The Most Dangerous Woman in the ‘Verse Returns
Here’s how it was: A short-lived television series from 2002 is still trying to survive with this new one-shot that is based on the character “Saffron”, who appeared in the episodes “Our Dear Mrs. Reynolds” and “Trash”, and was played by Christina Hendricks. “Saffron” was a very dangerous, very mysterious woman and one of the most beloved villains who appeared in Firefly.
This one-shot, published by BOOM! Studios, written by Josh Lee Gordon, and illustrated by Francesco Mortarino (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers), Giuseppe Cafaro (Power Rangers: Soul of the Dragon), and Moy R. (Dinosaucers), it attempts to answer fans long asked questions about the past of “Saffron”, from her times growing up on the streets to her marriage to Mal Reynolds.
As a fan of the series and of the later movie, Serenity, I have read most of the comics that based on Joss Whedon’s universe and I eagerly purchased my copy on Comixology the day it was released. As a fan, I’m not disappointed. Reading this brought back memories and it is a nice addition to my collection.
As a comics fan, I can see where there will be some issues. Licensed comics have a guaranteed audience geared toward the fans of said license, however, that is what licensed works are geared for. I don’t have a problem with that, if I don’t like the licensed work, I usually skip it, so I can see where a comic collector will pass on this. Unless you have watched the two episodes I listed, you can be at a loss reading this. However, since this is for a fan-base, the fans will understand the mythology long before picking up this comic.
With that aside, the storyline is great, however, it is in some ways predictable. The coming of age story, the story about a poor girl, and the story of revenge are tropes that can be expected with the character of “Saffron” and if we were to be honest with ourselves, what we get is what we, as fans, asked for: the demystification of a villain. Sometimes, not knowing adds to the mystique, but Josh Lee Gordon handles this story like a pro. The story, itself, isn’t bad, it’s actually a great story, just now “Saffron” has lost a bit of her mystique.
The artwork, while not the best art I’ve seen, does add a gritty feel of the story. The way “Saffron” is pictured, I can vivid see the scene play out on television. Overall, the art fits the story very well.
One final thing, a television show is an audio-visual experience. That doesn’t transfer well into a comics form, however, I think this comic comes close to my expectations of a well-done transfer.
If you are a fan of Firefly or Serenity, then this needs to be in your collection and you won’t regret it. If you aren’t a fan, then it is understandable if you skip this, however, if you decide to pick this up, you might be pleasantly surprised.
Writer: Josh Lee Gordon
Artists: Francesco Mortarino (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers), Giuseppe Cafaro (Power Rangers: Soul of the Dragon), and Moy R. (Dinosaucers)
Inks: Vincenzo Federici
Colorists: Gabriel Cassata
Letterers: Ed Dukeshire
Cover Artist: Main Cover – Diego Galindo; Variant Cover – Jamal Campbell
Release Date: March 20, 2019
Softcover, 50 pages, full color.
Cover price $7.99
Digital price $7.00
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