skins. In the end, they toast to him, but before they can crack open the bottle of champagne, Zoe shows up with a bottle of cheap Asian liquor that Wash prefers. This was a sweet tribute to a beloved character and gave him some backstory at the same time.

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Book Two

The two mini-series deal more with River Tam and what was done to her. In Leaves on the Wind, the crew attacks an Alliance facility with the help of the now-disillusioned Operative. In the fight, they retrieve another young girl, Iris, who has been experimented on too. They also are forced to take Zoe to a hospital after she gives birth and Simon is unable to stop an internal hemorrhage. She is then captured, and the crew rescues her with the help of the Operative and the now-freed Iris.

In No Power in the Verse, the crew is contacted by a frantic Iris who says their mutual friend Bea has been taken prisoner. The crew goes to help, but it’s not long before they are drawn into a web of lies and half-truths. When River and Iris are captured as well, they find out just how far the Alliance is willing to go to get them back.

My favorite story was the one-shot included here where a babysitting River tells little Emma the story of the “Warrior and the Wind” before putting her to bed. The story is of Zoe, the Warrior, and Wash, the Wind, as they meet and then join a ragtag pirate crew. In essence, it’s the story of Zoe and Wash and the crew, but with a few fairytale-style embellishments.

We Aim to Misbehave

Book Two continued the ongoing story and mythology of the show/movie. While both books had some great stories, it was Book Two that really continued the story and moved the overall plot forward. Various authors and artists contributed to both volumes. Authors include Joss and Zack Whedon and Patton Oswalt. Illustrators include Will Conrad, Patric Reynolds, and Dave Stewert.

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Volume Two ends with Captain Reynolds making a big decision and the crew debating whether to stay together or not. I’d love to see this storyline continue to completion, but I’m not sure that’s going to happen. While Firefly has a cult following, it’s not exactly the most popular or well known of the Whedon-verse franchises. Both Buffy and Angel have gotten far more comics to continue the story. So I think time will tell whether or not we get more of Serenity and her crew. But if you need a Firefly fix, these two books are mighty sure to please.

Firefly: Legacy Edition by Joss Whedon & Others is published by BOOM! Studios and is available to buy now.

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Melissa Villy is a regular Staff Writer for Future of the Force. She is a passionate Star Wars fan and is the custodian of the FOTF Jedi Archives. Follow her on Twitter @JediLibrarian42 where she uses the force frequently!

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