Writer: Sam Humphries
Artist: Jordi Pérez
Colorist: Francesco Segala & Gloria Martinelli
Letterer: Jim Campbell
Cover Artists: Francesco Francavilla; Justine Florentino;
Ejikure; Ariel Olivetti; Madison Goyette
Publisher: Boom!
Price: $4.99
Release Date: September 6, 2023
In space, no one can hear you scream that the Alliance
sucks. That's a shame, as they've made it difficult for the Serenity's crew to
make an honest living. Still, Malcolm Reynolds and company do what it takes to
get by. What indecent proposal might they receive in Beloved, a frontier town
on the terraformed moon Plymouth? Let's leap into Firefly: The Fall Guys #1 and
find out!
Story
Zoë and Kaylee walk into a saloon. Amber Archambeau and her
gang pull their guns on the two women. One gang member trains her rifle on Malcolm
Reynolds. He's slumped over the piano, so Amber thinks they've got Captain
Kaylee right where she wants her. But wait! Inara poisoned their drinks while
tending bar, and she’s got the antidote. Advantage Serenity in Firefly: The
Fall Guys #1!
Even if Amber tricked them into the meeting, Kaylee knows
they need the job. To quote Zoë: they're broke as a joke. Amber offers a
solution: steal the Land Office safe, and they'll be rich! Whoa, hold on,
partner! Inara suggests they'll be moderately underpaid, but they'll get by. Plus,
they’ll put one over on the Alliance, which always makes the Serenity crew
happy.
Then Alliance security forces break up the wrangling at
gunpoint and throw everyone in the security pens.
Sam Humphries doesn't show how the Serenity crew fares in
the security pens or how the Alliance forces separate the two gangs. Nor does
he mention how Kaylee and Zoë get a heavy forklift up a flight of stairs. The
team never speaks Mandarin, and there's no mention of Inara’s former status as
a Companion or Head Priestess of House Madrassa. But his zinging dialogue will
please the most beleaguered Browncoats, and his double-crosses and
plots-within-plots make Firefly Fall Guys #1 a joy to read.
Art
Jordi Pérez conveys Serenity's size as Zoë bids her daughter
Emma adieu on the loading ramp. The Spanish artist makes Beloved look fit for
horse-drawn carriages. She's not afraid to show scenes, such as Prime Minister
Hamner’s ship landing, from tilted camera views. A few characters—such as
Serenity's crewmate Leonard Chang-Benitez—would have benefitted from further
definition. Better-known characters—especially Kaylee and Zoë--are expressive
and reminiscent of the TV series, and action scenes in The Land Office are
exciting and explosive.
Francesco Segala, assisted by Gloria Martinelli, bathes
shadowed characters in purple. They splash oranges and reds liberally from
their limited palette, and grays and muted colors abound. Lighting may change
clothing color from one panel to the next. Still, shadows trail Kaylee and Zoë
as they walk across the pale blue snow toward the rising sun, and Prime
Minister Hamner looks as vicious as Zoë paints her surrounded by red, white,
and blue Alliance flags.
Amid the hoodwinking, swindling, and frame-ups, Jim Campbell
leaves nothing to chance in Firefly: The Fall Guys #1. His black, uppercase
letters in white dialogue balloons are easy to read, the big-time character
introductions are fun, and the sparse sound effects enliven the debut issue of
this rip-roaring Sci-Fi series.
Final Thoughts
Desperate circumstances forge unlikely partnerships when a
visiting Alliance dignitary threatens to make the Serenity crew the Alliance’s
Most Wanted in Firefly: The Fall Guys #1.
Rating: 8/10
For variant covers see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.
