Review by Frank Plowright

As the continuity moves ever onward from the Serenity movie Georges Jeanty remains as artist for the main story, while Chris Roberson takes over the writing, picking up on Bea and Iris, two characters introduced in Leaves on the Wind, and another plot besides.

Roberson has his own ideas about the cast and their priorities, and his version of Malcolm Reynolds skirts controversy. It’s been well established that Reynolds has a past, hates the Alliance, and will do the right thing however reluctantly. It’s also been established that post the Alliance victory he’d prefer to keep his head down, yet here no matter that he and the Firefly crew are having a lean spell he jumps too quickly at the idea of a direct attack on the Alliance, rescue mission or not. As with Leaves on the Wind, though, where the plot seems to be heading is actually a red herring, and it takes a turn.

As before, Jeanty is a solid artist when it comes to the storytelling, but supplies approximations rather than likenesses of the cast, although there’s no mistaking who anyone is, and he keeps the new characters distinct and identifiable. Roberson’s script is heavily dependent on being explained through conversation and occurring in confined locations, which means Jeanty’s art is far more restricted than previously, although when the action occurs he delivers it.

Throughout the Firefly TV show the greatest mystery and threat was the treatments carried out on River Song, and while the plot has progressed, with River’s condition improving, not everything has been resolved, and that plays out here. There are complications and twists, but the story never really sparkles despite what’s at stake and despite some good personality work.

Roberson seems to be building toward something bigger, and his characterisation of Reynolds is part of that, but with Dark Horse losing the licence to produce the comics, nothing came of it.

A short story completes the collection, a charming fairy tale reinterpretation of the Firefly crew as told to Emma by River. Stephen Byrne’s cartooning sets it off a treat.

This is combined with Leaves on the Wind in the second volume of Firefly: Legacy Edition.