Better Days is a 2008 comic book series written by Brett Matthews and Joss Whedon set in the Firefly/Serenity Universe. It was published by Dark Horse Comics. Taking place before Those Left Behind, this story sees the crew finally catching a break, and they all discuss how they plan to spend their newfound fortunes, assuming it doesn't all blow up in their faces...
Better Days contains examples of:
- Bridge Bunnies: Jayne's plan involves him buying a starship and crewing it with beautiful women.
- Call-Back: Simon is uncomfortable with raiding a Buddhist temple to recover some money hidden there, so Book suggests a donation to the temple, and Mal agrees. While they're digging out the money, a monk happens along. Mal indicates to Jayne that now's the time, so Jayne gives the monk a stack of cash. The monk gasps, "The Hero of Canton... He's real!" And so the legend grows...
- Cloud Cuckoolander: River, naturally; her plan for the money involves a human-sized fish wearing a tuxedo, among other things.
- Electrified Bathtub: Mal knocks a guy into a fountain, and the guy's gun (which has an on-board power source) electrocutes him.
- Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas: Jayne clarifies that his ship, the Radiant Cobb, would be named for his mother, not himself.
- Hookers and Blow: How Shepard Book claims he will spend his cash. Then assures the stunned crew that he was just messing with them.
- Mecha-Mooks: The unnamed operator of the drone also has several combat robots he brings to bear against the crew. Because they're not alive Book is fine with hacking them apart.
- Tracking Device: The drone the crew snatch "was designed to expel microscopic tracking beacons upon unexpected shutdown or systems failure." This allows the drone operator to track the crew down.
- The Unnamed: The drone operator and the man Mal wants to sell the (stolen) drone to are never named.
