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Firefly (Collected Editions) #4
Firefly: New Sheriff in the 'Verse Vol. 1
MEET SHERIFF MAL REYNOLDS. Soldier. Scoundrel. Maybe even hero. Mal Reynolds has been all these things, but now the captain of the spaceship Serenity has a new job - SHERRIFF. After the shocking conclusion of Mal’s journey with Boss Moon, Mal hands himself into the Alliance...but it turns out he’s not the one they want. The infamous Ma Reynolds - that’s Mal’s mom - is at the top of the Alliance’s Most Wanted, and if Mal doesn’t get to her first, the Alliance will! Kicking off a new Firefly epic, discover the secret history of Mal and his mother, and what that will mean for the rest of the ‘verse...and a new brewing war to end all wars from New York Times bestselling writer Greg Pak (Star Wars, X-Men), and artists Davide Gianfelice (Wolverine: Weapon X) and Lalit Kumar Sharma (Daredevil). Collects Firefly: The Outlaw Ma Reynolds #1 and Firefly #13-15
144 pages, Hardcover
First published September 15, 2020
11 people are currently reading
285 people want to read
About the author
Greg Pak
1,606books567followersGreg Pak is an award-winning Korean American comic book writer and filmmaker currently writing "Lawful" for BOOM and "Sam Wilson: Captain America" (with Evan Narcisse) for Marvel. Pak wrote the "Princess Who Saved Herself" children's book and the “Code Monkey Save World� graphic novel based on the songs of Jonathan Coulton and co-wrote (with Fred Van Lente) the acclaimed “Make Comics Like the Pros� how-to book. Pak's other work includes "Planet Hulk," "Darth Vader," "Mech Cadet Yu," "Ronin Island," "Action Comics," and "Magneto Testament."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
December 22, 2020
This series is doing better at using the established voices of the characters than Unification War did. The Chinese slang is still missing, though. It's fun to see what kind of trouble the crew can get up to when Mal is doing his own thing. Mal's role as Sheriff plays well into the occassional empathy we're familiar with from his character.
November 21, 2020
These new Firefly graphic novels have an interesting line to balance on - they have to tell interesting stories with the characters, full in the knowledge that eventually everyone ends up the way the movie Serenity starts (as they're set in between the series and the movie). To this end, any new character introduced, or the scenarios the characters find themselves in don't quite have the same impact as they might do if this was set post-Serenity. This latest volume finds Mal forced into working as a sherriff for the Alliance, which seems very out of character for him, on the surface. The volume does a decent job of telling the first part of a good story, and still being true to the characters, however. Unfortunately, what lets this volume down is the art - it's just not quite as good as in the previous volumes, and the style detracts rather than adds to the story. It's just "ok" rather than great.
September 24, 2020
Keeping it fresh while still keeping it real.
November 2, 2022
Is there anyone in the 'verse that can draw Jayne so he actually looks like Adam Baldwin? Generally the only time you can recognise him for who he is supposed to be in these graphic novels, is when he's wearing the hat.
Can someone please do something about that?
Thanks,
Unimpressed Jayne Fangirl
(otherwise, fun story so far, but not enough of the rest of the crew besides Mal...)
Can someone please do something about that?
Thanks,
Unimpressed Jayne Fangirl
(otherwise, fun story so far, but not enough of the rest of the crew besides Mal...)
December 24, 2020
Boom studios started doing this thing where they have little inconsistencies. Sting was terrible for doing this, and now in this one Mal isnt acting like Mal. There is no mandarin spoken at all. Loved the art and the scenery. Interested to see where it goes, but I wish boom would try to be authenticate to building the world and the characters and move the story that dark horse was doing forward. But everybody who write firefly stories only puts them in between the show and movie chronologically, never anywhere else.
June 21, 2022
Meh, not as fun as some of the other Firefly comics out there
March 20, 2023
The law man. It sometimes very hard to stay honest.
October 15, 2020
The artwork in this is great, but as a Firefly story, it's a little disappointing. Compared to other Serenity/Firefly comics I've read, the dialogue and characterization in this really misses the mark and fails to replicate the feeling of the show. Characters no longer seem motivated by their personalities, personal creeds and past traumas, often taking a more passive role in how the story unfolds. This is especially apparent with Mal, who surprisingly seems to have very few qualms about working for and with people he would ordinarily despise. In a lot of ways, he just seems along for the ride, merely reacting to things happening to him instead of making plans and forging his own way. He's not stubborn, he's not principled, and he's not even particularly witty or defiant when dealing with others anymore. For a book that is almost entirely focused on Mal, it's frustrating to read and feel that this is 100% not how the character would have behaved in any other Firefly story.
As a standalone sci-fi story, however, this is an enjoyable enough read. Like I said, the art looks fantastic in this, and the overall plot is fine if you turn off the part of your brain that views it as a Firefly installment. This isn't a bad read by any means, but if you're specifically looking for something to get your Firefly fix, explore your other options first.
As a standalone sci-fi story, however, this is an enjoyable enough read. Like I said, the art looks fantastic in this, and the overall plot is fine if you turn off the part of your brain that views it as a Firefly installment. This isn't a bad read by any means, but if you're specifically looking for something to get your Firefly fix, explore your other options first.
April 11, 2021
Mal's a sheriff now, which is a fun spin on the character, but instead of solving a straightfoward crime, Greg Pak has Mal and Boss Moon hunting a killer who's targeting some "Blue Sun" conglomerate. The killer appears to be superhuman and is blowing up everything in sight. New Sheriff in the 'Verse ends on a dramatic cliffhanger, so between that and the constant explosions, it's a wild ride. It just doesn't make much sense.
Not helping: the art, which is both scratchy and fluid, a terrible combo that blurs character designs and makes any action unintelligible. Better suited to calm, indie comics, not action-packed sci-fi affairs. The intro story about Mal chasing down his own mother is leagues better than the main tale, both in terms of art and storytelling. I wish Pak had just stretched that short out to feature length rather than introducing the Blue Sun nonsense. Here's hoping the next volume is clearer and features a new art team.
Not helping: the art, which is both scratchy and fluid, a terrible combo that blurs character designs and makes any action unintelligible. Better suited to calm, indie comics, not action-packed sci-fi affairs. The intro story about Mal chasing down his own mother is leagues better than the main tale, both in terms of art and storytelling. I wish Pak had just stretched that short out to feature length rather than introducing the Blue Sun nonsense. Here's hoping the next volume is clearer and features a new art team.
August 5, 2021
The characters seemed OC too often and the dialogue in general wasn't my favorite. I'm disappointed because I LOVE Firefly and I need more of it in my life!
Read
January 24, 2023Maybe 3.5* or 3.0*
The Outlaw Ma Reynolds:
New Sheriff in the 'Verse Vol. 1:
The illustrator aren't the same from the Unification War and The Outlaw Ma Reynolds, so it takes a bit of getting used to the different styles.
This edition also includes a cover gallery and "From Script to Page"
The Outlaw Ma Reynolds:
New Sheriff in the 'Verse Vol. 1:
The illustrator aren't the same from the Unification War and The Outlaw Ma Reynolds, so it takes a bit of getting used to the different styles.
This edition also includes a cover gallery and "From Script to Page"
October 24, 2021
There's some fun to be had here for Firefly fans, but it doesn't quite have that spark that the series had. I think a lot of it is because the characters are spread all over the place, so don't get to interact as much. Mal does have a couple new sidekicks and opponents to spar with and those are some of the high points, but the rest of the crew are left as B or C stories, barely even getting face time. It'll do for series fans, but I couldn't recommend it to anyone else. And considering the conflict with his mother is the driving force for this story, there's not much illumination that comes out of their interactions, even with the stories from the past recollected in the pages. Also, the art seems to be suffering a bit in terms of characterization. Still, it's a fun-enough read, just not quite as good as I had hoped for.
November 9, 2020
Another great story set in the 'verse, this time with Mal sent by the court to track down and arrest Ma Reynolds - complete with intermixed back story of Mal growing up with a mother that seemed to care more about her property rights and land claim than her own son. As Mal's sheriff duties continue he encounters more and more employees of the Blue Sun corporation, and they are definitely more concerned with turning a profit than the lives of miners or farmers who've been murdered for some unknown reason. Meanwhile, Zoe and the rest of the gang are ready and waiting for Mal to skip out on his new duties and disappear with them to somewhere safe.
July 28, 2021
The further we get into this ongoing storyline the less I enjoy it. I still like Boss Moon, but otherwise, it bothers me to have the crew fractured and sometimes at odds. I can understand Mal embracing the "justice for the little guy" aspect of his new job, but can't really see him playing nice with the Alliance in any way. The thing with his mom is just weird. The one aspect I could see playing out is the opportunity he has to see the cogs working behind Blue Sun.
I love Firefly, but it's getting to where I would recommend skipping these, so as not to contaminate the 'verse you know and love.
I love Firefly, but it's getting to where I would recommend skipping these, so as not to contaminate the 'verse you know and love.
August 28, 2021
These continue to be really middling for me. I actually read the first issue in this volume before realizing I needed to circle back to the Unification War Part 3, which similarly didn’t do a ton for me. I like the relationship between Mal and Boss Moon, but my central frustration here is probably just the positioning relative to the show and film. We know which characters walk about in plot armor, so we know who is actually at risk and we also can tell that the stakes here are nebulous and low meaning there’s just not a ton to really engage readers. Blue Sun remains a confusing organization and the variation in art design inside of four issues felt similarly confusing.
June 10, 2023
Mal is recruited to capture his mother in order to shorten his sentence. In this bind-up, he hunts down his mother and members of Serenity. Of course, there is a twist, Serenity and Mal are still working together to pull him out when the time is right. Mal is sent to be the sheriff of a Moon when he is "unable" to capture his mother. He starts to care for the people of the moon, and when it is time to abandon them he has to do the right thing and stay. It is once again fun to revisit these characters. I cant wait to read the next volume.
May 17, 2024
This was the first stinker of Greg Pak's Firefly series. The team that is so important to the book is almost non-existent here. Scattered all over, acting out of character, and focused on new, less than stellar characters, this book wasn't nearly as fun as it could and should have been. Mal's voice is still present, as Pak has that down, but this plot doesn't hit. We get a new artist for this arc and its better but for from spectacular. Overall, a new direction that's a downgrade.
December 11, 2020
I don't know what just happened here. It's not in line with any of the other graphics I've read for Firefly (obviously, since this is volume 1) but it was... weird. The crew is separated in like, 3 different places and Mal becomes the "law". Also, there's a cliffhanger ending. I'll for sure pick up the next volume though! I need to know what happens!
July 31, 2021
At least at this point, I know my relationship to these comics is best compared to that of a frozen pizza:
Is it at all satisfying? Not really, though sometimes it hits the spot better than others.
Do I particularly look forward to it? Not so much.
Do I always seem to have one on hand anyway? You bet.
I don't love them, but goodness knows I'm going to keep buying them.
Is it at all satisfying? Not really, though sometimes it hits the spot better than others.
Do I particularly look forward to it? Not so much.
Do I always seem to have one on hand anyway? You bet.
I don't love them, but goodness knows I'm going to keep buying them.
Read
August 18, 20213.5 stars� I don’t know if I am really enjoying this anymore I mean there are parts I very much enjoy. It was fun to meet Malcolm‘s mom and some of the dialogue is perking up but part of me feels like it’s an attempt to reclaim the past. I have a couple more with me so I will read those and then make a decision if I’m gonna bother hunting these up anymore
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 9, 2022
This was a fun story. I think I missed a volume (I think I've only read the first 2 Unification War volumes), so there were some gaps, but I still enjoyed it. My biggest complaint is that the crew is all scattered, so we don't get the really fun interactions which make Firefly, Firefly. Hoping they come back together in the next volume.
October 30, 2022
Pretty fun - Mal is pressured into going after a notorious rapscallion (his Ma) and then made sheriff? I can suspend belief for nearly anything with this show's plotlines - I'm sure there's some serious sneakiness going on with the crew!
Boss Moon is still in the story - fun - all set pre-Serenity.
#cliffhanger!
Boss Moon is still in the story - fun - all set pre-Serenity.
#cliffhanger!
January 3, 2021
Enjoying reading adventures in the Firefly 'verse. I know people are excited about rumors of a reboot but at this point, the show has taken on an almost mythic quality that a reboot or sequel will most likely not stand up to at this time, but stories don't need to age at the same rate.
March 22, 2021
I enjoyed this one, but just a little less than the previous volumes. Part of this is because the crew is separated the whole time, and Mal kind of is acting off.
But who wouldn't be a little off when tasked with bringing in the most dangerous criminal around, their mother?
But who wouldn't be a little off when tasked with bringing in the most dangerous criminal around, their mother?
January 16, 2022
This is... ok. I'm not up on some of the characters, like Boss Moon and Chang-Benitez, and the artwork is good at times and not so good at other times.
But it's Firefly, and it does have some of the funny bits that the show had, so I'm into it.
But it's Firefly, and it does have some of the funny bits that the show had, so I'm into it.
Read
February 12, 2023I was a little confused because I didn't read all of the Unification War series and maybe it would have had more impact on me? Still, I realized I knew nothing about Mal's childhood so that was interesting.
September 7, 2024
3.5⭐️ “Is it still a trap if we know it’s a trap?�
This is a fun space romp and I’m always glad to spend more time with Mal, but something felt a bit off with this one. Curious to see if it course corrects in the next volume.
This is a fun space romp and I’m always glad to spend more time with Mal, but something felt a bit off with this one. Curious to see if it course corrects in the next volume.
September 19, 2020
Love this series miss the show
October 13, 2020
A very good Firefly story with a new twist.
December 24, 2020
This series continues to be a lot of fun, but the art is not as enjoyable in this volume
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
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