Review: FIREFLY: BRAND NEW ‘VERSE #1
[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writer: Josh Lee Gordon
Artist: Fabiana Mascolo
Colors: Lucia DiGiamarino
Letters: Jim Campbell
Reviewer: Tony Farina
Summary
Set 20 years after the events of Firefly, Serenity soars the ‘Verse once again with a new captain – Emma, the daughter of Wash and Zoë! The old crew of Serenity has gone their own way and now Emma is working to prove herself to Zoë, alongside a new crew of castaways and misfits just trying to stay afloat. But when Serenity takes a job from a familiar face, they discover that their new, living, breathing cargo is far more than they bargained for…and might bring them into conflict with Alliance once again! Josh Lee Gordon (Firefly: Bad Company) and Fabiana Mascolo (Yasmeen) begin a new era for Joss Whedon’s Firefly with First Appearances of an all new cast, new adventures and shocking new surprises!
Positives
FIREFLY: BRAND NEW ‘VERSE #1 has two stars. Emma Washburn, obviously, but also Fabiana Mascolo. She creates a corner of the ‘Verse that seems both new and old. I know, it is a cop out but it is true. The book is called Brand New ‘Verse for a reason. Sure, Gordon does a bang up job explaining how things are both the same and different, but it is Mascolo who really makes it zing. I spent extra time just looking at the backgrounds and trying to see all the goodies. There are a lot of goodies. Visual storytelling for the win.
Gordon has a hard task. He has to make us believe these are the characters we love while also making us feel things about the new characters as well. It is a balancing act and he does not fall off the beam at all. I had a great time.
Negatives
This new series is not going to work for everyone. Admittedly, it is hard to see Emma as a grown up without having spent the time with her growing up. For many readers, she is at best a toddler, and at worst an embryo. Seeing her fully formed without getting to watch feels like a rip off.
Verdict
FIREFLY: BRAND NEW ‘VERSE #1 is a ton of fun. Emma Washburn is everything you would hope she would be. There is just enough mystery tied into this backstory that we really can sink our teeth into it while not being totally overwhelmed by it. The best way to tell a Firefly story is to make it just the right mixture of serious and silly. This hits all the right notes.
