Review: Firefly #6 (Boom! Studios)

The Gang is Up to Their Necks in Trouble in Firefly #6

The latest series of Firefly has been so painfully on point compared to the original Firefly TV series. Fans are sure to love it – I know I’ve been enjoying it. The latest plot in the series has been fairly typical for the Firefly crew. With them all getting into a mess of trouble and being forced to find a way out of it.

Considering that the last issue ended in what could almost be considered a cliffhanger, I’m happy to see this issue. Firefly #6 brings with it a few more surprises and one or two more twists and turns.

Writing

Why does it seem like Mal is always so talented at getting himself in trouble? Oh, right, because he is. In this case, his being in trouble isn’t exactly new, but that hardly changes things, does it? This new Firefly series does seem to understand that particular talent of Mal’s, as evidenced by the mess they’re in now.

Greg Pak is the author of the series. He’s done a great job of making this series feel like the original it’s based on, and I can’t appreciate that enough. In Firefly #6, he brings on some more twists and turns. But they all make sense – especially when we consider Mal and Zoe’s past. I love that there’s such a strong tie-back, especially since we know how formative their history is for these particular characters.

Believe it or not, there were some genuinely hilarious moments in this issue. They helped balance out the more tense moments in the issue. And they also helped to show how well the crew works together (well, most of them). It’s something we know but is always nice to see.

There is still a lot left to the plot, which I appreciate. I’m glad that they’re not rushing through this plot. Though I should say, it doesn’t feel like they’re stretching or dragging the plot. It just is what it is.

Art

Firefly #6 had a slightly larger team of artists than usual. Dan McDaid did most of the line work for this issue, but Vincenzo Federici did the inking specifically for pages 13 to 18. I’d never seen that before, so I stopped and looked more closely at the lines. That was actually kind of fun to do. The lines and shading were heavily done, but it honestly really works for this series, bringing in the grungier elements we’d expect.

Meanwhile, Marcelo Costa did the coloring for this issue, which was delightful. I loved the color palette for this issue, especially for the world that Mal is currently on.

Conclusion

Firefly #6 was a fast-paced read worth every minute. It was both tense and funny, depending on what was happening – and who was doing what. But everything balanced out, making for a really interesting read.

Some of the twists were pretty funny, while others were just so in tune with how these characters act. The more I read this series, the more it feels like just another adventure for this crew. I’m looking forward to the next issue, which may wrap up this plot (or not).

This review was originally written for Word of the Nerd, but has been ported over to Quirky Cat’s Fat Stacks now that the site has shut down.

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