Serenity: Those Left Behind, is a graphic novel addition to Joss Whedon's acclaimed movie Serenity, which picks up after the ending of his cult-hit tv series Firefly. The story takes place after Firefly and before Serenity. Being a huge science fiction fan (especially of the "space western" variety), I have been meaning to rent both Firefly and Serenity. I had no idea there was a graphic novel as well, so I was very excited to hear about it in class. It was interesting to have this comic be my first experience with Serenity/Firefly because of it's placement within the storyline. The prologue was certainly helpful, and I think the both Whedon and Matthews did a good job in ensuring that even someone who had never seen Firefly could infer character relationships and the general situation of the group. I'm hooked, needless to say, I've put Firefly on top of my netflix queue!
The cover features two of the characters: Mal, the captain of Serenity and the central figure in the series, and Inara, who's backstory and significance isn't explained within the story. Serenity looms eerily behind them, and they are bathed in blue, foggy light. There are also fireflies flying amongst them, which is significant because their ship, Serenity, is a "firefly" ship (named so because of its design). The comic (and movie) are named after their ship, which is named after The Battle of Serenity Valley, the final battle of the Unification War (in which most of the characters fought on the losing side). Mal looks off to the side with his hands clenched, and Inara stares forward. Both look serious. What struck me most about the design of this comic was its very life-like design. All the characters are drawn to look extremely similar to their television/movie counterparts. This must have been nice for fans of the series, as it probably made it easier to relate the comic to the greater whole. It is always interesting to see how the artwork is done when a life-action movie or tv series is developed into a comic book. I also enjoyed the character portraits done by different artists that were scattered throughout the book. Each showcased a unique style and take on the characters. This was different from any of the other comics that we have read so far, in genre, style and action. Serenity is pretty violent, and the action scenes were very well done. The dark coloring also gave on the feeling that they were in space with the characters, and set an intense mood to go with the fast paced action.
A scene that really struck me was the one where Mal, Zoe and Jayne are exploring the ship from the battle of Sturges. After the shootout with Dobson, a couple panel showcases floating droplets of blood. I think that whole exchange would have to be my favorite part of the story. This really struck me for some reason, as it reaffirmed to me that all this action was taking place in space. Each character in the series has left me wanting to learn more about them. Each seems to have a mysterious cast and a variety of motives for being a part of the crew. I was on the fence about Mal for awhile before finally deciding that he's a good guy, as he tends to come off as a jerk. The dynamics of the crew is also interesting. I can't say which one I like the most, as they are all equally fascinating at this point. Each seems to fill a particular niche within the crew, and though there is obvious tension between all of them (except for between zoe and wash), I cannot imagine them being able to subsist without each other. I think the idea of getting to know these characters more is what has got me wanting more!
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