Featured Review:
1602

"Omnia Mutantur: Everything changes." - Carolus Javier (alternate Charles Xavier)

In 1602, we see a complete re-imagining of the Marvel Universe, 400 years in the past. Spread across Europe and the New World are the heroes and villains we grew up with, in a whole new setting. Where else can you see Daredevil as a rogue bandit, passing himself off as a minstrel by day, or Peter Parker as the understudy to the Queen's intelligence advisor, Nicolas Fury? It's quite the mind trip to sort through the cavalcade of alter-characters and re-imagined faces.

All the classic Marvel story elements are here: hatred of mutants (or Witchbreed as they're called in olden times), subversive plots to ensure the destruction or livelihood of mutantkind, and super powered teams of gifted youngsters, ready to save the world. Of course, the costumes have changed, the names of characters are period appropriate (e.g. Scotius Somerisle is Scott Summers), and so forth, but the attitudes and artful storytelling are classic Marvel...

Float Out is a love letter to all those Firefly fans still mourning the loss of our favorite dinosaur-toting, joke-at-every-turn, goram pilot, Wash. The ace pilot got his crew out of more scrapes than they care to remember, and always did it with a humble flair. His death at the end of Serenity (the film based on the Firefly series) left a figurative gaping hole in our chests (and a literal one in his).

Reading this one-shot tribute issue to Washburne really showcases what lies at the heart of Serenity's crew: family. They were a ragtag group of criminals from all parts of the 'verse, thrown together by chance and misfortune, bound by each other's secrets and lack of options. Under the leadership of a rebel, and the flying skills of a jester, they saved the Universe. When others failed to act, or were afraid to, they jumped blindly.

Sure, they preferred to jump when profit was about, but even at a loss, they chose honor over funds.