There is something powerful about Firefly. Though a short run, the television show, and movie, is a cult classic. Every year the show gets discovered by someone new and the fanfare gets a boost. The mythology that got injected into this universe more than romanticizes the Old West but showed where it can go when infused with sci-fi. As it took the idealism of the Wild West, imparted the battle scars veterans carry like from the Civil War and put in a dystopian setting like Star Wars, and you get Firefly.

One of the best parts of the story is Summer Glau’s portrayal of River Tam. We find out after a few episodes her and her brother Simon are no mere passengers. Every law enforcer in the galaxy is looking for them, especially River. The way Glau portrayed the character and how underscored the prominence of her abilities is what makes her storyline so special. In the second issue of Shikari Force: Hunters, our crew finds a River Tam of their won, one that causes as much as complications as the Firefly crew undertook.

The leader of the Nagas has discovered the Shikari Force has found the Dakini. Naga implores Krait, leader of his armed forces Nest 13, to hunt down their vessel. We also find the crew dealing with the aftermath of the Dakini’s considerable powers. She has ecimated their lab. We’re also taken to the Old City on Varanasi where the Dakini finds refuge with an elderly woman. Nil and Meena eventually find the Dakini but so has the Nagas. By issue’s end, a firefight breaks out between Nil and Meena and the Nagas,  but Krait finds a way to Jimi’s lair, which may leave our heroes doomed.

Overall, another stirring issue which pushes the limit of action-packed sci fi epics. The story by Sarwat Chadda is well developed and intelligent. The art by the creative team is beautiful. Altogether, a story that gets the reader on the edge of their seat hoping the heroes will come out of it triumphant despite the odds.

Story: Sarwat Chadda Art: Arjuna Susini and Aditya Bidikar
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy

As a child of 1980s, I grew up watching a ton of television shows. Some that my parents liked and others only me and my cousins liked. Many of the shows sought to tell stories that aren’t often seen on television now. An example is the cool exteriors, complex storylines and suspense of Sting Ray, a television show which only lasted two seasons, but showed many writers that you can blend genres without sacrificing what makes each type so interesting.

Another show that captivated audiences was V, a story that would be remade in 2011, and circled around an alien race who visits Earth, as harmless visitors but ends up revealing to the audience that they are ruthless conquerors. The show painted a world where we should be cautious of strangers, and though it seemed as though the good guys were seeing daylight in their battles with the aliens, you never felt that they were quite a match. As I had pondered a few times in my childhood flights of fancy, only if the humans were as powerful as the aliens. In the first issue of Shikari Force: Hunters, we find a motley crew whose abilities make them perfect to stop a new alien threat.

We meet Nil, an assassin and demon hunter, whose work finds him on a spaceship flying right above the Indian Ocean, where he finds a beautiful woman asleep in a capsule. Meanwhile, on Earth, we also meet Jimi, a brilliant scientist, whose company’s work is on the forefront and Meena, his girlfriend, who just so happens to be a daughter of a demon, who senses something is not quite right. We are also taken to the Himalayas, where an army of aliens, are amassing weapons and soldiers to take over the world, as they quietly set a trap for our heroes. Jimi’s obsession with work gives Meena concern, a distraction that Nil would love to give her an escape from. By issue’s end, Jimi wakes up to nightmares one that draws him back to the capsule, where the woman in the capsule has risen, who just so happens to be a renegade goddess.

Overall, an excellent first issue that introduces us to team much like the Watchmen. It’s just as complex and even more intriguing. The story by Sarwat Chadda is smart, even-paced, and exciting. The art by the creative team complements the story well. Altogether, an action-packed debut that does more than impress.

Story: Sarwat Chadda
Art: Arjuna Susini and Aditya Bidkar
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy