Enlarge Dark Horse Comics 'Serenity: Downtime' is a slice of life aboard Firefly spaceship Firefly continues to grow. Best described as a space Western, the 2002 Fox TV show was canceled before its first season was complete, but it struck a chord with science-fiction fans. The legacy of writer/director Joss Whedon 'scontinues to grow. Best described as a space Western, the 2002 Fox TV show was canceled before its first season was complete, but it struck a chord with science-fiction fans. Although that audience wasn't large enough to persuade Fox to save the show, the write-in campaigns by this devoted fan base resulted in the release of that single season on DVD and production of the 2005 Universal Pictures feature film Serenity. Serenity was the name of the Firefly-class spaceship featured on the TV show and in the film. Serenity now lives on in comic book form. For the most recent tales of the beloved spaceship and crew, Joss has passed the creative torch to author (and brother) Zack Whedon. In the latest installment of the USA TODAY-exclusive DH:HD program, Zack Whedon presents Serenity: Downtime. He describes the tale as a "slice-of-life, day-on-the-ship story." Writing a complete story in just eight pages was a daunting task for the veteran comic book and TV show scribe. "It's very difficult. You have to be careful and really disciplined about how much time you spend with each of these characters," he says. The writer felt added pressure, knowing the level of knowledge and devotion that fans have for each character and story detail. Whedon says he is amazed at the patience and persistence of Firefly and Serenity followers. "I don't know what the ingredients are to create fans like that, but it's wonderful. It's fun to write for those fans, but also intimidating. "There's so much that (the fans) wish they had had a chance to see but weren't able to because the show was taken away from them so early. That said, they know everything about the show and the movie." Whedon has tried to create an atmosphere resembling a scene from Firefly. "I wanted to reward those fans by showing these characters like it was a part of the show," he says. Downtime follows crewmembers snowed in on a planet filled with, as Whedon puts it, "a bunch of people you don't want to run into." Though the whole crew is included, the focus is on the mysterious (and fan-favorite) character known as River. Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read more