It’s been some time since Dark Horse Comics’ last comic book canon continuation of Joss Whedon’s Serenity feature film, Serenity: Leaves on the Wind, allowed fans to rejoin Captain Mal Reynolds and company on board everyone’s favorite Firefly class spaceship, but, starting today, Browncoats everywhere get the chance to jump back on board with the release of the first issue of Serenity: No Power in the ‘Verse, written by iZombie co-creator Chris Roberson and illustrated, once again, by artist Georges Jeanty (Serenity: Leaves on the Wind, Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 8).
MINOR SPOILERS BELOW
Serenity: No Power in the ‘Verse #1 picks up some time after the events of Leaves on the Wind, with Mal’s crew back to doing what they do best: avoiding Alliance entanglements, stealing stuff, and barely making ends meet while they do. While Zoe and the late Wash’s little darling girl, Emma, clearly brightens up the more desperate times on the ol’ Serenity, it’s clear that the small-time jobs (like smuggling toilet paper) just aren’t cutting it when it comes down to the food and fortune being shared by the makeshift family of friends. Soon, though, the disappearance of a loyal friend gives the crew a new mission and puts them on a collision course with an Alliance-hating group of terrorists (and former Brownouts) known as The Peacemakers.
Roberson’s story (so far) feels a little small in scope compared to our last outing, but the first issue of No Power in the ‘Verse has a number of things going for it that indicate the story will pick up steam and weight as we head forward. The interaction of the Serenity’s beloved crew is always a joy to experience, whether on page or screen, and Roberson seems to have a good handle on the various voices of the cast. He also adds an interesting layer to Jayne, a character that remained somewhat stagnant in Leaves on the Wind, by introducing certain elements that indicate the tough guy’s developing feelings of inadequacy when it comes to fitting into the family on board Mal’s Firefly. It remains to be seen how this apparently significant change in character will play out, but it seems that Jayne has clearly moved past his stubborn need to isolate himself emotionally from the group. Have the events he’s been through, and the presence of a child on board, cracked the shell of false masculine bravado that Jayne has encased himself in for so long?
When it comes to the artwork for No Power in the ‘Verse, what Jeanty’s brings to the table is even better than last time. Jeanty always delivers beautiful work, no matter which book he’s currently working on, but there’s something exquisite about his talents being applied to the crew of there Serenity and their iconic spacecraft. His mastery of body language and emotive facial expressions bring real heart to Roberson’s script, elevating the entire project. In addition, this issue has an absolutely awesome assortment of variant covers featuring a number of skilled artists (Adam Hughes, Francesco Francavilla, and more!) bringing their best to bat. I wouldn’t be surprised if most fans find themselves compelled to buy several copies in order to get their hands on a few of these fantastic alternate covers.
FINAL VERDICT: No Power in the ‘Verse still needs to prove that it can live up to the high bar set by Leaves on the Wind, but it’s off to a decent start, and my fellow Browncoats certainly aren’t going to want to pass up an opportunity to return to the world of Serenity, especially with a canon continuation courtesy of Dark Horse Comics.
For more info on the series, stop by the official Dark Horse Comics website.
You can also check out my interview with No Power in the ‘Verse artist Georges Jeanty from earlier this year at the following link.
That’s all for now, comic book sniffers.
’Till the end of the world,
Bryant the Comic Book Slayer
@ComicBookSlayer
