Firefly officially returning for new prequel series

Remember when we were all shouting “Justice for Firefly?” Probably not, for the fandom was a niche one. Hopefully those fans have stuck around, though, as the series is officially returning.

It always seemed odd that the TV series never watched out; it’s essentially cowboys in space, if we strip it right back. What’s not to love?

Yet, within a single season the show was cancelled. And while Serenity attempted to reprise the series, that too never found its footing.

Perhaps now is the time it finally will...

Speaking of cowboys in space, have you watched the Star Wars Outlaws trailer yet?

In case you all need a refresher course, or maybe you don’t know diddly squat about the show, it follows a band of smugglers who are sticking it to the man as best they can while avoiding detection.

The crew of the Serenity aren’t exactly cosy with the Alliance, remaining true to their “Browncoats” colours.

But the show sort of dropped us right in the middle of this war, and, unfairly, expected us to follow the loose threads; Serenity did the same. We gathered nuggets of information as the episodes progressed, but we always lacked a solid context.

Firefly: Malcolm Reynolds Year One intends to deliver that context by revealing more of Captain Malcom Reynolds (Mal’s) past.

Unfortunately for cinephiles, this won’t be in the form of a film or show, but rather as a written prequel series.

While it’s not the revival some of its fans wanted, the description of the series feels authentic to the show we came to love, however fleeting.

"Despite starting from an unlikely place, Malcolm Reynolds has always been a troublemaker. Becoming a Browncoat was always meant to be,” it begins.

“But what unexpected obstacles lie on that path to him becoming the captain that fans know and love? To him assembling and leading the crew of the spaceship Serenity?"

I, for one, am genuinely curious about how this story will take shape; whether it’ll give us the answers we’ve sought, or only create more questions. Regardless, it’s satisfying to see Firefly make its humble return.

The first issue of Firefly: Malcolm Reynolds Year One will launch on 4 September, though it’s available to pre-order now from your local comic store and/or online.