Like some cherished old friends circling back into our lives during the shiniest of seasons, the intrepid crew of the Serenity returns for a new holiday one-shot courtesy of Boom! Studios.

"Firefly Holiday Special #1" rockets down our chimneys this week to great fanfare and celebration as Captain Mal Reynolds and his brave Browncoats deliver good cheer to all in this thrilling Dickensian adventure perfect for yuletide reading.

This oversized, standalone issue is written by the Emmy and Eisner Award-winning Jeff Jensen (HBO's "Watchmen," "Better Angels: A Kate Warne Adventure") with pencils by artists Vincenzo Federici ("Go-Go Power Rangers"), Jordi Pérez ("Firefly"), and Fabiana Mascolo ("Firefly: Brand New 'Verse"), colors via Francesco Segala, Gloria Martinelli, and Lucia Di Giammarino, and letters by Jim Campbell.

In a heartfelt storyline reminiscent of the immortal 19th century classic "A Christmas Carol"  by Charles Dickens, Jayne's self-absorbed attitude draws the interest of a trio of wandering ghosts who offer up the veiled past, present, and future of Serenity's most Scrooge-like smuggler.  

When a memorable character resurfaces as the aptly-named Ghost of Firefly Past, another crew member navigates Jayne around his current situation and poor decisions, revealing to him dire consequences to the error of his ways. However, the Ghost of Firefly Future, Emma Washburne, arrives to unveil a startling fate that no one could have predicted. Will Jayne face his transgressions and make a fresh start to dodge the disaster looming straight ahead? 

If Charles Dickens were alive today, we're sure he'd approved of this loose sci-fi adaptation of his classic Christmas tale of greed, ghosts, and redemption!