Fray: Future Slayer

Comic books are a recent addition to my life. Until recently, I had always assumed that they were kids stuff, a medium for preteens. While I realized that the stories had potential (thanks largely to movies like Spider-man 1 and 2, Batman, Batman Returns, Batman Begins, and X-Men 1 and 2), I thought that the comic versions were out of my league. I was wrong. After reading the first six issues of Joss Whedon's (creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Firefly) Astonishing X-Men, I knew that the man could translate his genius to the comic medium. After reccomendations for Fray, I finally picked it up and read it. I could not have been more pleased. Set in an unknown year in the future (a couple centuries have passed), Melaka Fray lives in the slums of Manhattan. The world is a scary place to live in; even the dirtiest and most run-down of neighborhoods in America today have nothing on the sheer desolation of Melaka's world. Dirt and darkness are everywhere, and due to holes in the ozone layer, many people have mutated. Unlike Buffy and Angel, the source material for Fray, there is no magic in the world, it has all disappeared from the world due to some events in the 21st century. Also, there are very few actual demons, however, there are creatures known as lurks. Not much is known about them, but it is assumed that they are screwed up steroid junkies who, for some reason, crave human blood. Anyway, Melaka Fray is a runner/grabber (read: thief) for a mutated fish creature. She is fast, agile, and strong, which come in handy when pulling jobs. Turns out that she's a vampire slayer. Trouble is that she doesn't know what a vampire is. A demon known as Urkonn is forced to come back to Earth and explain to Fray about vampires/lurks, slayers, and her destiny. As the story unfolds, we learn about the twisted home life of the Frays, involving sister Erin and (twin) brother Harth. Melaka must train to fight off an impending war against the undead, and must rally the support of a population of humans that has grown apathetic towards most things. As usual, Whedon gives us a great story, fleshed-out characters, and tons of witty dialogue. The scenes of action are great, the scenes of emotion are powerful, and the humor is on par with Whedon's work. Also, this book introduces the slayer axe (that was later brought into Buffy's final season). This book will appeal to so many people. If you are a Whedon fan (especially if you enjoy the Buffyverse), you will like this book. If you are a comic book fan, you will like this book. If you are a person who enjoys a good story, you will like this book.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon wrote this eight issue mini-series for Dark Horse Comics. Taking place in the 23rd century in a Blade Runner-esque world; young "grabber" (pretty much a thief) Melaka Fray finds her world turned upside down when a mysterious demon named Urkonn tells her that she is the Slayer. Faced with a newfound destiny, a tragic past, and plot twists and turns galore; Joss Whedon's Fray is pure brilliance from beginning to end. Whedon's interpretation of future dialogue is amusing to say the least, and his quirky humor which has always been apparent throughout his various television shows is here as well. The art by Karl Moline and Andy Owens is amazing stuff indeed; bringing a surreal look to the dark and gritty future world while showing Mel mature more and more as each chapter passes. The only problem with Fray is in it's pacing. From the time that Mel accepts her destiny to the end of the book, the war against the vampires happens too quickly. If you can get past that though, you'll find some pure comic genius here, Joss Whedon style. Hopefully, Joss will do a much requested follow up to Fray after his current run on Marvel's Astonishing X-Men (also highly recommended).

I was really impressed by this superb graphic novel written by Buffy creator Joss Whedon. While I was expecting a fun and interesting addition to the Slayerverse mythology, I wasn't expecting such a surprisingly nifty take on the mythology that Whedon had established in Buffy and Angel. The story takes place at some indeterminate place in the future a couple of hundreds years in the future. No Slayer had been called in ages because magic had moved out of earth's dimension. But the vampires have returned, and for the first time in generations a new slayer has been called. The trouble is, apart from being a thief, she doesn't have many of the marks of a slayer--no dreams, no instincts, only the raw physical fighting ability. She is a slayer, but a flawed one. FRAY is filled with great graphic designs, a fine central storyline, a remarkably complex set of character relations, and some quite stunning plot reversals. I love the conceit of a not-quite-complete-slayer. The fighting skills are clearly the most important part of being a slayer, but Fray has no sense of her heritage, of her destiny, of her vocation. If Buffy at least struggled against her fate, Fray hasn't a hint of what her fate is. When tells the demon who would train her that she really hasn't had the dreams or visions of previous slayers, she is telling the truth. This makes her even more isolated than other slayers, more a loner.I think anyone who enjoys either graphic novels or any of the work of Joss Whedon is going to love this. Hopefully there will be a follow up. The story ends with things definitely open to future development. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

With big success with big-buget movie scripts, and the critically acclaimed "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," and "Angel," Joss Whedon brings us one of the most beautiful graphic novels I've ever seen. Something about it makes it so beautiful. The artwork, the writing, all of it down to the last pencil outline was awe-dropping. "Fray" is set in the far future where Manhattan has become a mutant disease in which no one notcies the monsters that roam the streets of Manhattan. Then comes along Fray. A street girl, not so different than Buffy, discovered the power to slay the vampires. And with her trusty demon watcher, Urkon, together they begin training and getting ready until the battle begins. The future never looked so good. Fans of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel" must obtain this graphic novel for their collection. I know I did.

Fray is a new chapter in the history of the Slayer. Buffy is long gone and so is the vampire menace. But as the years have gone by, the demons are slowly managing to get back into our world.Fray is thief, plain and simple. But she does have a good heart and tries to take care of others. But years ago her antics resulted in the death of her twin brother. Little does she know she is about to be tapped for something greater.First a man tells her she is the chosen one (then he sets himself on fire). Next, a huge demon tells her the same thing. But Fray has not been experiencing the signs the demon tells her about; there are no dreams. The demon must convince her of her heritage and train her before another power can open a gateway that will let all of demonkind ravage the Earth once more.This is a very-well crafted tale and shows the Joss Whedon's genius. One can only hope that there will be more tales of Fray in some form or another. If you like Buffy, you will love Fray.