Reviewer: Iain Burnside
Story Title: N/A
Written by: Joss Whedon
Penciled by: Karl Moline
Inked by: Andy Owens
Colored by: Dave Stewart & Michelle Madsen
Lettered by: Michelle Madsen
Editor: Scott Allie
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
With the impending juicy goodness of Joss Whedon’s Astonishing X-Men debut looming ever closer, now seems as good a time as any to take a look back at his previous work on a comic book. Along with some stand-alone tales for the Tales of the Slayers graphic novels, this eight-issue mini-series from Dark Horse has been Whedon’s only foray into the comic world and should provide some insight into what we can expect on the 25th May.
Fray is set in a possible future of what has come to be known as the Buffyverse, hundreds of years after the TV series left off. I say possible future because events in the series finale of Buffy would seem to contradict some of what happens here, not to mention pretty much everything about the Angel mythology.
Anyway, we are in Manhattan and the world has been completely freed from demons since they were driven into their own dimension sometime in the 21st century. This means that the line of Slayers has also been broken. None have been called or trained because there has been no need for them, while the Watcher’s Council has fallen into disrepute and become little more than a cult of deluded, deranged zealots. This is not to say that the world is in any way a better place for this. There is still a strong dystopian presence to this environment due to an ever-growing cultural divide between the classes, as exemplified by the stark contrast between our heroine, Melaka Fray, and her sister Erin. The former is a ‘grabber’, someone well-versed in stealing specialist objects for a crime boss, while the latter is a strictly-by-the-books cop. Melaka lives in the downtrodden warren of Versi, while Erin has made her way to the ‘uppers’ and has a severe conflict of interests as to how she can best rehabilitate her sister.
The world that Whedon has created for Fray is a well-constructed mixture of two well-constructed standards, namely the typically depressed sci-fi future landscape sprinkled with magical, mystical monsters. In this case it can be difficult to tell who these monsters are as ecological problems have caused various mutations throughout society. Take Gunther for example, the fish-creature kingpin for whom Fray ‘grabs’, or some of the more unseemly inhabitants of Versi’s night spots. While these mutants are not feared on the same level as Marvel’s own, they are still not exactly welcomed with open arms by those in the uppers, and so remain hidden in warrens such as this one. These warrens are little more than shanty towns, full of drifters and criminals, waifs and strays. It is a far cry from Sunnydale but shares a common problem in people with pointed teeth and a penchant for human blood. We know them better as vampires but to Fray they are simply the ‘lurks’, mutated junkies driven to insanity who have convinced themselves that drinking blood will satisfy their cravings. Hidden in the many shadows of the warrens, they seem to have grown in numbers over the years, their attacks becoming more frequent and more violent.
Into this disturbing situation comes a demon named Urkoon, who is to change Fray’s world forever by revealing to her the true nature of the lurks and the true calling that lies hidden in her soul. Normally this would of course be the Watcher’s task but he had a nasty little accident. More specifically, he lit himself on fire in glorious rapture upon finally finding Fray. So, not much chance of help from the Council then. What is a little less clear is Urkoon’s true motive. After all, why would a demon who bears more than a passing resemblance to Hellboy want to help out a Slayer and open her eyes to the vampire situation? The answer, and the manner in which he achieves this goal, is but one example of some truly surprising twists in this tale. Spoilers, like reruns of Enterprise, are always best avoided and so you will find none in this review. Suffice it to say that Whedon provides us with a set of last-page reveals and character development moments that bode well for Summers, Frost, Logan, McCoy and Pryde.
In fact, one of Whedon’s main calling cards has always been the appealing qualities of his characters. From the good guys to the bad guys they all sparkle with sizzling diversity, and this is no different. In fact, this may even be the first time that his lead character has been so interesting. Ask any fan of Buffy or Angel who their favourite character is and nine times out of ten it will not be the lead. It will be the comic relief of Xander, the cool-as-hell attitude of Spike or the melancholic sinister undertones of Wesley that merits a special place in their heart. For the most part, Buffy and Angel have been forced to play the straight guy for the others to bounce off and it works well.
Here, with only eight issues to work with, there is obviously little time to develop a supporting cast as outstanding as that of a 22-episode television season, and so Fray has to be one appealing girl to keep the reader interested. Thankfully, she is. Possessing superhuman strength and athletic agility that she has never been able to explain, she can more than hold her own in some tight scrapes like the first issue’s fall off the side of a skyscraper. Later, more intimate moments with her sister and the rest of her family reveal an altogether softer side to her that simply craves for comfort and a sense of belonging. She is a fine heroine alright, more spirited than Buffy but more affecting than Faith. This is not to say that Whedon has spared any creative expense on the supporting roles, however. Indeed, it would be fair to say that his finest moment as a writer has been giving Loo to the world. Loo is a little girl with only one arm who is blind in one eye and suffers from the most aggravated case of ADD that has ever been seen. Her reaction to Urkoon’s presence is truly priceless. Put simply, if you don’t fall in love with her right away then please take a moment to check you still have a heart.
There are only two things that hinder this TPB. First of all, this is clearly an origin story as it deals with Fray’s very first adventure as a Slayer. Obviously this means that any resolution will be incomplete, as is the case here. With major references to bigger issues in this world that are not touched upon, the book is simply crying out for a sequel to tie up some of its many loose ends. Touch wood Whedon is planning something after Astonishing X-Men #12. Secondly, there is the art work. While never terrible, it does fluctuate wildly throughout the book. Pick any two pages from any two issues at random and Fray is bound to look significantly different in them both. This distracts the reader from being 100% immersed in the storyline, which is always a big no-no. Also, the tone of the artwork is susceptible to change. At times it seems to be trying to emulate a 2000AD tone of black-comedy, while at others it seems to be going for straightforward, out-and-out horror, and occasionally lapses into a standard superhero vibe. Although none of these looks are ever crafted poorly, the book would read a lot better if the visceral narrative remained on a par with the storyline. Still, it is hard to fault Moline. As the sketchbook included in the back of the trade shows, he has obviously put a lot of time and effort into making these characters look suitable for Whedon’s story. It would simply appear that something was lost in translation along the way.
All in all, this is a tremendously enjoyable book that fans of Whedon’s Buffyverse are definitely going to love. If you can’t stand Buffy or Angel then obviously this is not the book for you, but if you are a Whedon virgin then this is as good a place to start as any. The basic premise is introduced perfectly here, with numerous references to events in previous episodes, then twisted into something completely different and shot off on a rollercoaster ride of adventure that no comic book lover could possibly fail to enjoy. In particular, fans of books such as Hellboy, Judge Dredd, and Alan Moore’s ABC line are likely to lap this up. Certainly any fears people might have over what will happen to their favourite X-Men under Whedon’s reign will be assuaged by this book and replaced with eager anticipation on a par with my own.
