Serenity: Leaves On The Wind #1

Writer Jed Whedon Artist Georges Jeanty

 

Introduction

 

Serenity: Leaves On The Wind should entice readers for many reasons, but the biggest selling point for most will be how the series has evolved on the printed page. Many changes to the continuity have been fleshed out since this issue was first released. One of the biggest wrinkles is the addition of a pregnant Zoe. To say the least, this adds a ton of drama to the story at hand here. It also brings up an important second point, this is not going to be new reader friendly. Not only are new readers going to be unsatisfied with the snapshot of a strange new place with a strange new world, but they will not understand the growth that occurs over spending 15+ hours with these people on the screen. With that in mind, those that have been playing close attention to this new tale should be in for a treat. Writer Zack Whedon and artist Georges Jeanty have the tall task to really flesh out a world that has been interpreted elsewhere in lush detail. The two of them have ample experience in this field already, and should be able to deliver greatness.

 

Writing

 

This comic features 24 pages, and spends an astounding 9 of those pages without the immediate Firefly cast. The content both with and without the heroes is pretty astounding, as there is an immense amount of lingering depression in the air of this installment. Even the bright moments featuring fresh romance that fans have been clamoring for feature some darkness hidden within. This is a hard issue to read, as each character is still reeling from some trauma brought about in Serenity in one form or another. Zack Whedon perfectly captures tone and voice, as well as justifying another mini-series after so much time has previously been spent with this cast. For a series based on a television show, this is about as good as fans could have possibly hoped for from a writing standpoint.

 

Art

 

Jeanty handles pencils quite well in this tale. The artist dials back from his Buffy fare, and gives readers something more realistic that first better with the Serenity Universe. Characters are rendered in a subtle way that will bring the voices of the different cast members carefully into play during the events of this issue. A certain amount of darkness permeates throughout these pages that is merged with some darker colors and foreboding figures quite nicely. Laura Martin handles the palette and each panel with the utmost care. The inking by Karl Story also brings about a swift change in this tale that shows off a different side of Jeanty. The signature rounded lines and slight cartoonish style is still utilized in this comic. The opening sequence is bright in a manner that does not show off the best material that the penciller has to offer, hopefully this stylistic choice will be abandoned going forward. Readers will be pleasantly surprised by what the art team has to offer here.

 

Conclusion

The first issue of Serenity: Leaves In The Wind features all of the manic depressive beats that fans have come to love from Whedon and company. There is a massive amount of fallout from recent events that make this story absolutely fascinating.