BOOM! Studios announced yesterday that Joss Whedon’s hit Firefly is flying to the publisher for a new series launching in November.
The announcement was made as part of BOOM! Studios’ Road to San Diego, a ten day spotlight on announcements BOOM! will talk more about at the San Diego Comic-Con.
In this new deal, BOOM! Studios will launch a new comic book series, limited series, OGNs and more that will expand upon the mythology create on the short-lived television series. Keen readers will remember that Firefly was a big series a Dark Horse Comics, so seeing it jump to BOOM! Studios is a bit of a surprise, especially considering Angel and Buffy the Vampire Slayer continue there. The big question some may be wondering is, “Will the stories set up at Dark Horse be referenced in the upcoming BOOM! series?” There has been no information on this, which means it will be a great question to ask at the San Diego Comic-Con.
Created by visionary writer and director Joss Whedon (Buffy The Vampire Slayer) and set 500 years in the future in the wake of a universal civil war, FIREFLY centers on the crew of Serenity, a small transport spaceship that doesn’t have a planet to call home. Captain Malcolm “Mal” Reynolds, a defeated soldier who opposed the unification of the planets by the totalitarian governed Alliance, will undertake any job — legal or not — to stay afloat and keep his crew fed. Thrust together by necessity but staying together out of loyalty, these disparate men and women are seeking adventure and the good life, but face constant challenges on the new frontier, such as avoiding capture by the Alliance, and evading the dangers you find on the fringes of the universe.
Beginning in November with the release of FIREFLY #1, from New York Times best-selling writer Greg Pak (World War Hulk, Mech Cadet Yu), artist Dan McDaid (Judge Dredd), and story consultant Joss Whedon himself, BOOM! Studios will take you back to the battleground where it all began…and reveal a secret history that might end it all. Fans have demanded it for years and now the definitive story of the Unification War—the intergalactic civil war that divided friend and family alike—is told at last!
“It’s high time we got to see the full story of Mal and Zoe’s meeting and mission in the War of Unification—the good and bad that the pressure of war brings out in them, and the unforeseeable consequences,” said Joss Whedon. “Greg Pak and Dan McDaid are bringing a unique voice to the world of Firefly. It’s an important story for any dedicated browncoat to read, but more importantly, it’s a big gorram adventure.”
“Firefly is such a special show, formative for so many of us today in the kinds of stories it told and the kinds of characters it created and we’re so lucky to be able to continue Mal and Zoe and the rest of the crew’s story here,” said Jeanine Schaefer, Executive Editor, BOOM! Studios. “Exploring the Unification War allows us to show you a side of the Firefly universe you’ve never seen before, while still wrestling with the same themes that make the show as resonant today as it was when it first aired: loyalty, identity, and the price of redemption.”
Mal thought he could outrun his past, but when a simple heist goes wrong, he’s forced to confront it in the form of the Unificators, mercenaries deputized to hunt down war criminals…and they’ve got Mal and Zoe at the top of their list! War can make villains of even the best men, and Mal’s quest for redemption will put him at odds with his own crew, forcing him to make a choice: fix the past or fight for the future.
“I was a sci-fi nerd who grew up in Texas, so Firefly’s space western vibe had me from howdy. I also just love the show’s combination of humor and action with honest emotional storytelling,” said Greg Pak. “That’s a real sweet spot for me as a fan and a creator, and I’m thrilled to be able to join in on the fun. These characters are a dream to work with—they’re all so well defined and interestingly matched with such great relationships and rivalries that putting any two of ’em together almost immediately results in a great scene. And the fact that the worldbuilding and big themes of the series are so compelling but still leave miles of room to explore means that the door’s wide open for fantastic new stories. I’m honored and thrilled to join the crew and can’t wait ’til you see what we have planned.”
We will definitely be looking out for this series when it lands in November. Personally, I really like what Greg Pak brings to the table in series like Mech Cadet Yu, so his take on Firefly will be one to watch out for.
