Joss Whedon’s Firefly will always be the mascot for TV shows cut down too soon, giving fans just a taste of Nathan Fillion as Captain Malcolm Reynolds. But at least one lingering mystery about the good captain’s past will finally be solved… now that his mother will be getting a story all her own.

The announcement comes courtesy of CBR, revealing the special one-shot, Firefly: The Outlaw Ma Reynolds coming from BOOM! Studios. Having already published prior Firefly comic prequels and sequels, The Outlaw Ma Reynolds will reveal the Alliance’s most wanted woman, previously only alluded to by Mal in the original TV series. And from the sound of it, her death wish and rebel spirit may make her Browncoat son seem tame by comparison.

The one-shot will be written by Greg Pak (Star Wars) and illustrated by Davide Gianfelice (Nightwing) is scheduled for release on January 15th, as just the first of what sounds like even more comic stories fleshing out the Firefly universe in the year to come. And what a way to begin, sending Captain Mal and the rest of his crew to find, take, and keep his mother in their protection… for who knows how long. The perfect job for Pak, getting to create a character Firefly fans never got to know about, let alone dream of meeting:

In the commentary for Firefly star Nathan Fillion spoke to even his own curiosity about where Mal came from, and who shaped him into the Rebel he became–noting it wasn’t until Mal referred to his upbringing on a ranch that even he knew that detail. The chance to know those answers is too good for any true Browncoat to pass up, but BOOM! Studios Executive Editor Jeanine Schaefer also weighs in to give Firefly fans even more of a tease:

One of the ongoing joys of working on the Firefly comics has been the incredible room Joss Whedon and company have given us to explore and expand on the ‘Verse they created. Outlaw Ma Reynolds may be the biggest example of that – Malcolm Reynolds talks about his mom in the television series, but we’ve never seen her until the comics. And now we’re unspooling an epic tale of the badass outlaw Ma Reynolds and shaking Mal’s status quo to the core in a story that truly feels like it matters to this world and these characters. It’s a huge pleasure and honor to build on that sweet, loopy Firefly vibe that I love so much. Huge thanks to Joss, all our creative collaborators, and especially all the readers who have made all this possible.

The one-shot issue arrives in January, but until then fans can check out the cover artwork above by Ethan Young (Nanjing: The Burning City), along with the official plot synopsis and solicitation details below:

Maude Reynolds is tough as nails, smart as a whip, and if you can believe it, an even bigger revolutionary than the son she raised as a Browncoat. So what happens when this unstoppable force of a woman meets the immovable stubbornness of her son? Enough sparks to jump start a war. Mal and the crew will have their hands full dealing with their latest bounty, The Outlaw Ma Reynolds, and we can’t wait to show fans what happens next!

  • FIREFLY: THE OUTLAW MA REYNOLDS #1 (2020) Release Date: January 15th, 2020 Written by: Greg Pak Art by: Davide Gianfelice Cover Art by: Ethan Young Variant Cover Art by: Ming Doyle, Michael Walsh, and more. Captain Malcolm Reynolds—thief, smuggler, resistance fighter, and now captain of a crew of outcasts all the way on the farthest reaches of the ‘verse—wasn’t born an outlaw but he comes by it honestly. Turns out, his mother, the infamous Maude Reynolds, is at the top of the Alliance’s Most Wanted, and if Mal doesn’t get to her first, the Alliance will! Kicking off a new year of Firefly, discover the secret history of Mal and his mother, what that will mean for the rest of the ‘verse…and a new brewing war to end all wars.

Firefly: The Outlaw Ma Reynolds #1 releases January 15th, 2020 from BOOM! Studios.

Source: CBR