Dear reader, sometimes I worry you don’t take my opinions seriously. Way back when this series debuted, I lavished it with praise, (some of which, I’m proud to say, was used as a pull quote in DC’s blog). Do you understand, reader? Do you understand why I’m distraught? This series was offered the chance Firefly fans dream of, and all we got was six issues, of which this is the fifth. Still, I’ve given you enough grief for not buying this terrific series, so let’s get down to business.
This issue is the calm before the storm, but what it lacks in out-and-out action, it more than makes up for in character moments and dramatic tension. We get a shocking reveal about Parker, and Xombi learns some hard truths about himself regarding his life and plans for the future. To say more would risk spoiling it for you, but suffice it to say Rozum really knows how to use these characters to their fullest. Minor quibble of the week, though: I’m pretty sure this is the first I’ve read about David being married, and while I’m sure it made sense to fans of this series’ previous iteration, David talking about his wife didn’t really resonate with me like it should have.
Another thing that I love about this series is the sheer volume of crazy ideas Rozum pours onto the page. Expert bone-sculptors, magic cancer and pterodactyl riders all find their way into this issue, and best of all, it all makes sense.
And let’s not forget Frazer Irving. It looks like DC isn’t using him in the DCnU just yet, which is disappointing for me. Especially given that he turns in some of the coolest psychedelic art that I’ve seen yet. Just the first page looks like something you might see in a Ditko Doctor Strange story. It’s really terrific stuff, and I hope Irving gets put on something with a high profile soon.
So, dear reader, another great series is ending before it could really begin. Though it’s too late to save this series, I hope at the very least you’ll buy these last two issues. This is a gem in the world of mainstream comic books, and I’ll personally be making room for it in my longboxes as long as it’s coming out.
Thomas Crawford is a full-time student at the University of Puget Sound, where he studies U.S. Politics and creative writing. This makes him very good at lying.