10 Obscure Comics Secrets That Took Years To Discover

Time To Discover: Sep '02 - Nov '10

While the mysterious life of Shepherd Book didn't begin in comics, it remained a part of them long after Firefly went off the air, and it took some time before it was finally explained. On the show, Book was one of the most mysterious characters in Reynolds' retinue, and he was tight-lipped about his life.

He showed that he somehow had high-level government credentials, and this was never explained. When Firefly was canceled, it found new life in comic books, but it wasn't until The Shepherd's Tale was published in 2010 that fans got any answers about his past.

Zack Whedon, the author of the comic in question, said this of the book shortly before it was published:

"You will see Book's full trajectory... How he became the man he was in the show and who he was previous to that. It takes you deep into his past. You really get to see the entire evolution of this man ... It's an intricate set of circumstances that created the man we meet in the show so that is very fun to explore."

The book is broken up into several parts, each one following from an earlier period in Book's life. There are tons of interesting points, and pretty much every question a fan might have had about his life is played out in meticulous detail.