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The Shepherd's Tale
(Serenity #3)
by
, , ,
One of Serenity's greatest mysteries is finally revealed in The Shepherd's Tale, filling in the life of one of the show's most beloved characters—Shepherd Book!
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? Answers to these and more questions about Book's past ...more
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? Answers to these and more questions about Book's past ...more
Hardcover, 56 pages
Published
November 24th 2010
by Dark Horse Comics
(first published November 3rd 2010)
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Start your review of The Shepherd's Tale (Serenity, #3)
My reaction to this graphic novel is quite mixed.
For the record, I am a long-time fan of Firefly and Serenity. I'm always on the lookout for more stories from the 'verse, and two of the unresolved issues that continue to fascinate me most are the mysteries behind Shepherd Book's identity and Inara Serra's choice to leave the core planets. I was thrilled, therefore, to read that this book would offer an in-depth study of Book Shepherd's history and character.
I'm very pleased that The Shepherd's ...more
For the record, I am a long-time fan of Firefly and Serenity. I'm always on the lookout for more stories from the 'verse, and two of the unresolved issues that continue to fascinate me most are the mysteries behind Shepherd Book's identity and Inara Serra's choice to leave the core planets. I was thrilled, therefore, to read that this book would offer an in-depth study of Book Shepherd's history and character.
I'm very pleased that The Shepherd's ...more
The Shepherd's tale, finally.
For me, Firefly's biggest mystery was not about the mad skills of River. It was the enigmatic Shepherd Books and his promise of a dark past. The viewers of the show were teased now and again about this evasive past and was not resolved during the movie.
Finally, we have an answer.
I truly enjoyed the structure of the story. Starting from the movie serenity, Jumping to firefly and then further back to the very beginning. (They could've called this 'The curious case of ...more
For me, Firefly's biggest mystery was not about the mad skills of River. It was the enigmatic Shepherd Books and his promise of a dark past. The viewers of the show were teased now and again about this evasive past and was not resolved during the movie.
Finally, we have an answer.
I truly enjoyed the structure of the story. Starting from the movie serenity, Jumping to firefly and then further back to the very beginning. (They could've called this 'The curious case of ...more
We finally get to know the story behind the Shepherd, this man has some past.
He seems all kind and loving, he is a man of God after all:
He doesn't judge.....
Then we see the signs:
The hair is the first to show....what a horrible thing....I still have nightmares about it.....
Then we have him cursing people to hell... he had a reason...but still....
Then he is okay with hurting people....they are bad people...very bad...but still.....
But I love him nonetheless, he was sch a brilliant character, the ...more
He seems all kind and loving, he is a man of God after all:
He doesn't judge.....
Then we see the signs:
The hair is the first to show....what a horrible thing....I still have nightmares about it.....
Then we have him cursing people to hell... he had a reason...but still....
Then he is okay with hurting people....they are bad people...very bad...but still.....
But I love him nonetheless, he was sch a brilliant character, the ...more
I had to re-read this today, in honor of the sad passing of the amazing Ron Glass. (aka 'Shepard Book', for those of you who do not wear Brown Coats.) This remains a great read, made greater by my being able to hear the words in Glass's unmistakable tones in my head whilst reading. Thank you for what you gave to the Big Damn (uni)Verse, Mr.Glass, through your amazing work on 'Firefly' and 'Serenity'. I am so happy that I own this book, especially today.
You can't stop the signal. --Jen from ...more
You can't stop the signal. --Jen from ...more
I got this because I'm a huge Firefly fan. I loved the series and movie and like I would suppose most fans own the DVDs. This reportedly was a story that would tie up the mysteries about Shepherd Book's background.
If you watched the series this was one of the building plot points that didn't get tied up. The series was canceled (mainly in my opinion because the executives didn't get it. The series had and has a large and loyal following.) during the first series. Book was an interesting ...more
If you watched the series this was one of the building plot points that didn't get tied up. The series was canceled (mainly in my opinion because the executives didn't get it. The series had and has a large and loyal following.) during the first series. Book was an interesting ...more
According to the author's afterword, this was written based on an outline by Joss Whedon. I found this statement particularly interesting, as the graphic novel itself struck me far more as a writers'-bible character outline than an actual story in its own right. Does it answer our questions about Book and his past? Mostly, yes. Does it make sense within the context of the character and the series? Sure. Does it bring any new insight to the character, or even stand on its own as an interesting
...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This is fanfic for the TV series Firefly/movie Serenity; previously published on Amazon.
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It's good to know what Joss intended for Book's backstory and the plot of this comic sort-of fits the character, but the major moments of Book's life are far too briefly dealt with, too disconnected & present a coarsely violent Derrial Book who never gets anywhere near evolving into the educated, thoughtful Shepherd seen in Firefly & Serenity.
Shepherd's Tale reads like a synopsis ...more
- - - - - - - - - -
It's good to know what Joss intended for Book's backstory and the plot of this comic sort-of fits the character, but the major moments of Book's life are far too briefly dealt with, too disconnected & present a coarsely violent Derrial Book who never gets anywhere near evolving into the educated, thoughtful Shepherd seen in Firefly & Serenity.
Shepherd's Tale reads like a synopsis ...more
There were so many loose ends that Firefly's premature end left dangling. Shepherd Book's backstory was one of them, a major one. This rather short graphic novel attempts to answer many of the questions, while still leaving holes and questions to maybe play with later. Book's story is told backwards, in short scenes that were important to his life told in reverse order, starting at the end of his life and going back to the beginning. It's an interesting way to do it, and probably more effective
...more
Shepard was most intriguing charter in firefly and now we finally get his tale.Story starts from time of his death in Serenity than jumps couple of years in the past several times showing events that shaped his life.
I expected lot from Shepard's story and I was not disappointed it's just too bad we couldn't see it in the show.
I expected lot from Shepard's story and I was not disappointed it's just too bad we couldn't see it in the show.
One of the big storyline mysteries that never got answered due to the show Firefly being canceled was “Who is Sheppard Book?” We are given hints that he is more than he seems. He is a man of great faith, with a shadowed and secret past. In the graphic novel The Shepherd’s Tale, we are shown who this mystery preacher really is, and how he ended up on the firefly captained by Mal, Serenity.
One thing I enjoyed about the book was the fact that it starts at the end of Shepherd Book’s life and goes ...more
One thing I enjoyed about the book was the fact that it starts at the end of Shepherd Book’s life and goes ...more
Sep 04, 2011
Eric
rated it
liked it
Recommends it for:
Browncoats who want to know more about Book's mysterious past
Recommended to Eric by:
Zach Connelly
Shelves:
science-fiction,
graphic-novels
While I still don't love the way the Serenity crew is animated, I enjoyed the self-contained story elucidating Reverend Book's mysterious background as opposed to the scattershot approach of Serenity: Those Left Behind, the last Serenity graphic novel I read. I also appreciated the risky reverse-linear, Memento-style presentation of the comic, which, if it had been done poorly, could have come off as contrived or gimmicky, but really helped add dramatic tension to Book's tale.
Dec 09, 2017
Sarah AlObaid
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
on-my-bookshelf,
graphic-novels-and-comics
This was my favorite. Glad we finally got to know Shepherd Book's story, and glad to know it was worth knowing. It adds a lot of depth to his character, knowing his history. I loved the order of the events how we kept going back in time, i found that very interesting, as opposed to the story just being told in a chronological order.
Jul 14, 2014
Arielle Walker
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
sci-fi,
graphic-novels-and-comic-books
Much, much better than Better Days (I haven't read the other Serenity comics yet, so can't judge them in comparison). The art fits really well, I love the constant shifts backwards in time, and finding out Book's story is so ridiculously cool anyway - loved this. Not perfect but pretty gorram good.
Overall, I am really disappointed in this book.
Book is one of my favorite characters in one of my favorite short-lived sci-fi series, so you might think I would be a naysayer going into this one, but I honestly wasn't You'll have to take my word for that, of course, but I promise I wasn't one of "those people." I was looking forward to this one. I couldn't wait to hear more on the life of this fantastic character who ended up on the "wrong ship" somehow.
That, unfortunately, is not what I found ...more
Book is one of my favorite characters in one of my favorite short-lived sci-fi series, so you might think I would be a naysayer going into this one, but I honestly wasn't You'll have to take my word for that, of course, but I promise I wasn't one of "those people." I was looking forward to this one. I couldn't wait to hear more on the life of this fantastic character who ended up on the "wrong ship" somehow.
That, unfortunately, is not what I found ...more
I found out this hardcover comic existed last fall thanks to another reviewer on 50bookchallenge, and then purchased it for my husband's Christmas... and I just so happened to read it as well.[return][return]This slender book provides a much-wanted back story for Shepherd Book, one of many memorable characters from the show Firefly and movie Serenity. I won't go into incredible detail on the content, but the reverse order of the tale ends at his childhood. It shows the hardship of his life in
...more
Shepherd as an operative would have been nice. I'm not sure what this mess is supposed to be.
FINALLY!
In a backwards timeline, we Browncoats finally learn why a shepherd knows so damn much about crime. Made me love Book even more.
In a backwards timeline, we Browncoats finally learn why a shepherd knows so damn much about crime. Made me love Book even more.
The story of Book. We know that he settles on a planet that is attacked. This is the story of his life up till he meets our infamous crew. I’m not going to reveal his stories and ruin the surprises but they are heart rending.
Wonderful stories and wonderful art!
Wonderful stories and wonderful art!
"We each get to be in the world a time. And I've had mine. It can be tough. It can be ugly. But I'm grateful for the journey and what I've stumbled across along the way. I found faith. I found family."
Oh, wow. Someone is out to break my heart.
And it worked.
I, and everyone else in the Firefly-fandom I reckon, love Shepherd Book. He is, aside from being a wonderful character, also the type of religious person I wish we saw more of. The type who found peace and strength with God, someone who ...more
Oh, wow. Someone is out to break my heart.
And it worked.
I, and everyone else in the Firefly-fandom I reckon, love Shepherd Book. He is, aside from being a wonderful character, also the type of religious person I wish we saw more of. The type who found peace and strength with God, someone who ...more
A good read, with amazing art by Chris Samnee and Dave Stewart. I have only three real complaints, two of which are arguably nit-picking and the other one of which is insurmountable, but not really a fair complaint. They are:
1 - The reverse time narrative seemed like a fancy, unnecessary trick that didn't quite work. That said, I have to admit that I did reread it again, knowing everything I knew from reading it the first time, and that was an interesting experiment. So maybe it works better ...more
1 - The reverse time narrative seemed like a fancy, unnecessary trick that didn't quite work. That said, I have to admit that I did reread it again, knowing everything I knew from reading it the first time, and that was an interesting experiment. So maybe it works better ...more
This is the book where we finally find out the great secret of who Shepherd Book really is. Finally an end to the wondering, why did the men on the alliance cruiser shut up and treat him when they saw his ident card? Who is he to the alliance? Where did he come from? How did he become a shepherd? Finally! Answers!
The story is told in a brilliant way, backwards through time. The opening scene is just before his death in the Serenity movie. And then the next scene is a skip back in time several ...more
The story is told in a brilliant way, backwards through time. The opening scene is just before his death in the Serenity movie. And then the next scene is a skip back in time several ...more
After all the waiting to find out about Derrial Book's past, this is kind of an anti-climax. It's hard to judge it for itself, and not based on the years of coming up with my own interpretations and reading about other people's ideas. It's a character-driven piece, only really interesting to those who already know and love Firefly, and to be honest I'm sort of not terribly moved by it. It didn't surprise me, and it gave me a couple of moments of, "Um, but..." I didn't feel like it explained some
...more
This is just a short graphic novel. I've wanted to read it for awhile, but the first edition went out of print when I tried to buy it and then I ended up forgetting about it.
A friend of mine got it from the library and let me borrow it from him before he read it.
I always wanted to know the deal with Book, and one of the most frustrating parts of the movie was they didn't explore that at all.
This book is a bit of a mixed bag. The story and art is good. I liked the way they transitioned back to ...more
A friend of mine got it from the library and let me borrow it from him before he read it.
I always wanted to know the deal with Book, and one of the most frustrating parts of the movie was they didn't explore that at all.
This book is a bit of a mixed bag. The story and art is good. I liked the way they transitioned back to ...more
Here are all of Book's secerts revealed and I have to admit I'm a little disappointed. This short book dumps all the major parts of Book's life into one pot without any of the dramatic reveals or stories that would make it more interesting as a narrative.
The transitions are kind of rough and some plot threads get left unresolved (at least for me).
Also, I'm left with a few questions like, "If the Alliance is _________, then why did they _________ ?"
Nevertheless, it's Book and we get to see a ...more
The transitions are kind of rough and some plot threads get left unresolved (at least for me).
Also, I'm left with a few questions like, "If the Alliance is _________, then why did they _________ ?"
Nevertheless, it's Book and we get to see a ...more
The best one so far. It tells the story of Shepherd Book's past, starting with his death as seen in Serenity. then, every few pages it jumps backward in time to a previous "version" of Book in different circumstances.
And his background - perfect for the character. This is character development at its finest, and it makes Book one of the most compelling characters on Serenity. And I'm more upset than ever that this show got cancelled. Whoever at Fox was responsible for that decision - I hope you ...more
And his background - perfect for the character. This is character development at its finest, and it makes Book one of the most compelling characters on Serenity. And I'm more upset than ever that this show got cancelled. Whoever at Fox was responsible for that decision - I hope you ...more
I'm so glad I read this one, it shards so much light on the secretive Shepherd Book. I finally feel like I know more about his life and his reasoning for everything. The shepherd is wonderfully flawed and complex character and it was so thrilling to find out his secrets. Now I’ve read all the serenity graphic novels I really need to watch the TV show again.
Well told story and fitting conclusion for Shepherd, I never really enjoyed his quick exit from Serenity but he at least had a good death. This book looks at his life in reverse, with the bullet striking him from the film right to the point he makes his own choices. This is one of my favourite series so I'm also happy and sad for this final book with Shepherd.
This one is the best of the bunch so far. I loved that there was his back story as well as scenes with the Serenity crew. Sheppard Book is one of the characters who didn't get a lot of face tune in the series and even less time in the movie which I always thought was a shame as he had such a mystery about his character so I was very happy to see he got a place in the graphic novels.
Finally, the Shepherd's backstory! I love how it's presented, jumping backwards a few years at a time. It lets you live out the twists and turns as if you were watching the arc play out across a few episodes.
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Joss Whedon (born Joseph Hill Whedon) is an American screenwriter, executive producer, film and television director, comic book writer, occasional composer, and actor, and the founder of Mutant Enemy Productions and co-creator of Bellwether Pictures.
He is best known as the creator and showrunner of the television series 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003)', 'Angel (1999–2004)', 'Firefly (2002)' ...more
He is best known as the creator and showrunner of the television series 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003)', 'Angel (1999–2004)', 'Firefly (2002)' ...more
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