Fray

Joss Whedon — 2003

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.

Reviews

Monicap@insult_the_glory

Apr 29, 2024

I thought that Maybe comic books—sorry, graphic novels—weren’t for me after that V for Vendetta thing happened *facepalm* but let’s be serious: if it has Joss Whedon’s name on it, I’ll do it. This had his name on it, so I checked it out from the library, read it… loved it! The artwork was AH-MAZ-ING. One of the thing’s I didn’t like about V for Vendetta was the artwork. It was so… I don’t wanna say shoddy, but I didn’t like it. On the other hand, the artwork in Fray was bright, clear, I could tell what was going on, at no point was I confused because the artwork wasn’t matching the dialogue or anything… Speaking of clarity, that’s another thing I didn’t like about V for Vendetta. I still don’t know what was going on with the plot. Fray, though… well, it might just be because I’m pretty familiar with the Buffyverse, but the plot was MUCH easier to follow. AND. THE. CHARACTERS. You should have HEARD me while I was reading this! All the characters were so good… Urkonn was probably my favorite, and Loo was so lovable, and you could really relate to Mel and Erin and, just wow. Joss Whedon is a god, and I willingly worship him. (*note: I did know about the big plot twist concerning Urkonn at the end because I’d spoiled myself on Wikipedia. Still loved him though) Want to know why? Here’s a quote that I really like: Mel: But he set himself on FIRE! Urkonn: Maybe he was cold. Which, coincidently, brings me to my next point: When I think about comic books, I think comics. And comics are supposed to make you laugh. I didn’t laugh AT ALL while reading V for Vendetta (I was to busy being confused) but Fray? I was laughing every ten minutes. It had the funny, witty dialogue that’s Joss Whedon’s trademark, but also making with the serious… Man. Joss Whedon. But then… we come to the end. And I say: “Wait. That can’t be it. There has to be more, there has to be a sequel or something. I’m still waiting for you to explain that weird and slightly disturbing thing that happened with Harth and Mel!” So… get cracking on a sequel, Joss Whedon.