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Firefly
"Bad Company"
Firefly: Bad Company (BOOM! Studios)
Written by Josh Lee Gordon
Illustrated by Francesco Mortarino
Inks by Vincenzo Federici, Giuseppe Cafaro, and Moy R.
Colored by Gabriela Cassata
Lettered by Ed Dukeshire
Cover by Diego Galindo
March 2019
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The secret origin of Saffron.
Notes from the
Firefly/Serenity
Chronology
In this one-shot special, Saffron tells
some of the story of her past to Boss Moon
not long after the events of
"Our Mrs. Reynolds".
Didja
Know?
Firefly: Bad Company was a
one-shot comic book published by
BOOM! Studios, telling the origin of
Saffron. Saffron appears in the TV episodes
"Our Mrs. Reynolds" and
"Trash".
Most of the story takes place on what would seem to be Saffron's
home world in the Core, but the world is not identified.
Characters appearing or mentioned in this issue
Saffron (other aliases in this issue: Blondie)
Lt. Kren (promoted to major in the course of the story)
protestor (unnamed)
Lizzie
Saffron's father (unnamed, dies in this issue)
Priestess Pema Khandro
Callowyn Cao (mentioned only)
Emeline Goodhope
Governor (unnamed, dies in this issue)
Boss Moon
Malcolm Reynolds (mentioned only)
Didja Notice?
On page 3, Alliance officer Lt. Kren threatens young Saffron that
she'll go straight to the lockup on Lilac if he catches her
thieving once more. Lilac is a crop moon (seen in
"Triggered").
Also on page 3, a protestor against the Alliance immolates
himself, shouting, "This fire burns for the dead of Ita."
Ita was a small moon in the Kalidasa system used for
terraforming experiments by the Alliance (also mentioned in
"Out of Gas").
Saffron and her father live in a poor neighborhood known as
the Gutter. A slow-acting disease called the Pox afflicts
many of the poor there without the money to afford the cure.
On page 8, paramedics at the scene of an accident have the
word "PARAMEDIC" printed in reverse on the backs of their
uniforms. I suppose Mortarino's artistic choice was inspired
by the reverse "AMBULANCE" that often appears on the front
of medical vehicles today, but in the case of the vehicles
the practice is to make the vehicle recognizable to other
drivers in their rear-view mirrors; I'm not sure it would be
particularly helpful to have the personnel marked the same
the way!
On page 17, Priestess Khandro mentions
Callowyn Cao, a man who is apparently the most famous Cortex
star in the 'Verse. She goes on to mention a couple of his
performances in The Shepherd's Flock and Back
to Beylix. The Cortex is the 'Verse's version of the
worldwide web. Beylix is the name of a planet in the
Kalidasa system.
On page 23, Major Kren tells Priestess Khandro that rebel
sympathizers were uncovered hiding among the Companions'
Guild on Sihnon, Osiris, and Persephone. Osiris is also the
home world of Simon and River.
On page 26, Emeline tells Saffron that her sisters were
married off to rich families on Beaumonde and Bellerophon.
Beaumonde was seen in
"Our Mrs. Reynolds"
and Bellerophon in
"Trash".
On page 29, the Governor and a wealthy supporter discuss the
unfortunate events on Miranda. These events are revealed in
"A Better World".
On page 33, Saffron first receives the
identity of Saffron Pike. This is the first time the last
name of Pike is used. The identity card gives her
(presumably false) date of birth as September 21, 2493 and
place of birth as Bishop in the Kalidasa system. According
to the
Firefly and Serenity Database, 2493 is Saffron's birth
year, but no source is listed.
This is the first mention of any place
called Bishop in the 'Verse; there is no planet by that name
listed on any of the officially licensed maps sold to fans.
Page 34 reveals that the story of Saffron's past related
throughout this issue has been her telling it to
Alliance operative
Boss Moon not long after the events of
"Our Mrs. Reynolds". Boss
Moon is later seen again in
"War Criminals" and later stories.
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