Those Left Behind
Serenity: Those Left Behind is a three-issue limited series, created in 2005 as a tie-in to the film Serenity. The series was written by Joss Whedon and Brett Matthews, illustrated by Will Conrad, lettered by Michael Heisler, and colored by Laura Martin.
The story is set between the Firefly series and the film, and was intended to bridge the two and lead into the movie. It is used to set up the beginning of the film by depicting Inara's departure and Book's intention to leave the ship, introduces several characters important to Serenity’s storyline, including The Operative and Mingo and Fanty, and resolves the Hands of Blue plotline. The comic also re-introduces Lawrence Dobson, an Alliance agent who was (apparently) killed by Mal in the Firefly pilot episode. Whedon had always planned to bring back Dobson, but did not have the opportunity before the series was cancelled.
Two collections have been released, both with new cover art. The first, published in January 2006, featured Mal and Inara on the cover, with Serenity taking off in the background. The second, a hardcover collection released in October 2007 featured Mal, Zoe, and Jayne on the cover. The original nine covers appear in both releases as chapter dividers. The first issue was reprinted in 2010 and released as part of Dark Horse's "#1 for $1" promotion.
Read more about this topic: Serenity (comics), Published Stories