Serenity: Those Left Behind

Title:
Serenity: Those Left Behind

ISBN:
9781593078461

Price:
$19.95

Publisher/Year:
Dark
Horse, 2007

Artist: Brett Matthews

Writer:
Joss Whedon

Collects:
Serenity: Those Left Behind #1-3

Rating:
3/5

Joss Whedon's
television series Firefly led into the movie Serenity, but that lead was over a
broken and unlit path. Along the way, some characters vanished, others faded
and a few loose ends tied themselves off without any explanation. Serenity:
Those Left Behind sheds light on the path that brought the Firefly crew to the
point of the movie's opening scenes.

Serenity:
Those Left Behind is strictly a fill-in story, covering material that won't
matter or make any sense to series newcomers. But for fans of the sadly
abbreviated series, it's a treat, serving as something of a season finale. The
art is straightforward and focused on the story.

Will
Conrad does an excellent job of capturing not just the actors, but the
characters, with every expression and gesture recognizable. The dialogue and
story by Brett Matthews and series creator Joss Whedon are unsurprisingly
faithful to the spirit and canon of everything that's gone before. And for
those who've seen the movie, there's a nice nod towards what's coming next.

Firefly
was clearly envisioned as a television series, and even the most faithful comic
adaptation can't take the place of the actors, musicians and animation that
were part of the series' feel. But Serenity: Those Left Behind is an
entertaining chapter in the lives of the galaxy's most outclassed smugglers.