ladyj1989's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mjfmjfmjf's review against another edition
3.0
Another one I don't remember reading. Again it is kind of an in between story and really doesn't add much. It is nice and pleasant. I do believe Mal mostly already has what he wants. But I don't see him acting quite like this one. River's fantasy was a beautiful piece of art.
catsobvi's review against another edition
3.0
I'm happy for any excuse to visit this universe, so I found this mostly enjoyable. The dialogue and often the art are both true to the characters. The story would make a passable Firefly episode. I enjoyed seeing the crew's fantasies about what they would do with their riches. Especially River's & Shepherd Book's. Though there was little character development (it's a Serenity prequel, but we could flesh them out a bit, right?), I appreciated Inara's ever-perceptive observation at the end about Mal letting their stash get stolen because, while everyone else might move on and actually do other things with their lives, Mal was doing what he wanted with his, and he didn't want things changing.
However, the story was underdeveloped and crammed full of stuff. I was confused by what exactly was happening on more than one occasion. The art work and organization were not very clear. I had to look back over some things a couple times to get what was happening. The characters felt underused, if that makes sense. Outside of being conduits for the action and sharing their wealthy fantasies, they didn't do anything. Did River even speak at all? And it seemed like some events (Simon & Inara's business arrangement?) came out of left field and were never explained.
Better Days didn't advance the characters or the mythology. It didn't really add anything to what we have. But it had a few shining moments and was a decent way to pass half an hour.
However, the story was underdeveloped and crammed full of stuff. I was confused by what exactly was happening on more than one occasion. The art work and organization were not very clear. I had to look back over some things a couple times to get what was happening. The characters felt underused, if that makes sense. Outside of being conduits for the action and sharing their wealthy fantasies, they didn't do anything. Did River even speak at all? And it seemed like some events (Simon & Inara's business arrangement?) came out of left field and were never explained.
Better Days didn't advance the characters or the mythology. It didn't really add anything to what we have. But it had a few shining moments and was a decent way to pass half an hour.
valjeanval's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this one even better than the last one. Badass Zoe, dinosaurs, Hero of Canton references... just super. It's only kept from being a five because it contains weird Simon and Kaylee scenes. I never like Simon and Kaylee as a couple. Kaylee can do better.
On the other hand, Shepherd Book For The Win.
On the other hand, Shepherd Book For The Win.
amber_lea84's review against another edition
3.0
There were moments in this one where the story jumped so abruptly I wasn't sure what was going on.
ethancf's review against another edition
3.0
This does exactly what volume one did – captures the characters perfectly, takes advantage of the graphic novel medium, has fun and exciting action scenes, and even wraps up some loose ends from the show. It isn’t quite as fun as the first volume but is still worth your time if you’re already a fan.
colophonphile's review against another edition
As with the first volume, really too much likes TV script, in particular how the story moves back and forth between narrative threads.
brinnet's review against another edition
3.0
I love that this series does not retell what was in the TV show. It's new, interesting content that completely fits with the characters.
I don't think you need to read these comics in order if you're already familiar with the TV show. My only qualm is the characters' faces don't seem consistent through the comic. Sometimes they are dead on to the characters on TV and other times they stray into odd territory.
With that said, the realistic art style is mostly pretty cool and keeps the vibe of the TV show.
I enjoyed it.
I don't think you need to read these comics in order if you're already familiar with the TV show. My only qualm is the characters' faces don't seem consistent through the comic. Sometimes they are dead on to the characters on TV and other times they stray into odd territory.
With that said, the realistic art style is mostly pretty cool and keeps the vibe of the TV show.
I enjoyed it.
raven9949's review against another edition
4.0
Reading this was a little jerky, from page to page it was not a smooth flow, but if you can connect the dots between pages then its not so bad.
lberestecki's review against another edition
4.0
I thought the storytelling was significantly better in this volume than it was in volume 1. I wasn't a huge fan of the art, but it wasn't awful.