Serenity: Leaves on the Wind #5

By Zack Whedon, Georges Jeanty, Karl Story & Laura Martin

Leaves on the Wind is quickly drawing to its conclusion, and while the overall plot for this miniseries hasn’t been as deep or wide-ranging as things initially appeared they would be, we have already seen word in the previous issue about plans for another Serenity miniseries which will hopefully continue from where we’ve gotten to in Leaves on the Wind. Furthermore, this really has been a tremendously enjoyable read from start to finish.

Issue #3 is an extremely fast-paced book, filled with action and excitement. As with every installment before it, Zack Whedon just gets these characters and their individual voices, especially Malcolm Reynolds himself. It seems like the resistance has finally come together along with the crew of Serenity. There are a couple of different battle scenes taking place simultaneously, and they’re actually written with quite a bit of suspense at times. The latest “acquisition” obtained by Mal and River in the end could also lead to some wild incidents moving forward. Everything is clearly converging on what we’ve been waiting for since the first issue: rescuing Zoe! While this particular installment wasn’t brimming with crazy story developments or deep character interaction, it was definitely an exciting, quick-paced book.

The art in this series has been terrific, and despite a couple of minor hiccups last month, everything is back in top form for issue #5. The detail is excellent in every respect, and the main characters generally look very close to the original actors. The heightened action in this latest issue was perfectly carried by the dynamic and well-plotted visuals. Georges Jeanty and Karl Story clearly make a fantastic team with an incredibly crisp and clean overall appearance throughout. Laura Martin’s colors also really help add another dimension to the illustrations, adding additional detail and enhancing the overall realism and depth of the visuals.

Serenity: Leaves on the Wind is a damn fun series that will appeal to both long-time Firefly fans, and those of you who continue to miss out on this classic story. Issue #5 was probably the most action-packed in the series and it only looks like things are gonna get crazier next month!