I rushed out to buy this comic after work. It was pouring rain in rush hour traffic, but it was worth it. The guy behind the counter was typical comic book store employee: middle age, very British, thin and lanky with long white hair. He complimented my skull and hearts hoodie, showed me where to find the new Serenity and then I was running toward my car, the comic tucked neatly inside its protective sleeve.
First, the cover. It shows two things I really like about the series. A. The unlikely rapport between Jayne and Shepherd. B. Book’s mysterious, still-to-be-resolved, dark side.
Whedon starts by giving readers a glimpse into Jayne’s fantasies. Scary, no? But this scene is thoroughly PG. Jayne dreams of becoming captain of his own ship, the Radiant Cobb (named for his mother). He also hints at a shower scene with Kaylee, but we never get a glimpse of this particular fantasy.
Wash is up next. Of course, he dreams of living in a luxury cruiser with Zoe and her new baby…a particularly poignant scene for those who have seen the movie. Shepherd’s dream is too funny. I’ll let you read that one for yourselves. Kaylee’s dream? Yeah, pretty obvious.
With most of the daydreaming done, the crew uses their newfound wealth (earned on a heist in Better Days 1) to take a well-deserved vacation. In a priceless scene, Jayne pulls Simon aside and asks him for advice on getting laid. I’m sure fanfic writers will have a heyday with this one.
***Spoilers***
Meanwhile, the Alliance agent that Inara contracted with in book 1 comes back looking to kill Dust Devils. The story ends with Mal unconscious and Alliance special ops closing in.
More character moments (like the Jayne/Simon heart-to-heart) make this volume even better than the first. I love all of these Serenity prequels, but I hope they do some post-Serenity stuff in the future. There’s so much that remains unexplained.
DweebMeter: 4/5
Look for the conclusion of Better Days coming May 14, 2008.
Apr 11, 2008 at 6:36 pm
I think it’s hilarious how obsessed you are with this comic series of Serenity. But like I’ve told you before, I wish I had something to be obsessed about, too. Oh well…
Team Edward!(Does this count as being obsessed?)
Apr 11, 2008 at 7:59 pm
Here’s my “Am I Obsessed? Self-Test”:
1. Do you think about Edward when you’re at work?
2. Do you imagine that you are a part of the story (i.e. that you are Bella, another vampire or a new character entirely)?
3. Do you own an I Love Edward t-shirt or other Edward paraphernalia?
4. When you go to sleep at night, do you imagine Edward’s cold, granite body curling up next to yours?
If you answered yes to all of these questions, you are definitely obsessed