Last week, I finally picked up the “Firefly” Official Companion — both volumes. Point of interest: you can get both for a pretty decent price over at Amazon. Had a bit of money left over, so I also got the comic, “Serenity: Those Left Behind,” which, for fans who haven’t read it, goes a bit further into what happened between the final episode of “Firefly,” and the beginning of “Serenity” — including why Shepard Book left the ship.
The Companions (a word which, as a Browncoat, I have some trouble saying in reference to a book) are mostly comprised of some concept art, photos and scripts (if you have both books, you get scripts for every single episode, which is great). Also included is some production trivia and commentary which, though it doesn’t further your journey into the “Firefly” universe, is a great way for fans to get better acquanted with the thought processes of Joss Whedon, the producers, writers, actors and staff.
Fans may have hoped for a little more concept art, and perhaps a bit more commentary, but what you get is still great. For one, it’s nice to be able to read the translations of the Chinese spoken throughout the shows and finally be able to know just what it is the characters are saying. That itself is both enlightening and, often, hilarious.
Personally, I’d have liked a bit more insight into the “Firefly” universe, though the books do a pretty good job with it. One thing I’d have liked to see is the official rules for “Tall Card.” In the DVD commentary, Adam Baldwin mentions that there were official rules, though according to the Firefly Wiki (linked above), that may have been an error on his part. But still.
In short, the Companions are great for any Browncoat. Personally, now that both volumes are available, I wouldn’t bother getting one without the other. For one, Volume II completes an interview with Joss Whedon started in Volume I. For another, you can get both for about 30 bucks, and a fan who reads the first volume will miss the completion of the second.
The comic, “Serenity: Those Left Behind” is a great addition to the Firefly story, as I mentioned above. The most eye-opening thing about it is the furtherance of Book’s character, and the near-dissolution of his relationship to Mal. The book, much like anything produced after the show, was created for fans — and like everything else, the care with which it was crafted shows the depth of Whedon’s appreciation for them.
Though there are many other items that any Browncoat would love to have, such as books of essays on the philosophy and universe of “Firefly,” documentaries, etc., these three volumes are a heck of a good way to start your collection. Well, these, and an “I aim to misbehave” t-shirt.
