Firefly: The Fall Guys #5 Review

 

Writer: Sam Humphries

Artist: Jordi Pérez

Colorist: Francesco Segala & Gloria Martinelli

Letterer: Jim Campbell

Cover Artists: Francesco Francavilla; Justine Florentino; Junggeun Yoon

Publisher: Boom! Studios

Price: $4.99

Release Date: February 14, 2024

 

A crowd watches Malcolm Reynolds, Kaylee Frye, Leonard Chang-Benitez, Inara Serra, and Zoë Washburne on the gallows. “A noose never skips a meal when the Alliance is in town,” a girl remarks. Can anyone rescue Serenity's crew from Prime Minister Hamner, Marshall Gronk, and the troops holding the town of Beloved for ransom? Let's slip on our brown coats, leap into Firefly: The Fall Guys #5, and find out!

 

Story

Alert! River awakens from her vision just as Serenity bangs into debris. She and Simon hid in a spaceship graveyard to protect their ship and Zoë’s daughter from the Alliance fleet. But with all the wreckage rustling around like mangy cows in a herd, they're likely to get battered and bruised if they stay there. Plus, River thinks her vision is more than a dream. But how can they bypass the Alliance fleet and hightail it to the moon called Plymouth? Simon might have an idea worth pursuing!

 

Back in the one-horse doctor town of Beloved, Captain Kaylee and her crew hide and watch as Marshall Gronk torches the theater. Now, where will the ever-popular Can-Can Dancing Revue perform? The crew itches to prevent the Alliance tank from burning more buildings with its Naplasma cannon. In their graveyard shootout with the Archambeau gang, Kaylee tipped her hat to Malcolm as Master Tactician. But Mal left to track down Zoë, who went rogue and started speaking with her late brothers-in-arms. So how can the Serenity crew save Beloved?

 

While tackling weighty issues, Sam Humphries keeps the tone of Firefly: The Fall Guys #5 light and fun. His dialogue sparkles with humor. New crewmember Bernard Chang-Benitez endears, while the discombobulated Sheriff Persimmon helps the outlaws stay focused. Marshall Gronk rages at the locals for sheltering enemies of the state. Prime Minister Hamner recognizes the need to adapt to changing circumstances. Amber Archambeau illustrates Malcolm’s fear of wielding power over others for too long. He may be wearing a new hat, but Mal demonstrates his caring and leadership skills by helping Zoë see the error of her ways. The issue ends with Prime Minister Hamner fearing for the future of the Alliance, while the Serenity’s crew fear for hers.

 

Art

Things get a bit confusin' as Serenity navigates through rowdy rubble, but River's shock and fear are evident, and Simon looks determined to help. A translucent dome composed of hexagons shields the wooden buildings of Beloved, not letting the townspeople out to tend their fields or check their herds. Lines accompany rapid movement as Zoë tries to protect the theater and avoid the resultant firestorm. Malcolm and Captain Kaylee give the Alliance soldiers a few good licks. Faceoffs multiply like flies on a carcass as the tension rises. That is when people don't get guns pointed at them, sometimes from inches away. Jordi Pérez delivers a rollicking Sci-fi Western populated with appealing and appalling characters.

 

Francesco Segala and Gloria Martinelli lavish a limited palette on Jordi Pérez’s art in Firefly: The Fall Guys #5. They paint River’s vision in wood tones, akin to intarsia compositions. Space fills with purple, blue, and pink as River and Simon bang into debris and worry about their friends. The raging fire invades the pink air under the forcefield with a gout of angry yellow. The yellow reflects off the soldiers' green and purple uniforms. The rising sun dispels the darkness in Hamner’s control center as she and Gronk argue. The bright morning sun streams through the energy shield, giving life and radiance to all in its path and leaving everything else in the brown or purple shade.

 

Jim Campbell shoots black, uppercase letters into white dialogue balloons and colored narrative boxes. Words swell with pride when voices rise. Bernard sweetly croons in lowercase. Bullets ricochet off buildings, and explosions dispel the flagging darkness as the sun rises in this penultimate periodical. Thanks to the rootin'-tootin' folks at Boom! Studios for providing a copy of Firefly: The Fall Guys #5 for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Marshall Gronk is burning down the house, Prime Minister Hamner finally sees the light, and the beleaguered inhabitants of Beloved differentiate between criminals and outlaws in The Fall Guys #5.

 

Rating 8.8/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Firefly: The Fall Guys #4 Review

 

Writer: Sam Humphries

Artist: Jordi Pérez

Colorist: Francesco Segala & Gloria Martinelli

Letterer: Jim Campbell

Cover Artists: Francesco Francavilla; Justine Florentino; Becca Carey

Publisher: Boom! Studios

Price: $4.99

Release Date: January 10, 2023

 

Prime Minister Hamner wants Zoë Washburne dead. The Archambeau gang wants all her friends in Beloved dead. Orbiting the planet, the commander of an Alliance Cruiser wants River, Simon, and Zoë’s daughter dead. Can Captain Kaylee and her crew escape this one-doctor town, reunite with River, Simon, and Emma, and get Back In The Saddle Again? Let's leap into Firefly: The Fall Guys #4 and find out!

 

 

Story

Captain Kaylee’s crew holds Amber Archambeau and her gang in a cemetery standoff. Kaylee knows Malcolm Reynolds is the better soldier, so she tips her hat to his battlefield experience. Mal’s Gene Autry maneuver surprises everyone and gains them an advantage. Still, Amber and her friends elude their grasp.

 

Until now, Marshall Gronk squeezed Beloved with his iron fist. Now, the Prime Minister pushes him aside. The former battlefield butcher vows to capture her old enemy. Hamner’s convinced that Zoë tried to assassinate her in Firefly: The Fall Guys #4. If the good citizens of Beloved are sheltering Zoë, they're all her enemies!

 

Haunted by ghosts, Zoë abandoned her friends. She wants to finish what Amber started. Among the Serenity crew, Malcolm knows best how Zoë thinks. (At least he does when she’s not seeing ghosts in Crazy Town). Can Mal find her before she does something that could brand a target on all their backs?

 

In Firefly: The Fall Guys #4, Amber Archambeau aims to finish what she started. Even if Mal finds Zoë and convinces her to desist, can Mal prevent Amber and her friends from pulling the trigger on the PM? And should he? While the Serenity crew operates in an ethical gray area, Sam Humphries couldn't paint Hamner blacker. How many deaths would result from Hamner’s assassination? Might her death ignite another interstellar war?

 

Or, regardless of repercussions, would whoever kills Hamner hold the moral high ground?

 

Art

Kaylee and Inara gaze around the cemetery as they ponder their untimely end. Hexicons rise above the angel atop the mausoleum and the barren tree branches, a reminder of the forcefield that prevents their departure. An overhead view of the battle heralds the arrival of unexpected assistance. Faces and dotted lines on a map suggest a board game. The mayor removes his hat while visiting the Prime Minister. Gronk's outstretched arm warns the mayor to choose his words carefully. The man refuses to meet Hamner's eyes as he converses with her. Soldiers surround a tank as it rolls along the snow-covered road. The fire issuing from the gun promises to rain down destruction upon Beloved's wooden buildings.

 

Francesco Segala and Gloria Martinelli lavish a limited palette on Jordi Pérez’s art in Firefly: The Fall Guys #4. Guns fire yellow streaks across characters in closeups, while an overhead view shows white streaks linking silhouettes across the greenish ground. The pink forcefield contrasts with the Alliance soldiers' green uniforms and helmets. Light shades of pink, purple, blue, and green illuminate the Serenity crew on this night. An orange monitor casts light into the dim control center. Blue space fills with tan, yellow, and orange when the Alliance cruiser fires upon the fleeing Firefly-class vessel.

 

Jim Campbell’s black, uppercase letters in white dialogue balloons are easy to read. Words grow large and bold for raised voices. They shrink and turn gray for lowered utterances. Colored narrative boxes cluster next to the faces of each player on the game board, identifying crewmates' responses as Malcolm organizes his Archambeau ambush.

 

Thanks to the rootin'-tootin' folks at Boom! Studios for providing a copy of Firefly: The Fall Guys #4 for review.

 

Final Thoughts

As Zoë Washburn and Amber Archambeau race to assassinate the Alliance Prime Minister, Captain Kaylee gives Malcolm Reynolds a new rank, and graveyards become redoubts on land and in space in Firefly: The Fall Guys #4.

 

Rating 8.6/10

 

For more cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Firefly: The Fall Guys #3 Review

 

Writer: Sam Humphries

Artist: Jordi Pérez

Colorist: Francesco Segala & Gloria Martinelli

Letterer: Jim Campbell

Cover Artists: Francesco Francavilla; Justine Florentino; Adam Gorham

Publisher: Boom! Studios

Price: $4.99

Release Date: November 8, 2023

 

Alliance Troops hold Beloved to ransom. Captain Kaylee and her crew trade blows in a barroom brawl. Prime Minister Hamner wants Zoë Washburne’s dead. Can life get any crazier for the Serenity crew? Let's leap into Firefly: The Fall Guys #3 and find out!

 

 

Story

Amber Archambeau and her gang contracted to hit the Prime Minister. Knowing the Alliance wouldn’t rest until they hunted down Hamner’s assassin, they framed their rivals to take the blame. Using her Companion contacts, Inara secured a respite in the Diamond Cutters Brothel. But believing the Browncoats had done the deed, the patrons’ cheers drew the soldiers’ ire. So now Zoë—a former boxing champion, Bernard—who once started a fight over half a Sarsaparilla—and the others bob and weave with the Alliance soldiers.

 

With their hidey-hole blown, it's time to hit the road. A dose of humor helps them stomach the way Alliance troops beat up citizens. With an energy dome encasing the town, they can run and hide, but they can’t flee. Along the way, their path intersects with the Archambeau gang, and Zoë wonders if their rivals don’t have the right idea. General Hamner was a butcher. As Prime Minister, she's bringing the hurt to every Alliance world!

 

Sam Humphries spices character dialogue with zany zingers in Firefly: The Fall Guys #3. The Serenity folks crash through fights, shootouts, and a high-flying getaway. While Zoë takes the spotlight, Mal mentions why he relinquished the Captaincy, and Kaylee fights to maintain order. New crewmate Bernard proves the breakout character, riding on adrenaline and enjoying every moment of the issue’s wild ride.

 

Art

Starship Troopers march through Gunsmoke streets in Firefly: The Fall Guys #3. Soldiers slap wanted posters on electronic billboards. A stagecoach hovers over the dirt road. Its inverted wooden wheels conceal thrusters. Some characters look similar and fail to convey age. More establishing shots might help readers follow the action. Still, Jordi Pérez’s dramatic poses and shifting camera angles energize panels, and every member of the crew bar one gets a mustache.

 

Francesco Segala and Gloria Martinelli use a limited palette in Firefly: The Fall Guys #3. Color combinations change by the scene. At times, a lack of contrast prevents clarity. At others, images electrify.

 

Jim Campbell’s black, uppercase letters in white dialogue balloons are easy to read. He uses bigger ones to introduce the cast and lowercase gray words for lowered voices. Sound effects help readers hear crashes, bangs, and blasts. Occasionally, they hover smackdab in the action zone, shouting, "Here I am! Look at me!" Rascally varmints!

 

Thanks to the rootin'-tootin' folks at Boom! Studios for providing a copy of Firefly: The Fall Guys #3 for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Trapped in a maze, the Serenity crew fights to stay alive, and Zoë conceives a dramatic solution to life, the Alliance, and everything in Firefly: The Fall Guys #3.

 

Rating: 7.8/10

 

To view more covers see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Firefly: The Fall Guys #2 Review

 

Writer: Sam Humphries

Artist: Jordi Pérez

Colorist: Francesco Segala & Gloria Martinelli

Letterer: Jim Campbell

Cover Artists: Francesco Francavilla; Justine Florentino; Inhyuk Lee

Publisher: Boom!

Price: $4.99

Release Date: October 11, 2023

 

Amber Archambeau and her gang hoodwinked Captain Kaylee. The job—to steal the Land Office safe—was a ruse. Now, the Alliance wants the Serenity crew for the attempted assassination of Prime Minister Hamner. Can they avoid capture for the worst possible crime? Let's leap into Firefly: The Fall Guys #2 and find out!

 

Story

Five bandits ride through town. They fire at any Alliance troops that get in their horses’ way. But Malcolm Reynolds and company can’t reach the Serenity in time. So, Captain Kaylee hides the horses between two buildings and calls River and Simon. “Blast off now! Leave before the Alliance throws up a security cordon! Above all, keep Zoë’s daughter Emma safe!”

 

An energy dome traps Kaylee and the gang inside the town. At least the Archambeau gang is locked inside. And the Prime Minister's still alive. That's a plus! Only it's not because she and Zoë have unfinished business. It goes back to their days in the war, when Hamner was a general and Zoë a lowly corporal.

 

Sam Humphries throws a lot of history into Firefly: The Fall Guys #2. He jostles readers back and forth in time without showing each step in their journey. Still, his story is a real hoot, Gorram-rich in action, chemistry, hijinks, and hilarity. If you can handle Humphries’ hoodwinkin’ and switchbacks, this yarn is for you, pardner!

 

Art

Jordi Pérez serves an ample helping of frontier western appeal in Firefly: The Fall Guys #2. She confronts this with highfalutin spaceships and holograms, providing a pleasing mix of old and new. Have trouble discernin’ former Captain Mal from recent addition Leonard? Clue: Leonard’s the one with the mustache. Watch out for the Alliance troops! They look ready to take on the bugs with Johnny Rico. But who wants to live forever?

 

Oh, and if you want confirmation that Jordi Pérez dresses Malcolm Reynolds in a brassiere in Firefly: The Fall Guys #2, I'm not spillin’ the beans, Browncoats!

 

Francesco Segala, assisted by Gloria Martinelli, bathes scenes in a rich mixture of limited color combinations. Green, orange, or purple often dominates. Scenes with the horses resemble watercolors. White surrounds Serenity’s bid for freedom as engines ignite, unleashing torrential energy.

 

Jim Campbell’s black, uppercase letters in white dialogue balloons are easy to read. He uses bigger ones to introduce the cast. Sound effects roar as Serenity blasts off and hurles through Plymouth’s atmosphere.

 

Final Thoughts

Trapped in a small frontier town and framed for an assassination attempt, the Serenity crew scramble to hide from Alliance troops in Firefly: The Fall Guys #2.

 

Rating 8.4/10

 

For more great covers see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Firefly: The Fall Guys #1 Review

 

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!

 

Malcolm Reynolds action figure available at Amazon.com

 

 

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.

 

Serenity Wooden Puzzle available at Amazon.com

 

 

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.

How Jackie Robinson Earned His Place in History

Harrison Ford stars as Branch Rickey,
owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers,
in the movie "42."

In the movie "42," when Branch Rickey gives Jackie Robinson the opportunity to break the color barrier in Major League Baseball, he makes the offer under one condition. Jackie must control his temper when White racists discriminate against him. Robinson will be on trial for the entire world to see, and anything he does that can be cast in a negative light will reflect badly on him, as well as on all Blacks. 

"You want a man who doesn't have the guts to fight back?" Jackie asks.

"No," Branch responds. "I want a man who has the guts not to fight back. The world must be convinced of two things: that Jackie Robinson is a great baseball player, and that he is a fine gentleman."

In the film, one of the strongest verbal attacks Jackie faces comes from Phillies manager Ben Chapman. He stands on the field, calls him all sorts of names, and makes lots of unsavory suggestions about Robinson's relationship with his White teammates. But because Robinson controls his temper, swallows his pride, and gets on with his job, public attitudes change. Soon, the public are cheering Robinson, and jeering the Phillies because of the terrible things Chapman said. So Chapman is forced to publicly apologize, and get his photo taken with Robinson.

Jackie Robinson and Ben Chapman    

He may not want to, but he has to.

At the end of the movie, uninformed baseball fans like me learn two important aspects of Robinson's legacy: 1) Every year in April, all Major League Baseball players wear the number 42 to honor Jackie Robinson's accomplishments, and 2) the number 42 is the only number retired by the MLB. As a White Californian who doesn't follow professional baseball, I won't pretend to understand the recent events in Ferguson Missouri any more than I know the entirety of Jackie Robinson's career. But I like the film's message, that sometimes it's just as important how you win something, as it is that you stand up and do your best every day of your life. That's what I take away from "42."

Dragon Dave

P.S. For superhero and comics fans, Jackie Robinson was played by Chadwick Boseman, who will portray the Black Panther in the 2016 movie "Captain America: Civil War." Sci-Fi fans will recognize the actor who portrayed Ben Chapman was Alan Tudyk, who previously played the character Wash on the cult-favorite TV show "Firefly."