Serenity: Those Left Behind Hardcover from Dark Horse August 15th

Aug 7, 2012

Coming up on the 15th is the release of the 2nd edition hardcover for Serenity: Those Left Behind from Dark Horse.

The ragtag crew of Serenity—mercenaries, fugitives, and one law-abiding prostitute pursue fast cash and a little peace along the fringes of space. On a scavenger mission that promises a big payoff, they realize too late that they are being played by an old enemy with a grudge.

* A new hardcover edition, featuring the extras previously only available in the limited deluxe edition!

* Written by series creator Joss Whedon and show writer Brett Matthews!

One of the things that I have come to recognize over the years is the writing of Joss Whedon. When I saw the Avengers I knew that much of the dialogue had been written by Joss himself, because there isn’t another writer around who can create a group dynamic filled with witty, humorous, and sometimes deadly serious banter like Joss Whedon can.

Serenity: Those Left Behind is my first exposure to the crew of Serenity since I picked up the DVD box set a few years back and watched all of the episodes. The synergy of the show and the characters carries over to the comic in a way that I didn’t think was possible. You can tell that there is a lot more story to be told of the Serenity and her crew, that Joss just couldn’t get out before the show was cancelled.

And it is there, it’s all there in Joss’s head wanting to get out. There are not only new tales to tell, but glimpses into the past of the characters, about the war, and about what kind of crazy galaxy has evolved from the events that took place. Joss and series writer Brett Matthews pull you back into that galaxy and make you comfortable again with the friends we were forced to leave behind years ago when the show was pulled before its time.

I also like the fact that I can see the characters in the artwork of Will Conrad. These are people with their own look and I wanted to see it reflected in the art, and it is. I wanted to know that Nathan Fillion played Mal, and Ron Glass played Shepherd. There is a scene in the book where they must visit the burnt-out dead site of a battle from the war, and it is hauntingly drawn by Will Conrad. If the battle of Gettysburg had happened in space, it might have looked like this.

The end of the book had a special treat I wasn’t expecting. A Brief History of the Universe, 2516 A.D. by Joss Whedon. It is a short story in which Joss gives us some of that historical background he’s been keeping locked up in there to give us a greater understanding of the characters and their motivations. This is accompanied by a ton of concept artwork scattered throughout.

I’m already planning on picking up the rest of the Dark Horse Serenity series, as I’ve been hooked again. Now I’ve got to go and dig out those DVDs to watch all over again…