Three Quick Reviews

Serenity 1-3
A prequel to the upcoming Firefly movie. Luscious art, very realistic. Joss Whedon wrote the stories. Alternate covers. I have the Jayne, Zoe, and Wash covers. I can't say if the story works for newcomers to Firefly, because I'm a devoted fan of the TV show, but it was a nice little story, plenty of action, some of the humor from the show (which didn't play as well as when voiced by actors) but without some of the bite, and sets up the movie while not appearing to be a vital component.

Birds of Prey 86
Three stories in one issue. How long since we last saw that in comics? The opening story, with art byMelo and Conrad, was a nice bit of downtime for the Birds and sets things up for the next arc. The art was very nice. The second mini-story, focusing on Dinah, was a bit of fluff, and the third, focusing on Helena, sets things up for Huntress to rejoin the Birds. A nice breather, but I'm ready to get back to the complex plotting this series has perfected, thanks to writer Gail Simone.

Supergirl 2
Finally. I hate delays, especially in new books. Things are still in shakedown mode as Kara mixes it up with the Teen Titans while trying to talk to Superboy. Very nice art doesn't fully disguise the setup aspects of the first couple of issues, nor does the action with the Teen Titans misreading her appearance at the Kent farm make for a story. Even as chapters in a longer story arc, this is weak. I'm willing to give this book a fair chance, given my love for the character, and there's promise of strong stories to come in regards to Luther's involvement, but it's getting time for Loeb to put up or give way to someone who can just get to the stories. People like Gail Simone, Geoff Johns, even Judd Winick. Trying to make something out of nothing, especially after something similar though stronger in Kara's appearances in Superman/Batman, is not likely to serve the book well in the short run and these days, the short run is vital to keep people reading and books viable.