For a property that started out as a television series that was canceled after one season, Firefly has surprisingly long legs. Since the show's initial end in 2003, its universe of rebel fighters and corporate governments has grown in the form of a major motion picture, myriad novels, and even a role-playing game. But where Firefly truly lives on is in comics. Dozens of comics have filled in the gaps in-between episodes and explored an all-too-familiar interstellar struggle beyond its film-related canon.

Over the past few years, BOOM! Studios has done an amazing job creating new stories from Joss Whedon’s television oeuvre. The comic series, Buffy The Vampires Slayer has been enjoying a new lease on life by remixing elements of what made the show so compelling through a more modern bent. Similarly, BOOM! Studios’ Firefly has found new ways to create new stories in the margins of existing continuity without throwing out what was previously told through Dark Horse Comics, which is refreshing in an era of reboots, remakes, and “fresh starts."

Now, the Firefly story just got a new chapter with Firefly: The Outlaw Ma Reynolds #1, a fierce one-shot that proves the show's long legs are worth celebrating.

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Firefly: The Outlaw Ma Reynolds, is one of the better stories that BOOM! has produced thus far, and it adds new wrinkles to the beloved character of Malcolm Reynolds. As this one-shot proves, rebellion runs deep in the Reynolds family, and their matriarch might be the most stubborn, steadfast and toughest member of their ilk. Greg Pak’s script does a wonderful job of exploring the tenuous relationship between Mal and Ma in a series of dour flashbacks, which echo current events. It’s a common storytelling method that might grate on some more jaded readers’ nerves, but it’s executed extremely well.

The character of Ma Reynolds is portrayed as a mother who dishes out tough love and doesn't suffer fools, even children. This portrayal of a character the reader is meant to presumably like might be a bit problematic to some readers, but the emotional heft of seeing young Mal’s less-than-tender upbringing adds some context to his time as a guerrilla fighter.

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Davide Gianfelice (The Flash) handles the bulk of the issue’s art duties, illustrating all the scenes taking place in the narrative’s present, while George Kambadais (The Black Ghost) takes on the flashback scenes. The pair do a wonderful job in terms of visual pacing and page layout. Their styles are similar enough (in terms of bold linework and use of negative space) to make the art duty handoffs feel organic. Of course, their individual styles bleed through, making the past and present stand out from one another just enough. Gianfelice’s work is grittier, implying that even after a war, things don’t always work out. And while the less busy aesthetics of Kambadais’ work hint to a simpler time, the linework is anchored by colorist Joana LaFuente (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers), who delineates the time periods with a muted color palette.

Firefly: The Outlaw Ma Reynolds #1 is a handsome one-shot comic set in a world that has persisted despite having the ground shrink beneath its feet. While the noble rebels of a property like Firefly have a universal appeal, Firefly: The Outlaw Ma Reynolds #1 shows that the thinking that drives rebellions can be insanely difficult, especially when your foe is next of kin.

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