To the crew of serenity, derrial book s past was a mystery. Not in a limited series, but in a slim volume written by zach whedon, based on an outline provided by. Serenity is a line of comic books published by dark horse comics from 2005 to 2017. Miniseries like the shepherds tale explored the hidden backstory of characters like shepherd book, while no power in the verse followed the serenity crew through new adventures after the. Shepherd book is a character in firefly and the 2006 film serenity canon. Those left behind, better days, the other half, and downtime were all set between the firefly series and the movie serenity. The series focuses on shepherd book s previously unrevealed secret past. Because it is about his life up to when he first boards serenity, the majority of it. Okay, technically shepherd books history doesnt fit into what happened after serenity remember, the operative killed him during the events in the. Derrial book commonly called shepherd book and born as henry evans is a fictional character played by ron glass in the sciencefiction western television series firefly and its sequel movie, serenity. This week, fireflys shepherd book finally gets an origin story. With the film serenity came resolution to many of fireflys best mysteries. The stories are beautifully drawn and many of them do provide new tidbits of information.
Books official status within the alliance and therefore on his ident chip was that of a retired alliance commander. Shepherd book got the short shrift in serenity, and this graphic novel fleshes out his backstory. If you live in the verse youve already heard serenitys resident man of gods and many secrets, derrial shepherd book, will have his past revealed finally. Overall this is a nice read with excellent art, that fills us in on the backstory that the tv series never got a chance to tell, but the brevity of the book means that this feels more like information than entertainment. His actions mirrored the operative in serenity and he was the sole survivor on the attack on his camp. Where is serenity the shepherds tale on the firefly. Nov 02, 2010 one of serenity s greatest mysteries is finally revealed in the shepherd s tale, filling in the life of one of the shows most beloved characters shepherd book.
Before his time aboard the ship, he led a life marked by violence and conflict, both inside and out, which remained a secret from the crew. Weve been waiting years for the comic book that tells the backstory of fireflys shepherd book, called the shepherd s tale. Weve been waiting years for the comic book that tells the backstory of fireflys shepherd book, called the shepherds tale. One of serenitys greatest mysteries is finally revealed in th. No plot, no character development just an explanation of how things got to be the way they were between the end of the series and the beginning of the movie. Apr 26, 2019 various moments in the original firefly television series hint at shepherd having a more complex backstory than most expect. How did he become one of their most trusted allies. Notice that jubal the bounty hunter, who deals with everyone on the crew. Float out and its never easy are set after serenity.
Who was book before meeting mal and the rest of the serenity crew. Derrial book is a fictional character played by ron glass in the sciencefictionwestern television series firefly and its sequel movie, serenity. This obviously means that the rest of the firefly crew barely appear, but then this is shepherds story, not a firefly episode. Passengers aboard serenity include professional companion inara morena baccarin and holy man shepherd book ron glass, but the real trouble aboard the ship comes with the arrival of simon sean maher and his teenage sister, river tam summer glau. One of the biggest mysteries out of the television series was the backstory of shepherd book, played by ron glass. Shepherd s tale is penned by the brother team of joss and zack whedon. A pivotal chapter in the ongoing serenity saga, shepherds tale is also a rollicking, actionpacked epic in its own right.
The shepherds tale is a testament to both the man and his philosophy, and a fitting epitaph to the preacher man of the firefly universe. Dark horses serenity displays the key ingredients of the series in a substantial and. If you are a fan of fireflyserenity and cant get enough like me then you must check out these graphic novels. Why did the alliance show respect to shepherd book, in. A compilation of stories built around the crew of the serenity and providing some backstory for the tv show serenity. The shepards tale is the story of shepard book and tells his life in excerpts. Ron glass, who played shepherd book in fireflyserenity, will be joining the cast of agents of shield this fall. The shepherds tale the firefly and serenity database. If you are a fan of firefly serenity and cant get enough like me then you must check out these graphic novels. One of serenitys greatest mysteries is finally revealed in the shepherds tale, filling in the life of one of the shows most beloved charactersshepherd book. Some fans were unhappy with the conclusion of shepherd.
He ran away from home and began life as a petty criminal before being recruited by the independence movement and moving out to the border worlds. The mysterious backstory of shepherd book doesnt live up to expectations. A collection of graphic novels set in the firefly universe. Jul 02, 2018 miniseries like the shepherds tale explored the hidden backstory of characters like shepherd book, while no power in the verse followed the serenity crew through new adventures after the. Who was book before meeting mal and the rest of the serenity crew, how did he become one of their most trusted allies, and how did he find god in a bowl of soup. Shepherd book was born henry evans, running away from his abusive father at an early age. The shepherds tale, outlined by joss whedon, written by zack whedon, and drawn by chris samnee, finally writes in the lines on that missing page. Derrial book is a fictional character played by ron glass in the sciencefiction western television series firefly and its sequel movie, serenity. If you dont know what firefly is, find the dvds and buy or borrow them as soon as you can. After an unknown amount of time at the abbey but presumably several years, book decided to leave and get back out into the galaxy.
Various moments in the original firefly television series hint at shepherd having a more complex backstory than most expect. This storyline fills the gap between the firefly series and the movie serenity, explaining why shepherd book left, showed where they dropped off inara, etc. I think of shepherds tale as his official version, the story he tells when he needs to reveal something. When the renegade crew of serenity agrees to hide a fugitive on their ship, they find themselves in an awesome actionpacked battle between the relentless military might of a totalitarian regime who will destroy anything or anyone to get the girl back and. Finally, the secrets of fireflys shepherd book will be told. Behind this peaceful man is a secret warrior with a dark. This storyline fills the gap between the firefly series and the movie serenity, explaining why shepherd book left, showed where they dropped off.
We know that the gentle christian preacher in fireflyand serenity has stolen another mans identity. One of serenitys greatest mysteries is finally revealed in shepherds tale, filling in the life of one of the shows most beloved charactersshepherd book. Hes far more than the simple preacher he appears to be. Book was born henry evans, a boy who was raised by an. The backstory of shepherd derrial book was unexpected, but revealing.
This week, fireflys shepherd book finally gets an origin. Book finally found peace tending the abbeys garden, but knew he couldnt stay there indefinitely. In time, the crew discovers that river has remarkable psychic powers and was being held. Dec 08, 2010 the life of derrial book and serenity. Enough questions are answered here alone to make this worth it, especially as we finally get a true look at the history of the man known as shepherd book. It is at least tentatively titled a shepherds tale. Derrial book the firefly and serenity database fandom. In his early adulthood, he was shown to have a criminal record and pending arrest warrants and his penchant for violence was what caused the independents to recruit him. A pivotal chapter in the ongoing serenity saga, shepherd s tale is also a rollicking, actionpacked epic in its own right.
Shepherd book was abused as a boy, and lived on the street for a while. What was the backstory to shepherd book on firefly. Apr 16, 2018 my guess though not confirmed is that he is a retired operative. Well, i did decide to get the book, and so heres the answer. Joss whedons cult scifi show firefly gets another comic book spinoff in serenity. Also, shepard books journey with the crew ends just before the operative comes into their lives. What theories are out there, prior to the truth being revealed.
Derrial book commonly calle d shepherd b ook and born as henry evans is a fictional character played by ron glass in the sciencefictionwestern television series firefly and its sequel m ovie, ser enity. Not in a limited series, but in a slim volume written by zach whedon, based on an outline provided by his brother joss. Shepherds tale is penned by the brother team of joss and zack whedon. His backstory will be covered in the next serenity comic series, focusing exclusively on him and the story that he had been unwilling to tell in either the tv series of the film. And, of course, shepherd book, who will not be part of a future movie because of his death. Shepherd derrial book born henry evans was a passenger aboard serenity, and a friend and spiritual teacher to its crew. The shepherds tale is a graphic novel published by comics publisher dark horse. This short book only 48 pages of story does what it sets out to, its a prequel to the serenity movie, filling in shepherd books mysterious background in a series of short flashbacks taking us in stages backwards from the serenity movie back to his childhood. It is implied that the alliance covers up the loss, therefore not officially punishing book. I own nothing i upload, all rights to universal pictures and fox. He is a s hepherd the literal english translation of the clerical title pastor, from the latin, and provides frequent spiritual advice and perspectives for th e crew of serenity. Overall this is a nice read with excellent art, that fills us in on the backstory that the tv series never got a chance to tell, but the brevity of the book means that this feels more like information than. The shepherds tale is the backstory to shepherd book. This firefly and serenity fan never thought we would get to learn about his unexplained past.
Ah hell, shepherd, i aint looking for help from on high. It is a canonical continuation of joss whedons firefly television series and the 2005 film serenity, which are all part of the firefly media franchise. Because it is about his life up to when he first boards serenity, the majority of it takes place prior to the events on firefly. One of serenitys greatest mysteries is finally revealed in the shepherds tale, filling in the life of one of the shows most beloved characters shepherd book. Therefore, i conclude that shepard book is the operative who somehow we are in science fiction after all went back and became the proverbial fly on the wall. Serenity qmx firefly little damn heroes shepherd derrial. He takes refuge at an abbey where he becomes a shepherd before leaving on serenity to become a missionary. Book was born henry evans, a boy who was raised by an abusive father. In truth, derrial was not even the shepherds real name, but rather the name of a man he had killed. Now, cbr is taking a look back at shepherd book, his history, his role in the cult classic scifi series and how ron glass gave space a human touch.
Why did the alliance show respect to shepherd book, in spite of his past. Dark horse has sold over 125,000 copies of the original serenity trade paperback. So, why would the alliance show him respect at the time the firefly events were taking place. The series focuses on shepherd books previously unrevealed secret past. Despite the resolution fans were given by serenity, this question remains unfortunately unanswered to this day. Shepherd book, serenity s holy man is a riddle wrapped in an enigma donning an explosive haircut.
What i dont understand is from reading the shepherds tale comic which tells the untold story of shepherd book, the last thing he did before becoming a shepherd was cause a huge disaster for the alliance resulting in him being dishonorably discharged. And now its finally coming out, written by zack whedon from a detailed. The comic starts off by depicting the attack in which book was fatally wounded during the film serenity, then. It is a canonical continuation of joss whedon s firefly television series and the 2005 film serenity, which are all part of the firefly media franchise. The shepherd s tale which filled in a remarkable amount of backstory on the character that had only been hinted at in the tv series and film. The comic starts off by depicting the attack in which book was fatally wounded during the film serenity, then expands upon the characters life by flashing back to events in the characters life, then stepping back to the decision that led to each event. Shepherd book, serenitys holy man is a riddle wrapped in an enigma donning an explosive haircut. The shepherds tale which filled in a remarkable amount of backstory on the character that had only been hinted at in the tv series and film fandom criticisms of serenity. Comics publisher dark horse released a bookcentric graphic novel in 2010 titled serenity.
Zack whedon not only created a narrative that fans of the series have longed for, but did so in a fashion that reflects the subject of that story as well. Homeless, he visits a soup kitchen and finds god while contemplating a bowl of soup. Book, whose birth name was henry evans, lived as a young. Ron glass announced it at the 2007 browncoat cruise. Mysterious minister shepherd book seizes spotlight in. The shepherds tale, which delves into the murky back story.
A pivotal chapter in the ongoing serenity saga, the shepherds tale is also a rollicking, actionpacked epic in its own right. He is a shepherd the literal english translation of the clerical title pastor, from the latin, and provides frequent spiritual advice and. Behind this peaceful man is a secret warrior with a dark history. Shepherd books backstory was one of them, a major one. The shepherd s tale, this characters mysterious backstory is revealed. My guess though not confirmed is that he is a retired operative. His background is explored further in the comic book serenity. The shepherds tale, this characters mysterious backstory is revealed. He indicated early on that he was a shepherd who had been living in the. Shepherd derrial book firefly planet claire quotes. Kaylee serenity by jasonpal on deviantart the good shepherd. But what about books vip status with the ruling alliance and his familiarity with space travel, firearms and handtohand combat. I always took the implication from his performance, and things like this in many episodes, that book used to be a very bad man, on the level of the operative from serenity.
He joined up with the independence movement, and volunteered to be a spy on the alliance. Comics publisher dark horse released a book centric graphic novel in 2010 titled serenity. The man known as shepherd derrial book has one heck of a backstory. Serenity by joss whedon joss whedon, nathan fillion, gina. He came aboard the serenity at persephone, telling kaylee he had come from southdown abbey and wanted to walk the world a while.