In a perfect world, Firefly would have lasted six seasons and there would have been a trilogy of Serenity movies. Instead laugh-track sitcoms get to last a decade and Michael Bay gets to ruin not one, but three Transformers movies (and is in the works to ruin a fourth).

Thankfully we have comic books for talented geeks to fall-back on to tell their stories. Before that lil' Avengers movie, Joss Whedon didn't have the best track record with television ratings or box office revenue. More viewers likely watched one episode of some shameful American Idol contest reality show than the entire run of Firefly, and Deuce Bigelow 2 made more money than Serenity. Our planet if filled with people with horrible taste willing to give over their spare time to terrible offerings of entertainment.

Instead of tv episodes or movies, what we will have many more of is Joss Whedon approved, written by, and executive produced comic books. The collection I just read (partially re-read) is called Serenity: Better Days and features a pre-movie story by Joss himself, a post-movie story from comedian Patton Oswalt and a couple more short tales.

We'll never get more Buffy or Angel episodes, and as much as I dream that it will come to be I doubt that his characters from Serenity will ever see a live-action treatment again either. Luckily, comic books don't have to sell as many units or make as much money to be considered profitable and successful. And what makes comics even better, you never have to work around actors schedules or be worried about fx budgets either.