By: Joss Whedon Publisher: Dark Horse Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Label: Dark Horse Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 216 Publication Date: December 09, 2003 Reading Level: Young Adult
Product Description: Hundreds of years in the future, Manhattan has become a deadly slum, run by mutant crime-lords and disinterested cops. Stuck in the middle is a young girl who thought she had no future, but learns she has a great destiny. In a world so poisoned that it doesn't notice the monsters on its streets, how can a street kid like Fray unite a fallen city against a demonic plot to consume mankind? Joss Whedon, the celebrated creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, brings his vision to the future in this unique tale. As inventive in the comics medium as in that of television of film, Whedon spins a complex tale of a skilled thief coming of age without the help of friends or family, guided only by a demonic Watcher.
Another Hit by Whedon! if you are a buffy fan this is a must, If you never give buffy a chance, this is a must, if you dont have a clue about buffy this is a must... Once you read it you will want to read more and know everything about the slayer mithos. Great starting point for those unfamiliar with Joss Whedon work...
Well, still better than Season 7... Certainly better than "Buffy: Season 7", Fray captures some of the goofy spirit that made the television show so enjoyable for so long. However, despite Whedon's best efforts (or maybe because of them), it still feels like a toothless attempt at TV series.
There are no emotional connections deep enough to surprise or shock the reader, although that doesn't stop Whedon from 'shocking' revelations at every turn.
The art is better than average, and supports the gimmicky future that Whedon has built.
Still, a mildy entertaining (if self-indulgent) contribution to the Buffy mythos, if not to the comic book industry as a whole.
Fantastic twist on the Slayer verse A fun read. Good storytelling and great artwork. Fray is not Buffy. She is a street rat and a thief, and very spunky. Worth reading!!! ~~~Liandre
Fray is very Joss Whedon Which means snappy dialogue, great action scenes and interesting plot. The art is excellent, and there's even a giant dinosaur in there somewhere! It's very different from Buffy, Fray is more like the anti-buffy; a thief('grabber), working FOR the mutated bad guys and running from the cops. Oh, and she's a brunette. Highly recommended, especially if you're a Buffy fan.
Fray the Vampire Slayer I have officially been converted. I can now say that I'm a Joss Whedon fan. I never watched his previous vampire sagas, Buffy and Angel, however, I did catch his excellent series Firefly, his sci-fi series which was more up my alley.
Fray is also a futuristic tale, taking place 200 years into the future of the Buffy universe. It has been a very long time since the last slayer, and the time has come when one has to be called upon. Enter Melaka Fray, a thief with a complicated history. While she's a crook her older sister, Erin, is a police sergeant. To top it off, four years ago her twin brother Harth was killed by a vampire when he was helping her steal and she has never forgiven herself for it. A demon named Urkonn finds Mel and reveals to her that it's her destiny to become a slayer.
That is the set up, and the pay off is quite enjoyable. The story moves along at such a rapid pace that it was impossible for me to get bored. Whedon's writing is very cinematic with plenty of conflict, twists, and surprises. We're introduced to Mel plummeting from a skyscraper and hitting every flying car she can on the way to break her fall. There's a lot of action in every chapter, but plenty of humor, drama and witty dialog in between to balance it out and keep me satisfied.
The artwork by Karl Moline works really well. I had never seen anything he worked on prior to this. I always took the time to appreciate the landscapes of this alternate future, and he's just as adept at illustrating a good fight scene as he is at getting across a character's emotions through facial expressions and body language. Inker Andy Owens, does well and the colors are provided by Dave Stewart whose work I'm very familiar with who is joined by Michelle Madsen here.
A very enjoyable read all the way through. And if you need proof that you don't have to be a Buffy fan prior to reading this to appreciate it, then consider this it. Bring on the sequel!
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