Customer Reviews

Serenity #2 of 3 "Better Days" 2008

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is the second of the three issues that will comprise the Better Days SERENITY series. Although this issue doesn't really push the story forward much, I completely enjoyed this one, primarily for the series of fantasies that the various members of the crew get to indulge in following the huge cache of money they reaped at the end of the previous issue. Most were pretty consistent with what we know about the characters. Kaylee, for instance, fantasizes about owning a high tech garage for space ships with her father, with some ravishing by Simon thrown in for good measure (the latter detail apparently not shared with the other gals). River imagines herself walking through a large meadow inhabited by pixies and fairies and other kinds of magical beasts, an extraordinarily tall fish walking beside her. The latter is shown, not said. But the best fantasy, by far, is that of Shepherd Book. We see a drawing of him sitting in a chair behind a desk, one prostitute sitting in his lap and another standing beside him, cash, alcohol, and lines of cocaine on a tray arrayed on the desk, while he smokes a cigar. Kaylee, Jayne, Book, and Zoe are depicted staring aghast (well, Zoe is actually depicted as her usual stoic self), until Book says, "Kidding. Reckon I'll give it to the abbey."

There is only one issue left and so far there hasn't been a great deal of story. And I can see much more of a story developing in the pages to come. I think that the main point of this short series will be to reunite this group of characters we fans of FIREFLY and SERENITY one more time. The worst thing about the TV series getting cancelled so soon and the delay of any kind of sequel to the movie is that we are left with too few stories about the crew of Serenity. Despite this, these are among some of the most brilliantly conceived characters in SF TV and film. There remains a lot of reason to expect another film, but until we get that, short run comics like this help fill a need. Unlike BUFFY Season 8 and ANGEL Season 6, I don't think we'll ever get a FIREFLY Season 2. Although there are a number of stories that remain to be told -- especially resolving the Mal/Inara romance and explaining more about her background -- these will be saved for a movie, not used in a comic series.

In the comic book store where I bought my copy, there were no copies of the cover depicted above. All the ones there showed a second trio of characters posed on the cover, this time Jayne, Book, and Inara. No doubt the final issue will show Simon, River, and Kaylee.

I had issues 1 and 3, neeeded number 2. Was shipped and recieved in mint condition

This is an awesome series for any Browncoat. The art is beautiful and the story line is pure Whedon. As a fan it is great to get new material from the awesome universe that Joss has created.

NOTE: The cover displayed on this page is not the normal cover. It is a special edition cover that is very rare. I am unsure why the normal cover is not posted on this site.

I didn't really expect much. The first Serenity miniseries, Those Left Behind, was a bit boring, and the first issue of "Better Days" was actually pretty bad. But this issue, the second of the series, really pulled a rabbit out of the hat. For the first time since Serenity, the movie, I felt as if I were truly experiencing these characters again.

Though this issue really seems to act as a bridge between #1 and what will happen in #3, there is a very strong story line here. All of the characters go to a vacation resort, eager to spend their new wealth. Seeing what each of these characters envisions doing with their money (especially Book, River, and Jayne) makes for hilarious--and sometimes touching, in Kaylee's case--character moments. Unlike the first issue, writers Joss Whedon and Brett Matthews begin to tread new water with these characters by having people interacting that we didn't often get to see interact during the show.

The art is good, for the most part. Will Conrad excels at capturing the character's likenesses as well as drawing beautiful settings, but he is quite awful at drawing action. Much like in the first issue, I was baffled by what was going on during the 'main action scene' of the comic. After pouring over the page for a moment or so, it clicked, but Conrad should truly work at how he portrays action and even movement. The cover is every bit as ugly as the first one, making all of the characters look half-realistic and half-cartoony, making the end result look rather disturbing.

Overall, this is a surprisingly huge improvement over the first issue. If Joss, Brett, and Will are able to keep up the momentum for the third and final issue, this series will surpass "Those Left Behind."

7/10