This fall, a new Firefly miniseries returns the franchise to its space Western roots. The show was conceived as a "space Western," telling stories of outlaws and other outcasts on the frontier of a distant solar system. These themes resonated with fans, and helped the show grow into a bona fide cult classic despite only airing a handful of episodes. Now, BOOM! Studios is taking Firefly back to its roots in The Fall Guys!
BOOM! has revealed more details of the new book, which will be written by Sam Humphries, drawn by Jordi Perez and colored by Francesco Segala. Titled Firefly: The Fall Guys, the six-issue limited series stars the show's original crew and while it is not stated, it is implied to take place before the events of Serenity. In a press release, BOOM offered a brief synopsis for the book: "
The crew is broke and out of luck. They'll have to deal with some of their shadier associates if Serenity is going to keep flying. What seems like an easy job in town for half the crew quickly turns sideways when feds, untrusting locals, and a high-profile politician get thrown into the mix."
Finally, BOOM! has shared advanced covers for the title, shared below.
Firefly creator Joss Whedon and the show's producers sought to recreate the tone of classic Westerns-only set in outer space. The show takes place hundreds of years in the future; humanity has migrated to another solar system, full of habitable worlds. The show only aired a handful of episodes in 2002 and some were only available on the DVD box set. Firefly found its audience on DVD, and comic books, first from Dark Horse and then BOOM, followed. These comics fleshed the Firefly 'verse out further, even filling in history from before the show's beginning. These comics provided fans with exciting looks at new corners of the franchise-and now BOOM! is taking it back to where it all began.
"So thrilled to be welcomed into the Firefly 'verse. I love Westerns, so bringing the best bandits in the galaxy back to their buckaroo roots with a fantastic artist like Jordi has been a dream," said Humphries. "Don't worry, there's still a giant gorram spaceship in the first issue. Yee haw!"
"Although it's not the first time I've worked on Firefly, each time is new and special," said Perez. "Sam's script is giving me a great time drawing lots of adventure and fun. The Western essence of the series will be VERY present. I hope you all enjoy it."
Part of Firefly's appeal was how it invoked a number of themes and tropes from classic Westerns, yet updated them for the modern era. For instance, a number of Westerns unfortunately used Indigenous people as villains, depicting them as bloodthirsty and war-like. Firefly subverted this trope by creating the cruel and savage Reavers-who were revealed to be the victims of a scientific experimentation gone wrong. Likewise, Companions such as Inara took the place of the prostitutes so commonly seen in Westerns.
Firefly's producers wisely jettisoned the genre's problematic elements. And by doing so, they created a modern science fiction masterpiece. Firefly was unlike any other science fiction show at the time, and audiences responded to the mixture of space action and Westerns. As stated earlier, BOOM! Studios' line of Firefly comics has fleshed the characters and events of the franchise out further, showing what the 'verse looked like before the show began. Now, the franchise is heading back to its space Western roots this September in the new miniseries Firefly: The Fall Guys.
Firefly: The Fall Guys #1 will be available September 6 from BOOM Studios!