Fray by Joss Whedon Summary and Reviews
|
List Price: Our Price: $10.14 You Save: $9.85 (49%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $3.00 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of Fray
Book Review: Joss Whedon knows what we want and gives it to us
Summary: 5 Stars
Just as I loved and watched every single episode of "Buffy", I now turn to this great work that carries on the tradition of a female vampire slayer. Even though it may sound like he's repeating "Buffy", such is simply not true. And the artwork is phenomenal! Too bad these guys couldn't team up and either bring my favorite cyberpunk books, "Cryptonomicon", "Neuromancer", "Darkeye: Cyber Hunter", "Snow Crash" to artistic life or, maybe, even a TV movie. I'm sure any of those titles would translate well, especially with Josh Whedon at the helm!Book Review: Joss Whedon's comic book adventure of a future Slayer
Summary: 4 Stars
If the pivotal moment in the original story of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" was when the blonde walked down the alley and kicked the butt of the monster that attacked her, thereby reversing generations of horror movie stereotypes, then the key moment in the story of "Fray" is when her Watcher shows up to train her in the fight against the vampires and our heroine pauses a beat (i.e., a frame with no dialogue) before asking "What is a vampire?" This is because Joss Whedon's story is set in the 23rd century, some two hundred years after "a Slayer, possibly with some mystical allies, faced an apocalyptic army of demons. And when it was done...they were all gone. All demons, all magics, banished from this earthly dimension." What happened to that particular Slayer? The chronicles do not say, apparently, but we learn that she was the last to be called. That is, until Melaka Fray.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.
Book Review: MIddling extension of the Buffyverse
Summary: 3 Stars
"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.
Book Review: Magnificent entry in the Buffyverse
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought Fray after reading the Fray-Buffy crossover in Season 8. I was hoping for something good, but I got something great. Fray is simply brilliant. The characters are strong, the scenarios believable. Everything is spot on.
Fray has the advantage of being semi-familiar (vampires, slayers), while being completely new (future, no slayer knowledge).
All Buffy comic fans should buy this, and then demand more Fray from Joss and Co.!!!
Book Review: Mmm.. stake
Summary: 4 Stars
For one uninitiated in the world of Buffy and slayers generally, this was a fine introduction. Mr. Wheedon seems incapable of writing bad dialogue or creating boring charaters, so the result is a fascinating new universe that draws to a close entirely too soon (hence the 4 stars... What can I say? I'm greedy).