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Fray
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 or 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.
216 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2003
45 people are currently reading
8,748 people want to read
About the author
Joss Whedon
519Ìýbooks4,359ÌýfollowersJoss Whedon (born Joseph Hill Whedon) is an American screenwriter, executive producer, film and television director, comic book writer, occasional composer, and actor, and the founder of Mutant Enemy Productions and co-creator of Bellwether Pictures.
He is best known as the creator and showrunner of the television series 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997�2003)', 'Angel (1999�2004)', 'Firefly (2002)' and its film follow-up 'Serenity (2005)', and 'Dollhouse (2009�2010)', as well as the web-series' 'Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (2008)'. Whedon co-wrote and produced the horror film 'The Cabin in the Woods (2012)', and wrote and directed the film adaptation of Marvel's 'The Avengers (2012)', the third highest-grossing film of all time.
Many of Whedon's projects have cult status and his work is notable for portraying strong female characters and a belief in equality.
credit:
He is best known as the creator and showrunner of the television series 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997�2003)', 'Angel (1999�2004)', 'Firefly (2002)' and its film follow-up 'Serenity (2005)', and 'Dollhouse (2009�2010)', as well as the web-series' 'Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (2008)'. Whedon co-wrote and produced the horror film 'The Cabin in the Woods (2012)', and wrote and directed the film adaptation of Marvel's 'The Avengers (2012)', the third highest-grossing film of all time.
Many of Whedon's projects have cult status and his work is notable for portraying strong female characters and a belief in equality.
credit:
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 713 reviews
February 4, 2008
I'll admit it. If Joss Whedon wrote his grocery list on the back of a gas receipt and published it, I would wait in line all night, twitching and drooling to buy the first copy. Then I would moon over it to all my friends, blissfully ignoring their obvious contempt. "Eggs and Milk!" I would exclaim, "Criminy, he's a genius! Genius! And oranges, who would have thought? What style! What humor! What daring!"
Then I would drain a pint of my blood, put into a jelly jar, and mail it to Joss Whedon, with a note written in blood, "My life for you," and, perhaps, a tasteful nude photo of myself.
With that said, if you still trust my opinion, I thought Fray was pretty typical Whedon: kickass female heroin, well-conceived fantasy world, evil baddies, witty quips and hilarity. It's pretty much a darker, badder Buffy, in the future...with mutant fish people. This is where the story falters - because as amusing as it is, and as much as I like the nifty little plot twists, I feel like I've read it before, in different degrees.
I thought it was a good read, not great, and not worth list price to anyone who hasn't considered mailing Joss Whedon a pint of their own blood. Whedon fans will enjoy it. I'd also recommend it to young, butt-kicking teenage girls who want a departure from the SEX SEX SEX and impossible anatomies of other female superheroes. For non-Buffy fans, the story does stand on its own, apart from the Buffy-verse.
I also read this with my godson, who enjoyed the violence and mutants.
Then I would drain a pint of my blood, put into a jelly jar, and mail it to Joss Whedon, with a note written in blood, "My life for you," and, perhaps, a tasteful nude photo of myself.
With that said, if you still trust my opinion, I thought Fray was pretty typical Whedon: kickass female heroin, well-conceived fantasy world, evil baddies, witty quips and hilarity. It's pretty much a darker, badder Buffy, in the future...with mutant fish people. This is where the story falters - because as amusing as it is, and as much as I like the nifty little plot twists, I feel like I've read it before, in different degrees.
I thought it was a good read, not great, and not worth list price to anyone who hasn't considered mailing Joss Whedon a pint of their own blood. Whedon fans will enjoy it. I'd also recommend it to young, butt-kicking teenage girls who want a departure from the SEX SEX SEX and impossible anatomies of other female superheroes. For non-Buffy fans, the story does stand on its own, apart from the Buffy-verse.
I also read this with my godson, who enjoyed the violence and mutants.
February 9, 2011
Confirmed - VAMPIRES DO NOT SPARKLE. Not even in the future. And not in the graphic novel Fray or as I shall refer to it: the Gospel According to Joss.ÌýI don't know what Edward Cullen is, but he is not a vampire. THIS is a vampire:
He doesn't need to sparkle.
My long-standing suspicions have now certainly been confirmed. Vampires, or "lurks" as they apparently call them in the future, are bad-ass, blood-sucking jerks who don't give a flying frak about your feelings. Unless they have miraculously been gifted with a soul or maybe if they are interested in the one thing all men are interested in, sex, whether they are a fantastical creature or not. Okay, so there's a lot of debate as to whether or not they care about your feelings, but they sure as hell are not mini-fireworks-on-a-stick.
Meyer has already admitted that her werewolves are not really werewolves, but actually a type of shape shifter. So maybe we just haven't discovered the true classification for her so-called vampires, yet. Maybe they are just really shiny cannibals?
Oh and fluffy shape-shifting puppies are not the nemesis of vampires! These guys are:
[image error]
At least, in the Gospel According to Joss.
Joss Whedon really has a way with words, whether they are strung together in a simple or complicated fashion. He can make any line classic. One of my favorite quotes from the Buffy series consists of only four words. "Fire bad, tree pretty." A perfect tongue-in-cheek way to illustrate the extent of the damage caused to Buffy's thought processes, as a result of the Graduation ceremony.
Another favorite: Spike's classic response to Buffy when she asks him to describe what he was doing in front of her house in five words or less. "Out. For. A. Walk...Bitch."
His opening words always draw me in.
The Buffy Season 8 comic book intro: "The thing about changing the world.... Once you do, the world's all different."
Opening lines for Fray: "Bad day. Started bad, stayed that way."
They're simple and say so much with so few words.
This graphic novel is basically urban fantasy set in a sci-fi environment or pretty much Buffy meets Firefly. Go figure. That shouldn't be a surprise.
Melaka Fray is the first slayer to be called in hundreds of years after the mysterious disappearance of an unnamed previous slayer. As a young mercenary who does job-runs for some shady characters, it's not out of line to say that Fray kicks ass. And she kicks it good. She ends up having to learn the ways of the slayer and help try and prevent the onset of the apocalypse! Because the apocalypse is such a rare thing in the Slayer world...
Here's an exchange between her and her sidekick demon Urkonn (without all the pretty pictures, of course).
Urkonn: You met your watcher yesterday.
Fray: I did? I didn't!
Urkonn: Did not one come to you, call you the chosen one?
Fray: Nobody ever called me any OH MY GOD you mean that guy - that one that set himself on fire!
Urkonn: As I said, fanatics.
Fray: But he set himself on fire!
Urkonn: Centuries of useless, obsessive waiting. Makes a human...
Fray: HE SET HIMSELF ON FIRE!
Urkonn: Maybe he was cold. *shrug*
I must warn you about one part that is like EWWWWW. WHAT??!??! Trust me, you will know it when you see it. All I was thinking "Please. Please, explain that one to me." And of course, he doesn't. Typical. He's a twisted man, my Joss. That part could certainly have been left out and had it been - I dare say that this book would have been perfect.
I was eagerly tapping my foot for about 4 months on the library reserve list before I finally received it and had to return it right away because there were still people waiting on it after me. It was well worth the wait. It's full of action, unique characters and gorgeous artwork. I mean, the artist used Natalie Portman as a reference when designing Melaka Fray's look, so obviously she's beautiful.
This is definitely a great introductory graphic novel if you are a first timer, and it's a MUST READ for Buffy and Joss fans. It's short, sweet and wicked awesome. And of course, hilarious. All the classic traits you expect from Joss Whedon and from a Buffy spin-off. Although, I think there is another version of Buffy that would be entertaining...
And then Buffy staked Edward.
Man, do I love this man!! I LOVE YOU, JOSS WHEDON! As excited as I am to see the Avengers movie, I really wish he would please come back to TV. We need him and I miss Buffy. I know, I know. Buffy is over. Deal with it. Obviously, I'm having a hard time letting go.
Joss is a creator, not a re-creator. Screw the Avengers! Okay, yeah, so what if I'll be the first person in line at the midnight showing. We need Whedon TV. He should have his own damn channel, not Oprah!
If Joss Whedon sold a single skin cell in a petri dish on eBay, I would be there bidding until the final second, in hopes that I could tuck it under my pillow and some of his creative proclivities might seep into my brain through osmosis. Or that some day I could clone him and make him my own-personal-TV-show-writing-genius-slave. "Make me a Buffy episode, Bi-atch!"
Just kidding. I would never use such language when speaking to the king of everything good and decent in the world.
Vampires, brown-coats, and dollhouses, oh my!
All right, my love letter to Joss Whedon is over. For now...
He doesn't need to sparkle.
My long-standing suspicions have now certainly been confirmed. Vampires, or "lurks" as they apparently call them in the future, are bad-ass, blood-sucking jerks who don't give a flying frak about your feelings. Unless they have miraculously been gifted with a soul or maybe if they are interested in the one thing all men are interested in, sex, whether they are a fantastical creature or not. Okay, so there's a lot of debate as to whether or not they care about your feelings, but they sure as hell are not mini-fireworks-on-a-stick.
Meyer has already admitted that her werewolves are not really werewolves, but actually a type of shape shifter. So maybe we just haven't discovered the true classification for her so-called vampires, yet. Maybe they are just really shiny cannibals?
Oh and fluffy shape-shifting puppies are not the nemesis of vampires! These guys are:
[image error]
At least, in the Gospel According to Joss.
Joss Whedon really has a way with words, whether they are strung together in a simple or complicated fashion. He can make any line classic. One of my favorite quotes from the Buffy series consists of only four words. "Fire bad, tree pretty." A perfect tongue-in-cheek way to illustrate the extent of the damage caused to Buffy's thought processes, as a result of the Graduation ceremony.
Another favorite: Spike's classic response to Buffy when she asks him to describe what he was doing in front of her house in five words or less. "Out. For. A. Walk...Bitch."
His opening words always draw me in.
The Buffy Season 8 comic book intro: "The thing about changing the world.... Once you do, the world's all different."
Opening lines for Fray: "Bad day. Started bad, stayed that way."
They're simple and say so much with so few words.
This graphic novel is basically urban fantasy set in a sci-fi environment or pretty much Buffy meets Firefly. Go figure. That shouldn't be a surprise.
Melaka Fray is the first slayer to be called in hundreds of years after the mysterious disappearance of an unnamed previous slayer. As a young mercenary who does job-runs for some shady characters, it's not out of line to say that Fray kicks ass. And she kicks it good. She ends up having to learn the ways of the slayer and help try and prevent the onset of the apocalypse! Because the apocalypse is such a rare thing in the Slayer world...
Here's an exchange between her and her sidekick demon Urkonn (without all the pretty pictures, of course).
Urkonn: You met your watcher yesterday.
Fray: I did? I didn't!
Urkonn: Did not one come to you, call you the chosen one?
Fray: Nobody ever called me any OH MY GOD you mean that guy - that one that set himself on fire!
Urkonn: As I said, fanatics.
Fray: But he set himself on fire!
Urkonn: Centuries of useless, obsessive waiting. Makes a human...
Fray: HE SET HIMSELF ON FIRE!
Urkonn: Maybe he was cold. *shrug*
I must warn you about one part that is like EWWWWW. WHAT??!??! Trust me, you will know it when you see it. All I was thinking "Please. Please, explain that one to me." And of course, he doesn't. Typical. He's a twisted man, my Joss. That part could certainly have been left out and had it been - I dare say that this book would have been perfect.
I was eagerly tapping my foot for about 4 months on the library reserve list before I finally received it and had to return it right away because there were still people waiting on it after me. It was well worth the wait. It's full of action, unique characters and gorgeous artwork. I mean, the artist used Natalie Portman as a reference when designing Melaka Fray's look, so obviously she's beautiful.
This is definitely a great introductory graphic novel if you are a first timer, and it's a MUST READ for Buffy and Joss fans. It's short, sweet and wicked awesome. And of course, hilarious. All the classic traits you expect from Joss Whedon and from a Buffy spin-off. Although, I think there is another version of Buffy that would be entertaining...
And then Buffy staked Edward.
Man, do I love this man!! I LOVE YOU, JOSS WHEDON! As excited as I am to see the Avengers movie, I really wish he would please come back to TV. We need him and I miss Buffy. I know, I know. Buffy is over. Deal with it. Obviously, I'm having a hard time letting go.
Joss is a creator, not a re-creator. Screw the Avengers! Okay, yeah, so what if I'll be the first person in line at the midnight showing. We need Whedon TV. He should have his own damn channel, not Oprah!
If Joss Whedon sold a single skin cell in a petri dish on eBay, I would be there bidding until the final second, in hopes that I could tuck it under my pillow and some of his creative proclivities might seep into my brain through osmosis. Or that some day I could clone him and make him my own-personal-TV-show-writing-genius-slave. "Make me a Buffy episode, Bi-atch!"
Just kidding. I would never use such language when speaking to the king of everything good and decent in the world.
Vampires, brown-coats, and dollhouses, oh my!
All right, my love letter to Joss Whedon is over. For now...
February 10, 2009
If I didn't love Joss so much this still woulda been my favorite graphic novel I've read. The characters are so rich and the world is so descriptive. I also want hair like that, multi-colored FTW!
October 2, 2012
A sort of Buffy sequel, set way in the future with an almost entirely different setting. Malaka Fray is a Slayer, but she'll have no Watcher. They're no more than a demented cult at this point. Her guidance comes from a demon. There are vampires, but they're called lurks and regarded as just another type of demon. And Malaka herself is a professional thief employed by a fish man.
There's a bit of the tendency that dragged down Buffy Season 8 here. "We don't have a budget! We can do ANYTHING!" Which is fine, until they did everything, and the actual story suffered for it. It's kept together much better here than it was over in season 8, though. Possibly because this was just an 8 issue mini. This is good by me, because the core story is pretty good, and certainly better than the Twilight arc turned out to be.
The good is as to be expected from Joss Whedon: interesting characters, sharp dialog, and a creepy mythology. The art is also really good, better than most of what I've seen out of the Buffy comics. (It probably helps that Malaka doesn't have to look like a real person.)
There's a bit of the tendency that dragged down Buffy Season 8 here. "We don't have a budget! We can do ANYTHING!" Which is fine, until they did everything, and the actual story suffered for it. It's kept together much better here than it was over in season 8, though. Possibly because this was just an 8 issue mini. This is good by me, because the core story is pretty good, and certainly better than the Twilight arc turned out to be.
The good is as to be expected from Joss Whedon: interesting characters, sharp dialog, and a creepy mythology. The art is also really good, better than most of what I've seen out of the Buffy comics. (It probably helps that Malaka doesn't have to look like a real person.)
September 12, 2018
Yes, I am on a Buffy kick here. I just finished showing season 7 of Buffy to the wife and now I can't get enough Buffy in my life haha.
So Fray is about a future Slayer. This is many years in the future after mankind has gone through really tough times. Now broken society barely able to survive we have our main character Fray going around helping people. However, when a friendly demon comes to speak to her about her faith and what her path to being a Slayer is, she begins to have to deal with a lot of her past.
Good: I actually liked Fray a lot. I thought the 2nd half of the story picked up well, always entertaining, some good one liners, and some fucked up deaths. I especially enjoyed the ending.
Bad: Some of the art at the start is pretty bad. I also thought the pacing for the first half is a little too slow to get into it much.
Overall was a pretty solid fun story. It didn't blow my mind but I heard it does boost future Buffy stories so this works. A 3 out of 5.
So Fray is about a future Slayer. This is many years in the future after mankind has gone through really tough times. Now broken society barely able to survive we have our main character Fray going around helping people. However, when a friendly demon comes to speak to her about her faith and what her path to being a Slayer is, she begins to have to deal with a lot of her past.
Good: I actually liked Fray a lot. I thought the 2nd half of the story picked up well, always entertaining, some good one liners, and some fucked up deaths. I especially enjoyed the ending.
Bad: Some of the art at the start is pretty bad. I also thought the pacing for the first half is a little too slow to get into it much.
Overall was a pretty solid fun story. It didn't blow my mind but I heard it does boost future Buffy stories so this works. A 3 out of 5.
March 13, 2015
***Pink Taco Buddy Read with the Shallow Readers! Female Lead this week: Melaka Fray***
Where do I even start? This may be a really long review, but that's only because there were so many parts, so many people worth talking about.
First of all, if you get this, read the introduction and forward. I never tire of hearing other people talk about their love/hate relationship that is Joss Whedon. Jeph Loeb is basically a fanboy when writing the intro. He dotes on Joss, and all of his TV endeavors, and he jumped onto the Fray bandwagon as soon as Joss said "I've got an idea". His descriptions of the book and its characters are spot on. It's a wonderful read to get you prepared for the insanely action packed story to follow. On that note, for every person who worships Joss, Joss worships them back. He talks up every person who helped in his endeavor to make Fray happen. While Whedon obviously invented the Slayer persona, and Melaka as well, he says that Karl Moline is the one who brought Melaka to life. And after reading and watching this story take place, he is SO RIGHT. Ugh. These glorious people.
THE STORY
So this is a Slayer story. It is loosely tied in with Buffy, only in the fact that the history of the Slayer is mentioned. I loved how Moline drew up the Original Slayer. She was as badass as ever. So with this being a Slayer story, I have to say that it differs from what we know on a grand scale. Melaka never has the dreams that show her past comrades, that explain about the ongoing Vampire/Lurks fight. Why? YOU MUST READ! I WILL NOT SPOIL EVERYTHING. But in this fact, Melaka is different. Whereas Buffy finds it in herself to save mankind because it's hardwired in her brain, Fray has to be PUSHED into becoming the Slayer. I love her reluctance. She wasn't as rah-rah-let's-have-friends-and-have-fun like Buffy was. But she wasn't a born killer like Kendra, either (if you haven't watched Buffy, sorry for all of this). She was a strong, intelligent girl who was just trying to get by with her stealing when she was bombarded by a demon. And, to make her story even more bizarrely different, instead of getting a watcher (she DOES meet him...but) she gets a demon helper to spur her on. This was crazy and it worked. It is an awesome Slayer story, THAT'S what I'm trying to say. And you need no previous knowledge of the Buffyverse to understand everything in this graphic novel.
Joss spins a story that is full of colorful characters. Fray is obviously one of them, along with Urkonn, her demon replacement watcher. But some of the truly fantastic characters in this are relatively small players. Point to Loo: the sweetest little lanky one-armed girl to ever grace a page. Her love for Melaka goes to hell and back, and Melaka feels entirely the same way. You also have Fray's sister, who is a hard nut to crack, but has her reasons, and Fray's brother who died four years prior, Harth. The flashbacks about his death are really heartbreaking, along with several other moments in this book. Joss doesn't let you forget for a second that he is here as a soulless monster with no heart and intends to ruin all of our lives. Anywho. There are so many good ones to talk about! Melaka's fish boss (who's office is CRAZY COOL) and all of the rag tag people living in her excruciatingly rundown neighborhood and even the vampires are crazy intense (SERIOUSLY READ THIS BECAUSE THE TWISTS ARE AWESOME!).
The story line shockingly not the most important part of this. It's the characters and their surroundings and how they react to new information and everything that happens. Because realistically, the story line has been used in every season of Buffy. Someone wants to unleash hell on Earth, they want the vampires and demons to rule, and they want to feed as much as possible while causing insane amounts of destruction. This is where the artwork becomes really important. Because without the amazing Moline, Owens, Stewart and Madsen... this story would have fallen flat. But they bring life to this world. The bring emotions to people's face that leave you speechless. They create fights and battles that get your heart racing for more. The colors are always a vibrant shock that bring your eye to every detail. When talking about Moline's work, Joss said: "Look closely, you can actually see her (Fray) maturing from issue to issue." This was so true. By the end Melaka isn't some ninteen-year-old girl stealing to make ends meat anymore. She's a woman with people she cares enough about to protect, which is something she didn't really have before. God bless, this was amazing from start to finish.
The twists and turns in this graphic novel seal the deal. But that's all I'm saying about that topic.
I have never been so impressed with Joss, honestly. And I've read quite a bit of his work. And watched his TV shows and movies. Next on list is building a shrine. And Fray will be the center of it.
April 22, 2022
Melaka Fray es la slayer del siglo 23, un futuro que es apenas esbozado en el comic pero con ciertos visos de cyberpunk, un Haddyn (Manhattan) de cielos encapotados y gente sin dinero viviendo entre maleantes y tratando de sobrevivir. Hay varios conversaciones de mutantes o la aceptacion del jefe 'mutante' (que debe ser un demonio) de Fray parece indicar que esto es comun, y asi las habilidades fisicas extraordinarias de Malaka.
Malaka trabaja de ladrona, tiene dos hermanos más: una hermana mayor Erin, que es policia y de la que esta distanciada, y un hermano gemelo Harth, que falleció. La gente nop cree en demonios,a pesar de que los vampiros conocidos como 'Lurks' pululan en los callejones sombrios. Más que a Buffy, Mal es más semejante a Faith.
La acción inica con un personaje que se nos hace bastante conocido, y nos pone en la ventaja de saber desde el principio que anda mal, a diferencia de la slayer que anda bastante a ciegas, sin Watcher y desconocedora de toda la historia y cualquier informacion relevante .
De hecho, los Watcher se han convertido en fanaticos y aumentan el caos cuando uno aparece.
Sin embargo, el enfasis de que porque ella no tiene sueños profeticos la pone en desventaja es absurdo, mas de una vez se dijo que eso no aparece en todas las slayers en la serie.
Los 8 comics de este tomo no aportan mucho aparte de ver que hay un conflicto entre dos parte demonicas a ver quien regresa primero a la tierra a dominarla.
Hace bastante tiempo tenia pendiente leer este comic, pero bueno he evadido leer la mayoria de los comics del buffyverso después del termino de la serie de televisión. No sé que me esperaba, pero sin duda esto es lo básico de la historia de la slayer , una chica sola que se enfrenta a fuerzas maleficas inconmesurables y que de algun modo salva el dia con más bien un montón de suerte.
Malaka trabaja de ladrona, tiene dos hermanos más: una hermana mayor Erin, que es policia y de la que esta distanciada, y un hermano gemelo Harth, que falleció. La gente nop cree en demonios,a pesar de que los vampiros conocidos como 'Lurks' pululan en los callejones sombrios. Más que a Buffy, Mal es más semejante a Faith.
La acción inica con un personaje que se nos hace bastante conocido, y nos pone en la ventaja de saber desde el principio que anda mal, a diferencia de la slayer que anda bastante a ciegas, sin Watcher y desconocedora de toda la historia y cualquier informacion relevante .
De hecho, los Watcher se han convertido en fanaticos y aumentan el caos cuando uno aparece.
Sin embargo, el enfasis de que porque ella no tiene sueños profeticos la pone en desventaja es absurdo, mas de una vez se dijo que eso no aparece en todas las slayers en la serie.
Los 8 comics de este tomo no aportan mucho aparte de ver que hay un conflicto entre dos parte demonicas a ver quien regresa primero a la tierra a dominarla.
Hace bastante tiempo tenia pendiente leer este comic, pero bueno he evadido leer la mayoria de los comics del buffyverso después del termino de la serie de televisión. No sé que me esperaba, pero sin duda esto es lo básico de la historia de la slayer , una chica sola que se enfrenta a fuerzas maleficas inconmesurables y que de algun modo salva el dia con más bien un montón de suerte.
June 21, 2010
Joss Whedon...oh how I love and hate you. You create these amazing worlds, allow me to indulge in them, experience them, become a part of them, and then it ends. Gone. No more. It's Firefly all over again! Argh, why is it everything you write is fucking brilliant? And why do I want to promise anything and everything for you to keep writing, to keep creating, to keep imagining?
Fray is about a named Melaka, who - unknown to her - is a slayer. The time is hundreds of years in the future. Sunnydale is most likely dead and gone, Buffy dust in the ground, but not before she managed to banish all demons from the world. That story isn't this one though. This one focuses on Mel, her discovery that she is a slayer, and her fight to save her world. And her world is definitely worth saving - being full of flying cars, high tech weaponry, and humans who are more mutants than human due to atmospheric radiation. This world is dark, dangerous, and looks amazing in jewel toned colors.
Melaka is a rebel...she's troubled, guilt ridden, selfish, jaded, yet loyal, fiercely protective, and brave. She is independent and can survive relying only on herself - or so she believes. Meeting her, watching her transform into the slayer, into a protector was great. With each chapter you saw her justice and resolve defined just a bit more until she was as great an ass kicker as Buffy herself.
All in all an awesome read. I only wish there were more of this story, and hopefully one day there will be.
Fray is about a named Melaka, who - unknown to her - is a slayer. The time is hundreds of years in the future. Sunnydale is most likely dead and gone, Buffy dust in the ground, but not before she managed to banish all demons from the world. That story isn't this one though. This one focuses on Mel, her discovery that she is a slayer, and her fight to save her world. And her world is definitely worth saving - being full of flying cars, high tech weaponry, and humans who are more mutants than human due to atmospheric radiation. This world is dark, dangerous, and looks amazing in jewel toned colors.
Melaka is a rebel...she's troubled, guilt ridden, selfish, jaded, yet loyal, fiercely protective, and brave. She is independent and can survive relying only on herself - or so she believes. Meeting her, watching her transform into the slayer, into a protector was great. With each chapter you saw her justice and resolve defined just a bit more until she was as great an ass kicker as Buffy herself.
All in all an awesome read. I only wish there were more of this story, and hopefully one day there will be.
August 2, 2016
So to be honest, I didn't realize this book was Buffy related until I had already checked it out from the library. Another confession: I never really watched the Buffy TV show. I did, however, watch the Buffy movie with Kristy Swanson, Donald Sutherland and PeeWee Herman way back in the day and actually enjoyed it.
This book is Buffy related in that it takes place in the distant future with a new slayer, "Fray."
All that being said, with my limited knowledge of Buffy-lore, I was able to follow the story just fine and found this to be an enjoyable read. I'm glad Whedon didn't go with the buxom heroine, but with an everyday girl who kicks ass. All in all, an enjoyable read with good art.
This book is Buffy related in that it takes place in the distant future with a new slayer, "Fray."
All that being said, with my limited knowledge of Buffy-lore, I was able to follow the story just fine and found this to be an enjoyable read. I'm glad Whedon didn't go with the buxom heroine, but with an everyday girl who kicks ass. All in all, an enjoyable read with good art.
September 28, 2022
I feel pretty neutral about this, probably more like 3.5 stars.
I’m not a huge fan of dystopian/futuristic books or superhero-style comics so this wasn’t totally my thing to begin with, but BTVS is my all-time favorite tv show.
In short, it was okay.
I’m not a huge fan of dystopian/futuristic books or superhero-style comics so this wasn’t totally my thing to begin with, but BTVS is my all-time favorite tv show.
In short, it was okay.
August 13, 2007
I. Love. Fray. :)
It tells the story of a teenage vampire slayer (sound familiar?), but in my opinion this character is a step up from Buffy. Melaka Fray is a 15 year old thief. In her futuristic world, vampires are known as "lurks", and the police chase her in flying cars. All of a sudden, she is greeted by an enormous, demon-looking Watcher who tells her that she is her generation's Slayer. Oh, and by the way, her brother had been killed years earlier by lurks, so she is not too keen on toussling with them. Yet, after the sad, senseless death of an endearing character, Fray becomes determined to follow her calling. Mayhem ensues.
I love Fray, because she is everything Buffy is not. She is not polished, or popular. She isn't perky. She is a street-smart thief who leads a hardscrabble life, and she makes no apologies for herself. I was also grateful as a female comic book reader that she is not the large-breasted, Amazonian type of heroine that so many fanboys enjoy. She has an athletic build, and her midriff is usually bare, but there's nothing slutty about her.
And my favorite thing about Melaka Fray: she has an enormous scar across one side of her face. I love that.
As for the story Whedon creates, his usual fantastic touches are there. Characters both major (like Fray herself) and minor (like her sister) are drawn with extreme detail and care and you care about every one. The story, meanwhile, speeds along and I couldn't read it fast enough. And just when you think you've hit the big plot twist, guess what? You haven't. There's a bigger one.
I would recommend this to anyone, whether you're a fan of the Whedonverse or not. There should be more issues of Fray. There should be a movie. There should be a show. There should be much, much merchandise.
It tells the story of a teenage vampire slayer (sound familiar?), but in my opinion this character is a step up from Buffy. Melaka Fray is a 15 year old thief. In her futuristic world, vampires are known as "lurks", and the police chase her in flying cars. All of a sudden, she is greeted by an enormous, demon-looking Watcher who tells her that she is her generation's Slayer. Oh, and by the way, her brother had been killed years earlier by lurks, so she is not too keen on toussling with them. Yet, after the sad, senseless death of an endearing character, Fray becomes determined to follow her calling. Mayhem ensues.
I love Fray, because she is everything Buffy is not. She is not polished, or popular. She isn't perky. She is a street-smart thief who leads a hardscrabble life, and she makes no apologies for herself. I was also grateful as a female comic book reader that she is not the large-breasted, Amazonian type of heroine that so many fanboys enjoy. She has an athletic build, and her midriff is usually bare, but there's nothing slutty about her.
And my favorite thing about Melaka Fray: she has an enormous scar across one side of her face. I love that.
As for the story Whedon creates, his usual fantastic touches are there. Characters both major (like Fray herself) and minor (like her sister) are drawn with extreme detail and care and you care about every one. The story, meanwhile, speeds along and I couldn't read it fast enough. And just when you think you've hit the big plot twist, guess what? You haven't. There's a bigger one.
I would recommend this to anyone, whether you're a fan of the Whedonverse or not. There should be more issues of Fray. There should be a movie. There should be a show. There should be much, much merchandise.
August 2, 2016
I picked up Fray as a recommendation by one of my colleagues, who is a devoted Whedon fan, particular of the Buffyverse. I just restarted watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer and since this is a stand alone story, it was a good collaborating entry point to Whedon's universe.
Set in the future, this story follows the first vampire slayer to reappear in hundreds of years, who must fight the lurks (vampires) in a climatic battle. I thought the story was well written - of course! - especially since this was Whedon's first effort writing in the comics format. There were several twists to the plot, which kept the narrative fresh and unique from the television series.
I thought the art was incredible and outstanding. It complimented Whedon's world which was gritty and filled with a variety of monsters and a fascinating cast of characters. The facial expressions were well done and interesting -- the reader was swept up in the main character and her struggle with grief and loneliness from familial separation due to her brother's death. Familiar character motivations, however Whedon's talent to spin a trope into some fresh is apparent with this story.
While I enjoyed the story and artwork very much, I still lean towards towards the television show as a better representation of Whedon's ability to create an engaging world and cast of characters. However, for a person with little or no former knowledge of Buffy, Fray is a good entry point, which should then be followed up with watching Buffy.
Set in the future, this story follows the first vampire slayer to reappear in hundreds of years, who must fight the lurks (vampires) in a climatic battle. I thought the story was well written - of course! - especially since this was Whedon's first effort writing in the comics format. There were several twists to the plot, which kept the narrative fresh and unique from the television series.
I thought the art was incredible and outstanding. It complimented Whedon's world which was gritty and filled with a variety of monsters and a fascinating cast of characters. The facial expressions were well done and interesting -- the reader was swept up in the main character and her struggle with grief and loneliness from familial separation due to her brother's death. Familiar character motivations, however Whedon's talent to spin a trope into some fresh is apparent with this story.
While I enjoyed the story and artwork very much, I still lean towards towards the television show as a better representation of Whedon's ability to create an engaging world and cast of characters. However, for a person with little or no former knowledge of Buffy, Fray is a good entry point, which should then be followed up with watching Buffy.
January 3, 2013
The way Joss Whedon understands female characters makes him maybe the best fighter for the cause of feminism than any braburner could ever even dream of becoming.
Joss's characters do what they must even when it brakes their heart, even when before going at it they need a minute to have a complete breakdown. They are not mindless, on the contrary, they are acutely tuned in to the consecuences and that makes them the bravest I have ever read about or watch in tv or film.
And it's not like Joss found the mold for a perfect female star and duplicated it over and over again, Fray and Buffy have similarities (they are slayers and they are seriously fucked up) but they are distinct characters. So is Willow (one of his very bests), Pair that with constant, and hilarious, references to pop culture, but not in "we little club that are the only clever enough to get it while in our mother's basement" way that is so usual in other comic books, but never underestimating the reader and it cannot be any wonder that he has such a fanatical fan base.
Joss's characters do what they must even when it brakes their heart, even when before going at it they need a minute to have a complete breakdown. They are not mindless, on the contrary, they are acutely tuned in to the consecuences and that makes them the bravest I have ever read about or watch in tv or film.
And it's not like Joss found the mold for a perfect female star and duplicated it over and over again, Fray and Buffy have similarities (they are slayers and they are seriously fucked up) but they are distinct characters. So is Willow (one of his very bests), Pair that with constant, and hilarious, references to pop culture, but not in "we little club that are the only clever enough to get it while in our mother's basement" way that is so usual in other comic books, but never underestimating the reader and it cannot be any wonder that he has such a fanatical fan base.
September 16, 2017
It's really no secret that I am a HUGE fan of Joss Whedon and it started was back in 1997 when a girl named Buffy showed up on my TV screen and changed my world. Then came Angel, and Firefly, all the way up to his showing in the Marvel universe, I just am in awe of his talent. So when my friend bought me this graphic novel as a birthday gift, I saw Joss's name and was sold.
Meet Melaka Fay - not your average slayer. In fact, the race of slayers is pretty much nonexistent since demons were taken from the earth years ago. The slayers line did continue, however, it was dormant without evil to fight. But now it looks like that's all about to change. Demons are back and Fray must come to terms with who she really is before her entire world is gone.
This graphic novel was beautiful. The artwork alone speaks for itself and I loved being able to see the characters come to life. The design of Fray showed her as strong and able and I wasn't distracted by skimpy outfits and big boobs like females in so many other graphic novels.
Then there was the story itself. Fray is a loner of sorts. She makes her way stealing for a mobbboss of sorts while her sister is a cop who hunts her. We learn that Fray's family was torn apart after the loss of their brother, Fray's twin, years ago. You can see how this event shaped Fray, pretty much throwing her trust of anyone, including herself out the window. But even though she doesn't trust, she's loyal and protective of those she holds dear as we see with her relationship with a young girl. But Joss being Joss, he just can't help but tug on those heartstrings and I found myself heartbroken at the chain of events that take place in the middle of the story. As Fray starts to accept who she is inside, I saw the shift. It was like seeing a new version of Buffy: Buffy 5.0. While I can see many similarities between the two characters, they are completely different. And there's no Scooby gang for support.
I really enjoyed this look into the future of the slayer world. And pretty much if Joss puts it out, I'm going to read it.
Meet Melaka Fay - not your average slayer. In fact, the race of slayers is pretty much nonexistent since demons were taken from the earth years ago. The slayers line did continue, however, it was dormant without evil to fight. But now it looks like that's all about to change. Demons are back and Fray must come to terms with who she really is before her entire world is gone.
This graphic novel was beautiful. The artwork alone speaks for itself and I loved being able to see the characters come to life. The design of Fray showed her as strong and able and I wasn't distracted by skimpy outfits and big boobs like females in so many other graphic novels.
Then there was the story itself. Fray is a loner of sorts. She makes her way stealing for a mobbboss of sorts while her sister is a cop who hunts her. We learn that Fray's family was torn apart after the loss of their brother, Fray's twin, years ago. You can see how this event shaped Fray, pretty much throwing her trust of anyone, including herself out the window. But even though she doesn't trust, she's loyal and protective of those she holds dear as we see with her relationship with a young girl. But Joss being Joss, he just can't help but tug on those heartstrings and I found myself heartbroken at the chain of events that take place in the middle of the story. As Fray starts to accept who she is inside, I saw the shift. It was like seeing a new version of Buffy: Buffy 5.0. While I can see many similarities between the two characters, they are completely different. And there's no Scooby gang for support.
I really enjoyed this look into the future of the slayer world. And pretty much if Joss puts it out, I'm going to read it.
December 14, 2018
I love this world and everything about it! The characters, the demons and the intense backstory that makes you so empathetic to the characters! The story line just kept getting more intense and so interesting and tragic and amazing! I really enjoyed being part of the familiar world of Slayers and vampires with the added mystery of figuring out this futuristic time and each characters intentions! The last comic and the way this story ended was awesome and I really want a sequel!! I recommend anyone that is interested in the Buffyverse to check these comics out, you will not be disappointed!
May 27, 2021
Read for the Love in the Night Readathon
What a fun comic!!
I am obsessed with the Buffyverse, so this was such a treat to read! I love how this book takes place years in the future. We get to see how technology, clothing, and speech have changed throughout the years.
This was written in 2003 I believe. However, I see no mention of the story of Fray continuing. Does anyone know if we are going to get another comic about Fray?
What a fun comic!!
I am obsessed with the Buffyverse, so this was such a treat to read! I love how this book takes place years in the future. We get to see how technology, clothing, and speech have changed throughout the years.
This was written in 2003 I believe. However, I see no mention of the story of Fray continuing. Does anyone know if we are going to get another comic about Fray?
January 23, 2013
Welcome to my second endevour into the world of the graphic novel. I have to say, this is still a comic to me. It reads like a comic, the art is amazing, like a comic, but it tells one hell of a damned good story. Fray is the story of the slayer of the future. Like two hundred years in the future!
Not only had no one needed the chosen on, or Buffy for quite some time now. The myth and legend of the slayer has been just as dead. Enter Fray. A savvy street smart kick ass female that also seems to be a thief; a really good thief. If you need it, Fray can get it. Then enter her being� the chosen one! Oh yes, two hundred years from now, the now insane council has realized that the slayer is in need, and vampires are still roaming the streets. However, it isn’t the council that calls upon the chosen one—it’s a demon. A pretty cool demon I might add. He is huge, scary, and trains the shit out of our little Fray. He also does some questionable stuff too in the name of making the slayer, well, the slayer.
Another story by Whedon that we can gush over and obsess with, not only does he create a world of utter chaos, but he slaps our delicate little flower Fray with trails of war that will shape and mold one hell of a woman. If you haven’t read this graphic novel, do it! I loved it and have now stolen the name of the future slayer for my review persona.
Not only had no one needed the chosen on, or Buffy for quite some time now. The myth and legend of the slayer has been just as dead. Enter Fray. A savvy street smart kick ass female that also seems to be a thief; a really good thief. If you need it, Fray can get it. Then enter her being� the chosen one! Oh yes, two hundred years from now, the now insane council has realized that the slayer is in need, and vampires are still roaming the streets. However, it isn’t the council that calls upon the chosen one—it’s a demon. A pretty cool demon I might add. He is huge, scary, and trains the shit out of our little Fray. He also does some questionable stuff too in the name of making the slayer, well, the slayer.
Another story by Whedon that we can gush over and obsess with, not only does he create a world of utter chaos, but he slaps our delicate little flower Fray with trails of war that will shape and mold one hell of a woman. If you haven’t read this graphic novel, do it! I loved it and have now stolen the name of the future slayer for my review persona.
March 6, 2010
This was just all kinds of awesome! I loved the character of Mel and her trials of becoming the next Slayer. The action was great and the storyline kept you guessing. A wonderful look into a new world where slayers were no longer needed and thus not known. As the vampires reemerge Mel is called and has to fight her way to learn about her calling. I would love to see more with this character. Perhaps since the Buffy comics are doing so well Joss Whedon will consider doing more of Mel's world. He certainly left if open for more stories.
May 5, 2016
New Slayer, same fun
Joss Whedon always pleases. Whether it's Buffy, Angel, or Firefly, Joss always satisfies. Fray is no exception. If you are a fan of everything Whedon, you OWE it to yourself to enjoy Fray. There are a few surprises within that I won't explore here, but they are icing on the vampire slaying cake.
Joss Whedon always pleases. Whether it's Buffy, Angel, or Firefly, Joss always satisfies. Fray is no exception. If you are a fan of everything Whedon, you OWE it to yourself to enjoy Fray. There are a few surprises within that I won't explore here, but they are icing on the vampire slaying cake.
March 4, 2016
Enjoyed it a lot. Cool worldbuilding, I loved Melaka'S character design and her complicated relationships with her siblings.
April 29, 2019
Had I rated this when I first reviewed it way back when it probably would have been five stars but now many years later I find myself struggling to separate it from how the Buffy the Vampire Slayer show ended, not to mention the comic books. It put a pall on this for me because in order to get Fray's dystopic, magic-less universe Buffy, Willow and the rest had to end up the villains in their own story and that makes me sad.
Putting that aside and judging this on its own merits isn't easy but for those not in the know, this is a tale set within the Buffyverse only a few centuries from now in your cut and paste sort of dystopia (one of the reasons I don't like them, they all seem so homogenous). Melaka Fray is a street kid in Manhattan, a city now run by mutant gang lords and the underground is filled with Lurks (i.e. vampires). Problem #1 I had was why are the vampires so different and so much 'less' than they were in Buffy's time. Hell Darla and Angelus were alive as long as it's been time wise between Buffy's day and today in theory so what mutated them? We don't know and it was a problem for me.
Mel is a thief, trying to escape her past which we slowly learn has to do with her twin brother, Hrath. Her older sister is now a cop living in worry she'll have to arrest Mel who is very good at her job. What no one knows is Mel is so limber, so strong and so quick to heal is because she's the first Slayer to be Called in centuries.
For murky reasons (another problem for me is why did the demons send Urkonn to her side to help train her? Yes, there were some vague reasons but it seemed not enough somehow), a grotesque demon, Urkonn, has been sent to help Mel become the Slayer (in lieu of a Watcher). She's an incomplete Slayer, minus the dreams and sense of connectivity to the Sister Slayers before her. While this has a fascinating reason that should have been exploited more in the story, it also fell a little flat in another respect as neither Buffy nor Faith ever seemed to have much in the way of Slayer dreams to the point it was remarked on by their Watchers.
Speaking of the Watchers, that's another place that just didn't work for me. Frankly it would have been more interesting to have had them just give up on Slayers and disband or simply have Urkonn beat them to her. Instead in a mere couple centuries of waiting, the Watchers have gone insane. We meet only one who kills himself at her feet. Um....right? Not so much (or maybe I should be thankful that the millions of faithful waiting for their savior to return aren't insane which seems to be the premise here).
That aside, I did love Melaka. She's tough, she's smarter than she realizes and she's compassionate in a world that does not reward empathy. She makes for a good leader and a great hero. The story is compelling. Those above quibbles aside, it is good story telling, very good really. You end up rooting for Mel quickly. There is a good deal of pathos here and it works in this setting. I'm glad I reread this. You assume that Mel will survive to the end but it's written in a way that you're not sure she can possibly make it.
It was left open for a sequel which to my knowledge never happened (or if it did, I missed it). I would have liked to have seen more, even though I'm still very salty about Buffy and Willow being the ones to doom the world to this horrible existence.
The art in this is great. I will give Whedon thanks for putting an edict out against the usual giant boobs and idiot poses we get in comic book art. Mel is realistic looking. And while I love her ombre hair, I will say it was also eye rolling. She's a street kid without so much as a shower to her name but she has the means for a fancy dye job? Ah well, it does look cool.
Putting that aside and judging this on its own merits isn't easy but for those not in the know, this is a tale set within the Buffyverse only a few centuries from now in your cut and paste sort of dystopia (one of the reasons I don't like them, they all seem so homogenous). Melaka Fray is a street kid in Manhattan, a city now run by mutant gang lords and the underground is filled with Lurks (i.e. vampires). Problem #1 I had was why are the vampires so different and so much 'less' than they were in Buffy's time. Hell Darla and Angelus were alive as long as it's been time wise between Buffy's day and today in theory so what mutated them? We don't know and it was a problem for me.
Mel is a thief, trying to escape her past which we slowly learn has to do with her twin brother, Hrath. Her older sister is now a cop living in worry she'll have to arrest Mel who is very good at her job. What no one knows is Mel is so limber, so strong and so quick to heal is because she's the first Slayer to be Called in centuries.
For murky reasons (another problem for me is why did the demons send Urkonn to her side to help train her? Yes, there were some vague reasons but it seemed not enough somehow), a grotesque demon, Urkonn, has been sent to help Mel become the Slayer (in lieu of a Watcher). She's an incomplete Slayer, minus the dreams and sense of connectivity to the Sister Slayers before her. While this has a fascinating reason that should have been exploited more in the story, it also fell a little flat in another respect as neither Buffy nor Faith ever seemed to have much in the way of Slayer dreams to the point it was remarked on by their Watchers.
Speaking of the Watchers, that's another place that just didn't work for me. Frankly it would have been more interesting to have had them just give up on Slayers and disband or simply have Urkonn beat them to her. Instead in a mere couple centuries of waiting, the Watchers have gone insane. We meet only one who kills himself at her feet. Um....right? Not so much (or maybe I should be thankful that the millions of faithful waiting for their savior to return aren't insane which seems to be the premise here).
That aside, I did love Melaka. She's tough, she's smarter than she realizes and she's compassionate in a world that does not reward empathy. She makes for a good leader and a great hero. The story is compelling. Those above quibbles aside, it is good story telling, very good really. You end up rooting for Mel quickly. There is a good deal of pathos here and it works in this setting. I'm glad I reread this. You assume that Mel will survive to the end but it's written in a way that you're not sure she can possibly make it.
It was left open for a sequel which to my knowledge never happened (or if it did, I missed it). I would have liked to have seen more, even though I'm still very salty about Buffy and Willow being the ones to doom the world to this horrible existence.
The art in this is great. I will give Whedon thanks for putting an edict out against the usual giant boobs and idiot poses we get in comic book art. Mel is realistic looking. And while I love her ombre hair, I will say it was also eye rolling. She's a street kid without so much as a shower to her name but she has the means for a fancy dye job? Ah well, it does look cool.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 29, 2019
Not as bad as I expected. Vampires, demons, girl without arm, problems with siblings, action, fun, girl with a destiny to become slayer and so on - nothing you haven't seen before, but still great. At first I did not like the artwork at all, but I got used to it.
April 23, 2024
menuda lesbiana
July 27, 2021
The part where the brother kissed his sister was weird Mr. Whedon, but it was still a good story.
February 8, 2012
INGREDIENTS FOR THE PERFECT VAMPIRE SLAYER STORY:
* 2 cups of Joss Whedon’s writing
* 2 tablespoons of one tough heroine
* 2/4 teaspoons of demons and vampires
* 1 cup of pure action-packed fun!
And what do you get? BUFFY!
Well actually, you get “Fray� this time, same premise but different character.
What is this story about?
One hundred years in the future, Manhattan has become a dark and crime ridden place and while various monsters run the streets under the notice of the police, there lives a young girl named Melaka Fray who happens to be a street thief stealing things for money. One day however, a demon named Urkonn visits Melaka and tells her that she comes from a long line of forgotten slayers and that she is destined to save Manhattan from the invasion of demons. Can Melaka save Manhattan from the demon invasion?
What I loved about this story:
Joss Whedon’s writing: Well, aside from the fact that this story is strongly related to one of my most favorite TV shows, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,� Joss Whedon’s writing was extremely strong and even though there were too many elements relating to “Buffy the Vampire Slayer� (tough heroine fighting vampires to save the world), the story felt like it was set in its own universe, even distancing itself from the world of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer� as this story is set in a dystopian world where criminals rule the streets. Joss Whedon has done an excellent job at setting this world in a dark futuristic world where crimes rule the street, sort of like how criminals rule the streets of Gotham City in the “Batman� comics.
Melaka Fray: I just loved the portrayal that Joss Whedon has given the main heroine of this story, Melaka Fray! Melaka Fray is like Buffy Summers from “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,� except she is a grittier version of Buffy since she is a thief and she loves to fight anyone for the thrill of it while Buffy Summers is tough but she always has a sweet personality that makes her a really likable person. I loved the way that Joss Whedon unfolded her character throughout this book as she is not shown as an unsympathetic street thief since she became a thief because of the death of her brother where she constantly blames herself for his death, which provides more depth to her character. Also, her estranged relationship with her law-abiding sister Erin, who happens to be a cop, also adds more depth to Melaka’s character. Also, it was awesome seeing Melaka fighting vampires as she has some really impressive moves that rival Buffy’s moves when she is fighting vampires!
Karl Moline’s and Andy Owens� artwork: Karl Moline and Andy Owens� artwork is extremely phenomenal in this book! I loved the way that Melaka Fray is drawn as she looks like a punk girl with blue hair that has pink tips at the ends and has purple lipstick which made her look extremely impressive and tough! I also loved the images of the demons and vampires themselves as they are really creepy looking as they are pale and have sharp teeth and yellow eyes and since I am a huge fan of gory images, there are plenty of gory images of vampires getting their heads sliced off that drawn me in this book.
What made me feel uncomfortable about this story:
Since this book is about vampire slaying, there are many gory scenes where vampires are getting their heads cut off and also there are scenes of innocent people getting bitten by vampires that might make readers who are uncomfortable with blood and gore feel a bit disturbed. Also, even though this does not become an issue for me after I finished reading this story, there are a lot of similarities to “Buffy the Vampire Slayer� that might make you think too much about “Buffy� throughout this book:
* Melaka Fray fights vampires (Buffy)
* There are demons and vampires terrorizing the town (Buffy)
* The heroine comes to terms with her destiny as a Slayer (Buffy)
But despite these similarities, I still think that this story stood out extremely well and I found myself being invested in the characters and the story itself!
Final Thoughts:
Overall, “Fray� was an awesome read for me and I would definitely read this book over and over again in the near future. Unfortunately, there are no more books about “Fray� being made at this moment and after reading the ending of this book; I really wanted to see more of the book “Fray� and Melaka Fray’s endless battles with the vampires. I hope that Joss Whedon writes more stories about “Fray� in the future!
Review is also on:
* 2 cups of Joss Whedon’s writing
* 2 tablespoons of one tough heroine
* 2/4 teaspoons of demons and vampires
* 1 cup of pure action-packed fun!
And what do you get? BUFFY!
Well actually, you get “Fray� this time, same premise but different character.
What is this story about?
One hundred years in the future, Manhattan has become a dark and crime ridden place and while various monsters run the streets under the notice of the police, there lives a young girl named Melaka Fray who happens to be a street thief stealing things for money. One day however, a demon named Urkonn visits Melaka and tells her that she comes from a long line of forgotten slayers and that she is destined to save Manhattan from the invasion of demons. Can Melaka save Manhattan from the demon invasion?
What I loved about this story:
Joss Whedon’s writing: Well, aside from the fact that this story is strongly related to one of my most favorite TV shows, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,� Joss Whedon’s writing was extremely strong and even though there were too many elements relating to “Buffy the Vampire Slayer� (tough heroine fighting vampires to save the world), the story felt like it was set in its own universe, even distancing itself from the world of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer� as this story is set in a dystopian world where criminals rule the streets. Joss Whedon has done an excellent job at setting this world in a dark futuristic world where crimes rule the street, sort of like how criminals rule the streets of Gotham City in the “Batman� comics.
Melaka Fray: I just loved the portrayal that Joss Whedon has given the main heroine of this story, Melaka Fray! Melaka Fray is like Buffy Summers from “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,� except she is a grittier version of Buffy since she is a thief and she loves to fight anyone for the thrill of it while Buffy Summers is tough but she always has a sweet personality that makes her a really likable person. I loved the way that Joss Whedon unfolded her character throughout this book as she is not shown as an unsympathetic street thief since she became a thief because of the death of her brother where she constantly blames herself for his death, which provides more depth to her character. Also, her estranged relationship with her law-abiding sister Erin, who happens to be a cop, also adds more depth to Melaka’s character. Also, it was awesome seeing Melaka fighting vampires as she has some really impressive moves that rival Buffy’s moves when she is fighting vampires!
Karl Moline’s and Andy Owens� artwork: Karl Moline and Andy Owens� artwork is extremely phenomenal in this book! I loved the way that Melaka Fray is drawn as she looks like a punk girl with blue hair that has pink tips at the ends and has purple lipstick which made her look extremely impressive and tough! I also loved the images of the demons and vampires themselves as they are really creepy looking as they are pale and have sharp teeth and yellow eyes and since I am a huge fan of gory images, there are plenty of gory images of vampires getting their heads sliced off that drawn me in this book.
What made me feel uncomfortable about this story:
Since this book is about vampire slaying, there are many gory scenes where vampires are getting their heads cut off and also there are scenes of innocent people getting bitten by vampires that might make readers who are uncomfortable with blood and gore feel a bit disturbed. Also, even though this does not become an issue for me after I finished reading this story, there are a lot of similarities to “Buffy the Vampire Slayer� that might make you think too much about “Buffy� throughout this book:
* Melaka Fray fights vampires (Buffy)
* There are demons and vampires terrorizing the town (Buffy)
* The heroine comes to terms with her destiny as a Slayer (Buffy)
But despite these similarities, I still think that this story stood out extremely well and I found myself being invested in the characters and the story itself!
Final Thoughts:
Overall, “Fray� was an awesome read for me and I would definitely read this book over and over again in the near future. Unfortunately, there are no more books about “Fray� being made at this moment and after reading the ending of this book; I really wanted to see more of the book “Fray� and Melaka Fray’s endless battles with the vampires. I hope that Joss Whedon writes more stories about “Fray� in the future!
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December 6, 2010
Title: Fray
Author: Joss Whedon
Penciller: Karl Moline
Inker: Andy Owens
Colorists: David Stewart and Michelle Madsen
Letterer: Michelle Madsen
This graphic novel came out years ago, before I was interested in graphic novels, so I am late reviewing it but I would like to talk about it anyway in case someone else missed out on the initial publicity.
Why I picked up this graphic novel:
•I liked Buffy
•loved Angel
•have spread the Firefly and Serenity love to several friends
•Toy Story is my favourite cartoon
•I often break out into Dr. Horrible songs
•I could go on and on about Whedon’s brilliance
What I loved about it:
•The art by Karl Moline is so gorgeous that if I owned this (I borrowed it from the ORL ) I would put it up on the wall or make cool end table with some modge podge or something because honestly it’s fantastic. I will most definitely be looking for more by Moline.
•Melaka Fray is not Buffy or Faith with a new hairdo, she’s her own character. She’s tough but kind and her weaknesses are as endearing as her strengths.
•The effect of twins on the slayer heritage is interesting
•Loo the hyperactive little girl with run on sentences is one of my favourite parts of the book. She’s adorable despite her deformities and I don’t think the story would be the same without her
•Twists near the end are enjoyable
•You don’t need to be a Buffy fan to keep up, it’s in the distant future of the Buffyverse and stands alone really well
•The introduction to the graphic novel (including both the Jeph Loeb intro and the forward by Joss Whedon) is hilarious if you are already a Joss fan, and I really admire the way Whedon talks about how he wants women represented in comics.
mel
Why YOU should read this or purchase it for your library
•A³¦³Ù¾±´Ç²Ô
•More character depth than I’d expect in a graphic novel
•A strong female protagonist
•Glorious art
•I think it can be enjoyed by those new to graphic novels and those who know more about them. The text isn’t too hard to follow (figuring out what order to read text is sometimes a problem for me with comics) but it’s complex with scenes that spill out of the frames (I love that).
Author: Joss Whedon
Penciller: Karl Moline
Inker: Andy Owens
Colorists: David Stewart and Michelle Madsen
Letterer: Michelle Madsen
This graphic novel came out years ago, before I was interested in graphic novels, so I am late reviewing it but I would like to talk about it anyway in case someone else missed out on the initial publicity.
Why I picked up this graphic novel:
•I liked Buffy
•loved Angel
•have spread the Firefly and Serenity love to several friends
•Toy Story is my favourite cartoon
•I often break out into Dr. Horrible songs
•I could go on and on about Whedon’s brilliance
What I loved about it:
•The art by Karl Moline is so gorgeous that if I owned this (I borrowed it from the ORL ) I would put it up on the wall or make cool end table with some modge podge or something because honestly it’s fantastic. I will most definitely be looking for more by Moline.
•Melaka Fray is not Buffy or Faith with a new hairdo, she’s her own character. She’s tough but kind and her weaknesses are as endearing as her strengths.
•The effect of twins on the slayer heritage is interesting
•Loo the hyperactive little girl with run on sentences is one of my favourite parts of the book. She’s adorable despite her deformities and I don’t think the story would be the same without her
•Twists near the end are enjoyable
•You don’t need to be a Buffy fan to keep up, it’s in the distant future of the Buffyverse and stands alone really well
•The introduction to the graphic novel (including both the Jeph Loeb intro and the forward by Joss Whedon) is hilarious if you are already a Joss fan, and I really admire the way Whedon talks about how he wants women represented in comics.
mel
Why YOU should read this or purchase it for your library
•A³¦³Ù¾±´Ç²Ô
•More character depth than I’d expect in a graphic novel
•A strong female protagonist
•Glorious art
•I think it can be enjoyed by those new to graphic novels and those who know more about them. The text isn’t too hard to follow (figuring out what order to read text is sometimes a problem for me with comics) but it’s complex with scenes that spill out of the frames (I love that).
January 7, 2015
Fray 5 Stars, buy it!!!
Ìý
Self Purchase, Kindle
Ìý
First Impression: Wow, this seriously has potential (of course I should know this since Joss Whedon wrote this)
Ìý
Wow. Wow. Wow. This is seriously fantastic. Melaka ÌýFray is a young woman who finds out she is destined to fight vampires. ÌýÌýÌýI love Melaka, I love her hair. So jealous of it! The creature who attacks her at the beginning looks like Hellboy. Turns out he is there to help train her as she is the chosen one to defeat the vampires. ÌýÌýThe vampires, or Lurks as they are sometimes called keep coming after Melaka. It is revealed that the brother of hers who died, was in fact her twin. He did die,but became a vampire and now he is after her as well. More stuff happens but I won’t bore you with the details, just trust me its worth it.
Ìý
The writing is just amazingly awesome. The art is fantastic.The only thing that I didn’t think wasn’t perfect was the ending, i felt like the ending was a little anti climatic. While I didn’t see the twist coming, I felt the ending was vague and could have been fleshed out more. But despite that, I was still seriously blown away, and I’ll be really surprised if this doesn’t end up on my best of the year of 2015.
Ìý
Self Purchase, Kindle
Ìý
First Impression: Wow, this seriously has potential (of course I should know this since Joss Whedon wrote this)
Ìý
Wow. Wow. Wow. This is seriously fantastic. Melaka ÌýFray is a young woman who finds out she is destined to fight vampires. ÌýÌýÌýI love Melaka, I love her hair. So jealous of it! The creature who attacks her at the beginning looks like Hellboy. Turns out he is there to help train her as she is the chosen one to defeat the vampires. ÌýÌýThe vampires, or Lurks as they are sometimes called keep coming after Melaka. It is revealed that the brother of hers who died, was in fact her twin. He did die,but became a vampire and now he is after her as well. More stuff happens but I won’t bore you with the details, just trust me its worth it.
Ìý
The writing is just amazingly awesome. The art is fantastic.The only thing that I didn’t think wasn’t perfect was the ending, i felt like the ending was a little anti climatic. While I didn’t see the twist coming, I felt the ending was vague and could have been fleshed out more. But despite that, I was still seriously blown away, and I’ll be really surprised if this doesn’t end up on my best of the year of 2015.
December 26, 2024
Fray is the chosen one of the future. While the world has become something out of Blade Runner, some things never change, there are still vampires, demons, forces of darkness and, as it all began, one girl to stop them all. There is so much to love about this series: detailed world-building, unique characters, and beautiful illustrations. I would love to see this become a movie some day. Fray also makes a reappearance in Buffy Season 8: Time of Your Life so I recommend reading this first. Fray is one of my favorite series (as well as one of my favorite characters) and a must-read for fans of BTVS, science fiction and dystopian.
UPDATE: The future slang stands out and is more distracting on a reread. The world feels heavily inspired by The Fifth Element. I really dislike that Harth kisses Fray. Overall, I still like it, but not as much as I used to.
UPDATE: The future slang stands out and is more distracting on a reread. The world feels heavily inspired by The Fifth Element. I really dislike that Harth kisses Fray. Overall, I still like it, but not as much as I used to.
June 16, 2014
4.5 Shame-there-is-only-one-book-with-you-stars
What if...
... 200 years after Buffy nobody knows anything about slayers and demons...
...demons are gone to their own dimensions...
...only some vampires remain...
Who has the power to defend the humans?
MELAKA FRAY!
I don't want to spoil too much of the story so I won't go any further than this.
I love the way Mr. Whedon sucks us in into his version of the future! Frays character has more than just one facet and (That's a big plus on my side.)is drwan like the fighter she is. (Not like some kind of Barbie-Doll with too short skirt and big boobs.)
All in all it's a great story and I'm a bit sad, that it is the only book about Fray. She definatly has the potential for more!
What if...
... 200 years after Buffy nobody knows anything about slayers and demons...
...demons are gone to their own dimensions...
...only some vampires remain...
Who has the power to defend the humans?
MELAKA FRAY!
I don't want to spoil too much of the story so I won't go any further than this.
I love the way Mr. Whedon sucks us in into his version of the future! Frays character has more than just one facet and (That's a big plus on my side.)is drwan like the fighter she is. (Not like some kind of Barbie-Doll with too short skirt and big boobs.)
All in all it's a great story and I'm a bit sad, that it is the only book about Fray. She definatly has the potential for more!
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