Fray is a grabber, who works for Gunther, a guy who has been mutated into a fish (this is a future where apparently a hole in the ozone and other ecological problems create mutations on a Stan Lee-like level), grabbing artifacts and sundry items of value, all the way trying to avoid her sister, Erin, a copy. In an interesting parallel to "BtVS," Melaka develops a relationship with and is trained by her second Watcher, the demon Urkonn of the D'avvrus, who looks like a demon with the lower half of his face ripped off, and who is frequently enraged by the young woman he is trying to teach to be a Slayer. This is because Fray has no frame of reference regarding why anybody should want to fight the lurks. If Urkonn cannot get Fray to accept her calling, then (altogether now) it could be the end of this futuristic world as we are learning to know it. The result is interesting and can certainly help to fill the void left by the end of Whedon's cult classic television show.

Ultimately, the eight issue of Dark Horse Comics' "Fray" are about the calling of a Slayer. After all, there has to be something pretty interesting going on if a Slayer has finally been called after two centuries, and there are several familial entanglements with which Fray has to contend. Besides, you should not be surprised when you get to Fray's final battle to learn that once again Whedon is playing with our expectations, albeit this time within the context of his own Slayer mythos. He is also obviously setting us up for a sequel that should have more of a payoff than this first effort. Working with Whedon on this project are penciller Karl Moline, who created Fray's look, inker Andy Owens, and colorists Dave Stewart and Michelle Madsen. The artwork is growing on me, because while the backgrounds are a lot sparser than I would like to see in a futuristic setting, Fray's face has some nice qualities and you can actually see how she matures over the course of the mini-series. The back of the book has an extended sketchbook by Moline showing the development of the characters and alternative cover ideas.


An Excellent Chapter in the History of the Slayers   December 2, 2003
 53 out of 55 found this review helpful

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.


Brilliant   June 7, 2004
 24 out of 24 found this review helpful

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).


A brilliant alternate take on the Slayer mythology   March 7, 2004
 17 out of 17 found this review helpful

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.


MIddling extension of the Buffyverse   November 21, 2004
 12 out of 25 found this review helpful

"Fray" is a graphic novel that extends the mythos of Buffy the Vampire Slayer into a distant and not very pleasant future. But its reference to the standard BTVS canon are just that--vague references. The world of "Fray" is a totally different realm in which Slayers and vampires alike are forgotten (although the latter exist as "Lurkers") and Watchers are ineffectual madmen. The title character, Fray, is a petty thief called to be a new Slayer and guided by a demon of dubious intentions. The storyline follows her as she learns what her destiny is, how her mission is intertwined with her own family troubles, and how she accepts her new role as Slayer.

I picked this up basically because it was written by Joss Whedon and because even a story tangentially related to Buffy sounded intriguing. Unfortunately, I was disappointed by the quality of the story. I didn't find the characters particularly sympathetic nor was I bowled over by the artwork. Compared to other comics and graphic novels that I've read, this one was lacking. Some readers may find it enjoyable; frankly, I didn't. If you're a fan of graphic novels generally, the odds are higher that you'll like this one. But if what you're really looking for is a Buffy fix, you can do better elsewhere.