Indie Comics Review: Firefly Brand New ‘Verse #4
[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Writer: Josh Lee Gordon
Artist: Fabiana Mascolo
Colors: Lucia DiGiamarino
Letters: Jim Campbell
Reviewer: Tony Farina
Summary
It’s been 20 years since the events of Firefly, but trouble still follows Serenity. With her mother Zoe captured by the Blue Sun Corporation, Emma will have to choose between her crew and her family…And her choice will have her looking for help in the most unlikely of places… and from the most surprising source.
Positives
Firefly Brand New ‘Verse #4 is fast paced, fun, and action packed. The jokes are jokey, the punches are punchy and the swearing is in not in English. It is perfect. Jim Campbell is a magnificent letterer people. I mean, seriously. He has a lot to fit in a little space and he crushes it every single time. The rule is, if you don’t notice the letters, the letterer is doing a good job. I say, in this case, pay attention to the letters. It is a bang up job.
I really do like the writing overall by Josh Lee Gordon. He seems to have lived in the ‘Verse. I appreciate that. It can’t be easy to eat someone else’s lunch and pretend that it is your own, but Gordon does it. He just captures everything just so. Of course, Kaylee is in this issue and well, I love her. She is my favorite crew member, now and forever. Gordon seems to love her like I do. Game respect game.
Negatives
Firefly Brand New ‘Verse #4 does NOT work with the big twist. I don’t buy it for one second that Emma Washburne would do what she does. Sorry. No. I know she is finding her own path or whatever, but her own path does not involve being a total a-hole. I mean, if it does, then why do we care?
Verdict
Firefly Brand New ‘Verse #4 is full of high-highs and a few low lows. I have been saying it for months, there is a risk of running off fans. If the way this ends is with the death of Emma Washburne, which I can see happening OR the death of Zoe Washburne, which I can see even more likely, it won’t have the resonance it needs because Emma is pretty terrible. I hope it is all just a misdirection and that it will be fixed up on in the finale, but it might not be on time by then.
