Mal Aims To Misbehave (Again) in ‘Firefly: Blue Sun Rising’ [REVIEW]

If you haven’t been reading BOOM! Studios Firefly comic series, you have a lot of catching up to do. Based on the inexplicably cancelled Fox show of the same name, Firefly continues the adventures of Captain Mal Reynolds and the crew of the Serenity. Things have changed for Mal and his crew, however. They’ve split up, Kaylee’s gone full-on bandit, and Inara spends her time with a senator. But Mal? The smuggler-turned sheriff may have gotten in over his head (again) when Blue Sun Corporation sticks its corporate nose in his sheriffin’ business in Firefly: Blue Sun Rising.

Blue Sun Rising paints an ominous picture of a ‘Verse gone worse

Mal remains the arch-type when it comes to scoundrels gone good. Sure, he’s become sheriff of the entire Georgia space sector, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t still aim to misbehave when the occasion arises. And arise it does in Blue Sun Rising. The ‘Verse is changing, and not necessarily for the better. The corporation is as well immersed in ‘Verse politics as it’s ever been, and then some. Now, BS (yes, that was intentional) robots do their dirty work, and challenge Mal’s humanity.

Malcolm Reynolds, former captain of the smuggler ship Serenity, has found himself knee-deep in corporate politics and espionage…. Mal has done everything a Sheriff could do in his time, from hunting down high-tech assassins to disguising himself as a bandit to break his friends out of prison. But…. With Mal’s allies few and far between… Blue Sun has decided it’s time to take the law into their own hands.”

Blue Sun Rising, in some respects, is a little depressing for those of us Firefly purists. The ‘Verse got worse. BS bots not only have our favorite crew in their crosshairs, but they’re primed to erase the fine line between the corporation and the law. Look no further than a bot’s attempt to gun down a fleeing child because she stole some fruit. Mal, of course, intervenes, planting the seeds for Mal’s inevitable misbehavior.

Greg Pak captures the heart of Firefly

The story comes to us from the exceptional Greg Pak. He perfectly captures Kaylee’s charm and Mal’s mischievous. So much so, in fact, it’s hard to read Kaylee or Mal’s dialogue without hearing both Jewel Staite’s and Nathan Fillion’s voices. Similarly, Dan McDaid’s artwork stunningly depicts the darkening tone of the tale. Blue Sun is rising, indeed. The question is, will the ‘Verse survive?  Jayne, however? Well… Jayne is still Jayne.

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Firefly: Blue Sun Rising is available now. And I swear by my pretty floral bonnet, if you’re not reading, you’re missing out.  

To purchase, go to Boom! Studios HERE or fine comic retailers anywhere.