Dark Horse Comics keep the slayer alive via graphic novels. Fray ran as an eight-issue serial in 2003, and is now available as a complete graphic-novel.
Fray is a creative spin-off set in the “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” universe Whedon created, combined with the author’s futuristic vision: “the rich get richer, the poor get poorer, and yes there are flying cars.” Fray takes place hundreds of years in the future, Manhattan has become a deadly slum, run by mutant crime-lords and disinterested cops.
The title character, Melaka Fray, is a blue/purple-haired 20-year-old who is a thief-for-hire. Her life is already complicated when she finds out she’s the world’s latest vampire slayer, which is alway a welcome to any woman’s life. 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?
Since I have been watching “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” / “Angel” TV series on DVD my interest has sparked into the past, future slayers and continued season 8 for “Buffy”. These are only available via graphic novels. Because I have not completed season 6 or 7 of the TV DVD series, Jenny has hidden away the comics for season 8. But here is my ‘get around’ reading ‘Fray’ because it does not have any “spoilers” into Buffy’s future.
The one thing is apparent, Vampires are not going anywhere. They still harvest human blood, pray on the weak and stay in dark alleys (at least during the day). So, take heart Joss fans, the future looks bright for slayers. The ‘watchers’ are just as subtle and manic creepy as those we see in the Buffy series, and believe it or not . . . more intense. In fact, Fray’s watcher is a demon.
The artwork is very well done by Karl Moline and with Joss Whedon doing all the writing, it is much better than what I have seen of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” season 6 and what I have heard about season 7.
How does it rate on a score of 5 hot wasabis?
5 out of 5 Wasabi! You go slayer!
