| Title | : | Better Days (Serenity, #2.1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1595821627 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781595821621 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 128 |
| Publication | : | First published October 1, 2008 |
Joss Whedon returns to the world of his blockbuster film Serenity, reuniting with Brett Matthews and Will Conrad, his collaborators on the bestselling 2005 series Those Left Behind.
Better Days (Serenity, #2.1) Reviews
-
Oh, Firefly how I miss you! The series ended too soon!
This graphic novel is set in the center of the story. The whole crew is together, even Wash. When they show what his dream is for a wealthy future I cried a few tears. đ˘ What happened to him in the movie, Serenity broke my heart. đ -
Two word review: New Serenity!
Unexpected side effect during or after reading: Finally coming to terms with the fact that there will probably never be another Firefly/Serenity film or tv show.
New thing I learned from reading this book: Mal doesn't want to be rich.
General Observations: For a new Serenity story scripted by Joss Whedon, I was disappointed. Following a story before the events of the movie allows him to use characters who died there, which was nice. But there was something about the writing or art that made this story hard to track for me.
It begins with the crew snatching some shiny tech on a heist, but the guy who hired them pays by telling them where some other loot is stashed so they go and steal that, which turns out to be a fortune. This leads to several fantasy sequences about what the crew is going to do with the money. Meanwhile, an Alliance officer is tracking down former Browncoats who kept fighting after the war and were deemed 'terrorists', and it's more than just a mission for him. The guy who invented the tech they stole is also on the crew's trail. And there's something weird going on with the Doc and Inara. The whole thing climaxes in a massive fight that left me with more questions than answers.
Since this is now an on-going comic, maybe more issues will clear up some of the confusion. Plus, we got a hilarious introduction from Adam Baldwin and plenty of Firefly'esque moments. For example, Jane's reputation as the Hero of Canton has spread. -
There is a heist, they get ready to rescue someone.
Wash is prepared:
Jayne is ready:
Zoe was born ready:
Mal was also born ready:
They are all ready (except that one person), and no power in the 'verse can stop them:
-
Better Days is set at some point before the movie, which made a few pages bittersweet to read. It's written very much like an episode of the show might have been, but it honestly wouldn't have been one of the better ones. Still a fun read for Firefly fans, but not as amazing as I might have hoped.
-
4.5 stars
Introduction:
After reading the first volume âSerenity: Those Left Behind,â I was determined to read up on all the âSerenityâ comics being made by Joss Whedon after the TV series âFireflyâ was abruptly cancelled. Now, I finally got a chance to read the second volume of the âSerenityâ series called âSerenity: Better Daysâ and man, was it one hilarious and action-packed volume!
What is this story about?
When the crew of Serenity ended up finding a huge pile of cash, they all start having daydreams about what they will do with the money while at the same time, taking a nice vacation. Unfortunately, a soldier who is out for vengeance on the âdust devilsâ (terrorists who work within the Independents) is doing everything in his power to ambush the crew of Serenity.
What I loved about this story:
Joss Whedon and Brett Matthewsâ writing: Once again, both Joss Whedon and Brett Matthews managed to write a completely hilarious, action-packed and emotional story rolled up into one volume! After reading, âSerenity: Those Left Behind,â I assumed that this volume was going to continue after the events of that volume. But, I was pleasantly surprised to see that this is a one-shot story about what the Serenity crew would do with so much money and how their lives would change if they actually had a successful heist. I loved the way that Joss Whedon and Brett Matthews portrayed each characterâs fantasy about being rich, with my favorite daydreams being Jayneâs and Riverâs since theirs were the funniest in the entire sequence! I also loved the fact that Joss Whedon and Brett Matthews managed to explore how the characters all feel about being rich as their reactions were both expected and unexpected! It was also interesting in introducing a new threat for the Serenity crew in the form of a soldier who wants revenge on the âdust devilsâ for killing so many innocent people. I loved how this brought in a new viewpoint on the Battle of Serenity and how the independents (the group of survivors that Mal and Zoe are from) are being viewed as the bad guys, despite them fighting for their independence from the Alliance. I also viewed the term âdust devilsâ as being a sort of derogatory term for the independents, which really adds so many layers to the after effects of the war of Serenity Valley.
Will Conradâs artwork: Will Conradâs artwork as usual brilliantly grabs the close likeliness of the characters from the âFireflyâ TV series; such as the artwork of Mal looking exactly like the actor, Nathan Fillion and the artwork of Jayne looking exactly like the actor, Adam Baldwin. I also loved the way that Will Conrad drew the action sequences as they look truly intense and exciting and I was so mesmerized by the various explosions and gunfights that occurs in this volume!
What made me feel uncomfortable about this story:
The reason why I took off half a point from the rating was that I felt that this story was a bit too short. I actually wished that this volume a bit longer and explained more about the charactersâ reactions to being rich. I also wanted to know more about the âdust devilsâ situation with the soldier and how he knew about Mal and Zoeâs involvement with the Independents during the Battle of Serenity Valley.
Final Thoughts:
Overall, âSerenity: Better Daysâ is an extremely interesting read full of humor, emotion and action that would make âFireflyâ fans proud! I would highly recommend this volume to anyone who is a huge fan of the âFireflyâ TV series and enjoys a good stand-alone story!
Review is also on:
Rabbit Ears Book Blog -
*Book source ~ Library
From Goodreads:
Serenity: Better Days follows everyone's favorite space cowboys in a thrilling, action-packed adventure, where Mal and his crew take on a heist that promises a big payoff. But when one of Serenity's crew is taken captive and tortured, the gang must put their enduring differences aside and work together to save one of their own, even if it means losing the cash prize of a lifetime!
The artwork is decent and the storyline isnât too bad. Iâm not jumping for joy or anything though. I guess it might help if I watch the show. But really, this graphic novel should make me want to claim the tv from the rest of the family and binge watch. Unfortunately, it doesnât. -
I love Firefly and I miss it terribly but these graphic novels just don't make up for it at all. They're nice pretty colors but the stories are weak and the characters don't look enough like the actors who played them. This one is no exception. But there is some humor, some fun moments, and the intro by Adam Baldwin who played Jayne on the series makes it worth a read.
-
I don't know why I bothered. The illustrations may be a little better but the disjointed and confusing short story and its implications definitely weren't for me.
Serenity's crew suddenly become filthy rich. For a while, anyway. And their 'what I'd do if I were rich' dreams were the only good thing about
Better Days.
Engineer Kaylee's dream was obvious - sleeping with Simon and her own ship workshop. Doctor Simon would return to his homeworld with sister River so they can work together in a hospital. Jayne wishes to be a distinguished military captain of a ship, plus some x-rated stuff - no surprise there. Spiritual man Shepherd Book shocks the crew by saying he'd spend his riches on prostitutes, cigars and card games, but he was only kidding. And Wash dreams of a luxury cruiser to pilot and a baby with wife Zoe. I was hoping to find out Zoe's fantasy as she's a closed book but disappointingly it was never revealed and neither was Inara's .
It's implied by Inara that Mal arranged to have the millions delivered into their hands stolen from them so that his crew would remain together, because that is his dream.
A horny and impatient Jayne trying to learn from Simon how to woo a high class courtesan so he can get laid was funny and classic Jayne. And apparently Inara and Simon slept together. Awkward.
Has anyone noticed that Zoe appears to have been decapitated on the cover? Her eyes being vacant and bloodshot adds to the effect. Very odd.
Better Days isn't much better than series debutÂ
Those Left Behind. Disjointed and incoherent storytelling, no character growth and little depth make this series pointless as it adds nothing to the Firefly canon.
I seriously doubt I'll read any more of these graphic novels. It's too painful to see these wonderful characters in this disrespectful form. So much more could've been made of these comics if only Joss Whedon put in as much effort as he did with his TV and movie work. One wonders if Brett Matthews is doing all the writing and Joss is just signing off, similar to the James Patterson arrangement. -
Decent, if definitely lesser, Firefly adventure.
-
Awesome story and artwork. I wish so badly that the show had continued.
-
I had this book since 2011 and I somehow never read it.
It's about my favourite TV characters and it made me wanna rewatch Firefly once again. -
I would definitely count this as better than the first Serenity comic. That being said, this review will be short. The awesome consistencies were still the same: wit, characters behaving as if they walked off the set, and the wonderful Whedonisms thrown around. Not to mention the ever wonderful artwork. I'll die the day I see Joss pick any artist that is anything less than 120% at all times.
The plot was way better this time around. I feel like in the first installment, the threat wasn't really there. There were just a few baddies chasing the team. In this however, there was a threat. Thank god, because it makes for much more interesting reading. However, the threat didn't take over the story line. For all of my fellow Buffy fans: let me compare this LOOSELY to the episode Tabula Rasa. Everyone was hilarious in this episode, having these alter egos that made for what would have been silly endings for them all. That is what their dreams, for the most part, made me think of. Jayne being the captain of his own ship? The Shepard joking about spending it on hookers and gambling? River wanting to live in some weird version of Wonderland? And best of all, Kaylee trying to hide the fact that she craves Simon? YES TO ALL OF THEM! It was funny and creative and showed what would happen if they, god forbid, became rich beyond their wildest dreams. Wash, on the other hand, made me a bit teary eyed, because Browncoats everywhere know the ending to that story.
Better Days WAS an episode of Firefly. Mal still can't tell Inara about his feelings. Simon is still clueless. Jayne is still hilarious. And Zoe is still incredibly committed to her captain. God, I could praise Zoe for CENTURIES.
I don't think that the Firefly comics are Joss' best work. But who can blame him, with the brush off he was given with his fantastic show? MORE FIREFLY I SAY! Along with Fillion :D I would read a thousand terrible Firefly comics just to live with these characters again. Luckily, this one was more than worth my time. -
If I can't watch new episodes of Firefly, I'm happy to at least be able to read new adventures that are an official part of the canon and written by Joss. This second volume in the series of graphic novels is a lot of fun. The crew has come into a lot of money through a successful heist, and we get to see a "fantasy 'bout being filthy rich" from many of the crew members. Wash's fantasy was particularly sweet - and sad, since we know it doesn't happen. I also really liked River's which involved bunny rabbits, frogs, candy canes, hot air balloons, and a giant fish in a tuxedo.
Of course this isn't all sweetness and light. There are the usual types of villains coming after them providing action and explosions and gun fights. There is also a very fun introduction by Adam Baldwin.
I look forward to the NEXT graphic novel, which is said to be called "The Shepherd's Tale" and will be about Shepherd book. I'm hoping it contains MANY details of his backstory. -
Also good!
-
***TL;DR SPOILERY PLOT OVERVIEW***
After an art heist gone wrong Mal and co. are tailed by what can only be described as a supercharged Batmobile from the future. The Serenity crew end up prevailing as usual, and sell the killing machine off to the nearest bidder. Said bidder doesn't have the money to pay for it, so he directs Mal and co. to a fabled hidden treasure concealed beneath a Buddhist temple. The "treasure" turns out to be millions upon millions of credits and the crew are rich for the first time in their lives! They think they've finally got it easy and take a vacation on beautiful resort world, Pelorum.
Unfortunately at the same time Mal and Zoe are being hunted by Alliance special ops for terrorist activities they partook in directly after the war. We almost get a showdown between the Alliance and Serenity crew but not before the angry owner of the supercharged Batmobile intervenes, loaded with artillery and pissed about having his baby stolen. In a classic case of 'the enemy of your enemy becomes your friend', Mal and the Alliance team work together to thwart the butthurt Batmobile owner. They part on amicable terms, agreeing to ignore the others' existence. Unfortunately the Alliance can't resist and have to get the last laugh, escaping with the Serenity crew's new found cash flow.
***END SPOILERY PLOT OVERVIEW***
This served as a deleted scene from the show which is always nice, but I just didn't enjoy it as much as
Serenity: Those Left Behind. Those Left Behind managed to touch a little on the Hands of Blue mythology and bridge the gap between TV and film, but this was just another job went bad that didn't contribute to the overall storyline. It wasn't bad per se, it just didn't offer up as much as the previous installment. I'd have liked to have seen this story as one issue in a series rather than an entire arc in itself.
That being said, it was just as wonderfully faithful to the series as Those Left Behind and has much of the same attributes that I discussed in my review
here. The likenesses of the characters are spot on, the dialogue and mannerisms are identical to the show/film, and the brown, ochre and red colouring is still nice though not as prevalent here. Like I said, check out my review of Those Left Behind if you want a more detailed description.
I like that both Those Left Behind and Better Days open with a letter from Nathan Fillion and Adam Baldwin respectively. Fillion's talks about his love for comic books growing up and how Firefly finally allowed him to be his own superhero. Adam Baldwin's piece is decidedly less nerdy, talking about playing a brute with a sense of humour, the disappointment felt when the show was axed, the elation felt when the movie was greenlighted, going to Comic-con and getting his own action figure. It's a lovely touch having these pseudo 'letters from the editor' and reaffirms my love not only for the characters of Firefly, but the actors playing them. It then breaks my heart even more that the show was cut so tragically short.
There was one particularly beautifully drawn scene in Those Left Behind, where the Serenity powers up and unknowingly incinerates the Hands of Blue. It was just visually stunning, even without going into the contrast of something so gory being so beautiful. Similarly, there was one scene in Better Days that took my breath away: when the Serenity lands on the resort world, Pelorum. The scenery is literally a world away from what we see in the show and film, with Rim planets full of dust and desert. We only get brief glimpses of the pretty civilised Core planets with Ariel and whatever-that-planet-was-where-we-meet-Saffron-for-the-second-time, and this planet made me think "Dude, what's so bad about unification if you get to live here?"
It makes me wish the show/film had investigated life on the Core planets a little further, because I'm curious as to how these people live. I'd like to know if poverty exists in these affluent worlds and how the Alliance extends control over its citizens. Are they watched every hour of the day by Big Brother? Do they have propaganda drilled into them at every turn? Are they even aware of the Alliance half the time?!
Overall: Nice addition to the series and for people like me who will forever be brokenhearted over Firefly's cancellation, but not as good as Those Left Behind. It's just another job gone wrong for the Serenity crew, rather than giving us any extra insight into the show's mythology. -
Love!! I want to rewatch the tv series now :)
-
Being a Firefly fan, i was very excited when, back in 2005, Dark Horse Comics announced and released Those Left Behind, the first of a possible series of Serenity comic books.
I am not much of a comics reader, i go through phases where months of absorption will occur, but generally, i stick to 15-20 issues a year. i help off on reading the Serenity comics knowing that 3 issues would only wet my appetite, with months before more would be available.
after three years, DHC released the next installment (three years folks, that was NOT a typo). Better Days came out, and again, i said, âbottom of the pile..â. i was itching to read them, but at this point, my browncoat soul was âokayâ with waiting. i figured, eventually, i would borrow them from the bunny, or SamuraiShy.. It was again, put off. buried at the bottom of the âto be readâ pile.
finally, i broke down and located a copy for consumption. good, goddamn.. how disappointing could these have turned out?
both comics exist in the blanks plot canvas between the end of the Firefly Series and the Serenity movie. with the number of questions fans were left with after series âcompletionâ i was expecting to have a bone thrown to me, but.. nope. didnt happen. one of the tri-part comics was decent, the other was, well.. read on to get my true opinion.
Better days, the second set to be released, happens before Those Left Behind. so far as i am concerned, Better days should be renamed âbetter never madeâ. characters were thrown in that had no frame of reference. the story was loose and thrown out with no real cohesion. i had to read it twice through, then jump online and consult wikipedia to figure out the remainder i could not muddle through. instead of plot closure, new info was tossed in that opened plot doors. it is in essence, nothing more than firefly porn, with all of us fans providing the money shot directly into Whedonâs pocketbook.
seriously, never should have been made. the only saving grace of the thing was a single page image of River Tam, which i am including at the bottom of this post (see FNORDinc for image) to save everyone the waste of time getting to it. do not let it fool you. one page is not worth suffering through the rest. a job goes better than expected, and everyone is rich. they are all describing what they will do with their cut. Riverâs description of the perfect life was a single page and the only one worth looking at.
~~
Those Left behind, the first comic released, wasnt so bad,it was an enjoyable read. in all, it has a lot of the same issues Better Days had. there was no closure, new questions arise, but you do begin to understand why Inara and Book left Serenity and are separated in the film.. in the end though, it was a quick and mellow read with no real high or low points worth pointing out. it was almost like watching a well done episode, each character got some face time.
ultimately, nothing but geek porn, but enjoyable on a base level.
It was announced a few years back that there would be a new comic coming out focusing on Shepard Book and all of his mystery. this is yet to come to fruition after two years. to be fair though, if it ever comes out at all, following the above trend, it will be another year, and will not be worth picking up except to place on a shelf next to your firefly lunchbox and Mal Reynolds action figure.
--
xpost RawBlurb.com -
Your enjoyment of this graphic novel largely depends on what you expect from it. If you expect something which answers some of the questions the TV series and film never did, you will be disappointed. If you are just hoping for an episode of Firefly in comic book form, this will satisfy you.
It opens with the usual Serenity crew type heist and when the crew are sent to collect their money they discover there is far more than they expected and they are now incredibly rich. We see some fantasies about what the crew want to do with their new found wealth but as usual someone from the Alliance catches up with them.
Unfortunately I don't think this would have made one of the best episodes of the TV series but it has some good moments. All of the fantasy sections are brilliant from the hilarious (Jayne's) to the downright bizarre (River's). In fact the graphic novel is hilarious but has a weak ending. Must we always have a fight with a nasty member of the Alliance?
The artwork was ok and would have normally worked well in a typical comic series but when you are portraying real life actors in comic book form you really have to master the likenesses. They didn't do a great job in that sense and it made it hard to follow in places.
It's always fantastic to have more Firefly but whichever way you look at this, it is quite a way below the series' best points. Good to have have but only recommended for the biggest fans. -
This was a disappointment!
Serenity Vol. 1: Those Left Behind
Serenity Vol. 1: Those Left Behind, the first Firefly/Serenity graphic novel was okay, not fantastic, but okay and it answered some questions.
This one, not so much.
Apparently, this one takes place between Firefly and Serenity but before
Serenity Vol. 1: Those Left Behind. The story focus on what would happen if the Firefly crew suddenly got rich, very very rich, and what they would use the money on. I loved River's twisted Snow White dream - and how Shepherd Book fools everyone. But other than that, and of course a few great Joss Whedon lines, not much to get out of this one. Especially because the last part, where a (former?) Alliance guy chases Browncoats who were terrorists, are so confusing that I didn't get much of what really happened ...
Overall, it leaves more questions than it answers... What's up with Simon and Inara for instance?
But again a great introduction by one of the stars from the show, Adam Baldwin. -
Really enjoy this series, much like another forgotten gem Fringe. This has all the ingredients of becoming a successful space opera but was taken off the air before a bigger fan base was born. I've settled into this graphic series to continue the journey and while this doesn't follow the film, it does follow the TV show. The book keeps the humour and action ticking as the story builds to a huge confrontation. I would've liked to see this on the screen but settled for the pages. If you are a fan of the series you'll enjoy this.
-
Graphic Novel. Having suffered through the writing in the first
Buffy omnibus, I can safely say that the writing in the Serenity series is far superior, even if it's not perfect. The art continues to be true to the actors, except maybe for Jayne, who never quite looks like himself.
This volume comes with an introduction by Adam Baldwin and starts off with a story where the Serenity crew pulls off a heist that actually leaves them with more money than they started with. Everyone takes a vacation and fantasizes about what they'll do with their cut; meanwhile, some group's after Mal for being a terrorist. The final segment of this story is confusing and the art is unusually terrible, with no one very recognizable, especially the bad guys. So, who knows what happened there, but I check these out of the library for free; if they keep making them, I'll keep reading them. -
Serenity: Better Days by Joss Whedon, Brett Matthews and Will Conrad (2008) â Captain Malcolm Reynolds of the Firefly-class starship Serenity and his crew of misfits endure another battle after their heist of some valuable art works. Although they are outgunned, they somehow manage to escape and even capture a valuable piece of equipment from their attackers. They discover that the sale of this piece of equipment could make the entire crew of Serenity very wealthy and the reader gets to share their musings about how they will live with the wealth. However, selling the booty could be a very complicated process. This is another beautifully done graphic novel with an interesting and entertaining story about Mal and his space marauders. Fans of the short-lived TV series and the Serenity movie should especially enjoy it.
-
This is Joss Whedon so it gets three stars before I even start, but it's a graphic novel so it probably loses one because I'm really not the target audience for graphic novels. I don't interpret the picture panels well, I'm all about the words. So words first. Yes, a good little story and a continuation of the Firefly arc, so OF COURSE I'm going to like it. It's Firefly for goodness sake - the best cancelled TV show on the planet - or any planet for that matter. But the artwork - while it looks good, is not all that easy for my word-hungry brain to sort out. I literally cannot follow all the action from some of the panels without text. Is it me or is it the artist? I don't know. That's why something with Serenity in it written by Joss Whedon is only getting four stars.
-
The second in the little miniseries. The crew made a fair amount of money on their last job and they're spending it in some upper class city. It's a funny volume. Each one shares their fantasy about the kind of life they're going to lead with the money. Jayne wants to be a captain of a ship, Kaylee wants to open a mechanic shop with her father, etc. The special operative hunting the Dust Devils starts closing in and there are complications from the drone that they stole. All in all, a very good read. Anyone who is into Firefly/Serenity MUST read these, although they definitely aren't as funny as the TV episodes.
-
Yet another short story in Joss Whedon's "Firefly" universe...
I liked the storyline in "Better Days" a little more than in "Those Left Behind", mostly because we find out why Shepherd Book decides to leave the crew, and shows us a bit more of Inara and Mal's thorny relationship. The pace also seems quicker and more action-packed.
The illustrations are GORGEOUS, and very true to the show, and there is another great introduction - this time by actor Adam Baldwin.
Once again - a lot of fun for the die-hard "Firefly" fan! -
Hmmm. Better than the first volume of Serenity comics, but it felt rushed in some places (not enough panels to explain what's happening) and slow and anticlimactic in others. I'm glad I read it, but I don't plan on buying the book.
I suppose it all comes down to any Serenity is better than no Serenity at all! -
You have all these wonderful characters, their universe already made, yet something happens with comic books. It's like a shit-switch, where anything delivered into that format, by mere contact with it, becomes transmogrified into garbage.
-
A fun story in which the crew of Serenity get rich beyond their wildest dreams (and part of the fun is seeing what each person's wildest dreams actually are), but can they hold onto their latest take while the Alliance continues to hunt them?
-
Just made me miss it more!
