The Secrets of Firefly's Shepherd Book Will Finally Be Revealed

[EnigmaticSevens]

Hmm... well after seeing Serenity's Operative, most everyone was pretty sure just what Book's former occupation was, the tactical skills, combat training, administrative level connections, hell it all fit together really, really smoothly. In fact, I'm almost sure they could've kept quite a Book's past, and his role as a former operative would've still be cannon, he just knows way too damn much about how they work, and Atoner is scrawled all over his grizzled face with a big black permanent marker.

 

[xDHxD148L0]

Nooo! The mystery associated with Book made the character. If you explain it, then he loses that mystery.

True, even though it will be interesting to know about who he was before, revealing the "mystery" of his past will take away a lot of the intrigue the character has.

 

[TOGSolid]

Wait, are people really complaining about more Firefly (even if it is just a comic book)? Egads, what's wrong with the lot of you?

 

[commasplice]

Yes, mystery, by default, is more interesting than knowing.

That's subjective and arguable.

Mystery can go any direction, knowing is completely linear.

Making things mysteries leaves the viewer to fill in the blanks with their imaginations which may not be quite as vivid as the author's. Basically, what I'm saying is that it's possible the writers could think up something that would be more interesting than anything you or I will ever think up. Still, I guess it's possible that someone else could think up something that's more interesting than the truth.

I also though it was pretty obvious he was the same thing as the antagonist from the movie, except suffering a crises of faith.

Again, that's arguable. It's hinted at, but we don't know for sure unless they tell us. Isn't there a possibility that he was part of a completely different organization that wasn't touched upon in the show on account of being canceled? Or maybe he taught himself how to be a badass and met all of his "connections" through being a prominent Shepherd somewhere.

My main point, though, is that I feel that Shepherd Book was a character with more depth than just "he has a mysterious past." Maybe the mysterious past adds to the character, but it doesn't define him; it's just one aspect of who he is. Likewise, if they had decided to make him a white guy, it may have changed the character a little, but it wouldn't completely redefine him because that's not all that he is.

To quote Inara, "It is simply one state of being."

 

[commasplice]

-snip-

If they heavily hint at something, then go a completely different direction, they're morons.

And nothing I said was arguable. Only extremely boring people are frustrated by mysteries.

Plenty of what you said was arguable. What is or isn't "interesting" depends on the person you're asking. For example, some people find trigonometry interesting. Personally, I think it's about the most boring thing on the planet most of the time. When did I say anything about being frustrated? I never said I couldn't stand for Book's past to be a secret. All I was saying is that I don't think it detracts from the character to explain who he is and why.

Edit: Oh yeah, and whether or not that would make them morons is also arguable. You seem to think that the only way to get entertainment from a mystery is to have it never be solved, but you don't seem to realize that part of the fun can be in understanding the twists and turns that created it. I think the journey and the destination are both important. Maybe they were hinting at one thing to keep us off the trail of another. Maybe there's a reason things appear to be one way when they're really another. Maybe Book wanted the crew of Serenity to assume he was an operative or some such for some unknown ulterior motive. I really think you're oversimplifying this whole thing.

 

[008Zulu_v1legacy]

He was an Operative but became a Shepard due to a crisis of conscience, perhaps from killing 1 too many children.

 

[Baron Khaine]

I'm one of the people who watched Serenity first, then caught up with Firefly after i'd see how awesome Serenity was, and after seeing it from that perspective, I can't see it being anything other than him being an Operative.

The story of how he went from being an Operative to being a Shepard should be good though.

 

[soren7550]

I know that he's killed at least one man before the start of the show and he took his name to use as his own, but that's about it.

I wonder if the book will reveal how he got hold of the Daichi.

 

[tkioz]

I'm torn, on one hand I'm screaming "Hell yeah! finally we get to know!" on the side, on the other I'm worried that it will ruin the magic of the mystery. Sometimes less is more.

 

[Thaius]

Allow me a quick fanboy squeal of glee.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*ahem*

 

[Flight]

He's a former operative. Calling it now.

I think so, too. Even if we're wrong, though, it'll be nice to take a look at the illustrious Shepherd's shady past.

 

[jthm]

I thought it was fairly clear that he was an Operative.

 

[SL33TBL1ND]

This is awesome, I so wish they continued that show!

 

[eriieekk]

Plus, he's dead, and the series is dead, so who cares?

For you to know that he is dead means that you must have at least watched Serenity. Assuming that you watched them in the right order,(Firefly first and then Serenity), you clearly cared enough about it to actually watch Serenity. Therefore following that train of logic, I call you a hypocrite for not caring about Book being dead. As for the series being dead, it may be off of the air, but this new novel clearly shows the series as being very much alive.

 

[sprout]

sweeeeeet. I wish i had something more constructive to add, but pure excitement is all I've got.

 

[Firia]

About gorram time. How many years have I been waiting for some news about A Shepards Tale? One to many, that's how many (actually I think it was just one). Good to get more Firefly content. That's been sorely missed.

Would rather more Firefly... but, yaknow.

 

[Odd Water]

eh sometimes you just don't want to know about someone's past, because you don't care or you worried it would just ruin things. (like the horrible mess they did with Wolverine's origins)

 

[Therumancer]

Speaking for myself I think comics are okay, but I am increasingly irritated at Joss Whedon finishing his stories in that format. I understand relaunching some of these projects would be impossible given the aging of the actors and such, even if he (unlikely) got the oppertunity. I however feel the medium is somewhat lacking for what he's been dealing with.

I've kind of been hoping he would start looking towards animation for things like this.