Fray
Encyclopedia
Fray is an eight-issue comic book
limited series
, a futuristic spin-off of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Written by Buffy creator Joss Whedon
, the series follows a Slayer named Melaka Fray
, a chosen one in a time where vampires (called "lurks") are returning to the slums of New York City, and the rich-poor divide is even greater. Volume one is drawn by Karl Moline
(pencil
s) and Andy Owens
(ink
s).
The series was published by Dark Horse Comics
beginning in 2001, with delays between the first six and the final two issues caused by Whedon's TV commitments, during which Moline illustrated Route 666
for CrossGen Comics. After the series' conclusion in August 2003, a trade paperback
collecting the whole series was also published by Dark Horse. In a short video promoting the charity Equality Now
Joss Whedon confirmed that "Fray is not done, Fray is coming back. More than that, I will not say." This was reiterated in 2007's Comic Con where Joss stated that he "absolutely would be returning to that world." Fray next appears as a main character in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight
crossover story arc, "Time of Your Life
", by Whedon and Moline.
The series was closely linked to the concurrently airing seventh season of Buffy, with coinciding depictions of the Slayer's mystical scythe and her origins, a major contributor to the expansion of the canonical
"Buffyverse
" in which Buffy the Vampire Slayer and other related stories are set. Melaka Fray also appears in the story "Tales", by the same creative team as the series, in the anthology comic book Tales of the Slayers
.
Centuries have passed since the last Slayer was called. Demons were banished from the Earth at some point in the 21st century by an unnamed Slayer and her friends, and the Watchers' Council has decayed into a group of crazed fanatics. The vampires (dubbed lurks) have now returned and haunt the city. To combat this threat, a new Slayer is called: a professional thief named Melaka Fray. With the Watchers' Council ineffective, a group of "neutral" demons send the demon Urkonn to prepare Melaka for the war that is sure to come.
Although training hard and feeling confident, Mel finds herself out of her depth when she fights the vampire Icarus. Years before, Icarus severely injured Mel and killed her twin brother, Harth. Mel discovers that Harth was not actually killed: after being bitten by Icarus, he bit back and fed off the vampire, becoming a vampire himself. Since he was the Slayer's twin, he has the visions and instinctive knowledge that should have been hers: he knew what Mel is long before she did, and also knew how to become a vampire.
Disheartened, Mel refuses to fight, until she discovers the body of her young friend, a mutant girl named Loo, with her neck snapped. Determined to avenge her, Mel rallies the inhabitants of the slums to fight against the vampires. Police officer Erin Fray (Mel's older sister) convinces some of the local law enforcement to also join in the crusade.
As the battle begins, a giant dragon-like demon flies over the scene. This, Urkonn tells Mel, is the gateway to the demon world, and thousands more demons will be born from its womb. Mel falls into the creature's mouth, and manages to kill it from inside by stabbing its brain. She climbs out of the creature's eye and again encounters Harth, who is riding on its back. His plans foiled, he kisses her on the mouth, and flees.
The world is safe, but one more piece of business remains. Mel tells Urkonn that she knows a vampire couldn't have killed Loo: they couldn't have got into her flat uninvited, and would have drained her blood, not snapped her neck. Therefore Urkonn must have done it, hoping to inspire her to fight. He admits the truth, and they battle. Having figured out that her demon mentor can't swim, Melaka drops him into a pool of water and stabs him in the head.
Melaka returns to her former life of crime, while at the same time killing any lurks she finds. In another world, Urkonn's superiors state that he will be stricken from history for his failure to kill her after she stopped Harth, and start to discuss their plans for when Harth tries something again.
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
limited series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
, a futuristic spin-off of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Written by Buffy creator Joss Whedon
Joss Whedon
Joseph Hill "Joss" Whedon is an American screenwriter, executive producer, director, comic book writer, occasional composer and actor, founder of Mutant Enemy Productions and co-creator of Bellwether Pictures...
, the series follows a Slayer named Melaka Fray
Melaka Fray
Melaka Fray is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon with artist Karl Moline for the 2003 comic book limited series Fray, a spin-off set in the continuity of his television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer...
, a chosen one in a time where vampires (called "lurks") are returning to the slums of New York City, and the rich-poor divide is even greater. Volume one is drawn by Karl Moline
Karl Moline
Karl Moline is a comic book artist and the co-creator of Fray. He provided the artwork for Fray, as well as the associated Fray-centric story in Tales of the Slayers and the Fray storyline in Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight: "Time of Your Life". He also pencilled the Willow one shot named...
(pencil
Penciller
A penciller is an artist who works in the creation of comic books, graphic novels, and similar visual art forms.The penciller is the first step in rendering the story in visual form and may require several steps of feedback with the writer. These artists are concerned with layout to showcase...
s) and Andy Owens
Andy Owens
Andrew James Owens is an English footballer who plays for Southport in the Conference National.-Career:Owens began his career with his home town club Liverpool but later moved to Stoke City. After being released by Stoke he spent time with Stafford Rangers and Altrincham, before joining Welsh...
(ink
Inker
The inker is one of the two line artists in a traditional comic book or graphic novel. After a pencilled drawing is given to the inker, the inker uses black ink to produce refined outlines over the pencil lines...
s).
The series was published by Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
beginning in 2001, with delays between the first six and the final two issues caused by Whedon's TV commitments, during which Moline illustrated Route 666
Route 666 (comics)
Route 666 was a comic book series created by CrossGen Entertainment in July of 2002. It was CrossGen's first horror comic venture, and contained a blend of action, menace and humor...
for CrossGen Comics. After the series' conclusion in August 2003, a trade paperback
Trade paperback (comics)
In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
collecting the whole series was also published by Dark Horse. In a short video promoting the charity Equality Now
Equality Now
Equality Now is a non-governmental organization founded in 1992 whose stated purpose is to protect the human rights of women around the world. The group provides an international framework for spreading awareness of issues and providing support to local grassroots groups working to address issues...
Joss Whedon confirmed that "Fray is not done, Fray is coming back. More than that, I will not say." This was reiterated in 2007's Comic Con where Joss stated that he "absolutely would be returning to that world." Fray next appears as a main character in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight is a comic book series published by Dark Horse Comics. The series serves as a canonical continuation of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and follows the events of that show's final televised season. It is produced by Joss Whedon, who wrote the...
crossover story arc, "Time of Your Life
Time of Your Life (Buffy comic)
"Time of Your Life" is the fourth story arc that spreads from the sixteenth to the nineteenth issue of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight series of comic books, a continuation of the television series of the same name...
", by Whedon and Moline.
The series was closely linked to the concurrently airing seventh season of Buffy, with coinciding depictions of the Slayer's mystical scythe and her origins, a major contributor to the expansion of the canonical
Canon (fiction)
In the context of a work of fiction, the term canon denotes the material accepted as "official" in a fictional universe's fan base. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction, which are not considered canonical...
"Buffyverse
Buffyverse
The Buffyverse, also known as the Whedonverse or Slayerverse , is the shared fictional universe in which the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel are set. This term, originally coined by fans of the TV series, has since been used in the titles of published works, and adopted by Joss...
" in which Buffy the Vampire Slayer and other related stories are set. Melaka Fray also appears in the story "Tales", by the same creative team as the series, in the anthology comic book Tales of the Slayers
Tales of the Slayers
Tales of the Slayers is a Dark Horse Comics Buffy the Vampire Slayer graphic novel that consists of multiple stories written by Joss Whedon, Amber Benson, and others which tell of different members of the Slayer line....
.
Characters
- Melaka "Mel" FrayMelaka FrayMelaka Fray is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon with artist Karl Moline for the 2003 comic book limited series Fray, a spin-off set in the continuity of his television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer...
– A 19-year-old thief and Vampire Slayer. Unlike other Slayers, she has had no prophetic dreams of her destiny or of the Slayers before her, and is now trying to figure out what her destiny as the Slayer entails. - Harth Fray – Mel's twin brother, who was attacked by a vampire during a theft with Mel. To save his life, Harth deliberately drank the vampire's blood, thereby becoming a vampire himself. It is unprecedented for a Slayer to have a twin and, as an odd side-effect of this, Harth possesses the prophetic dreams and visions of past Slayers that Mel lacks.
- Erin Fray – Mel's older sister. On opposing sides already because of her job as a cop and Melaka's thieving, Erin also blamed Mel for the death of their brother for a long time. Eventually, in the big battle against their vampire brother, the two reconciled.
- Urkonn – A demon who trains Mel as a Slayer in lieu of her actual Watcher (who instead immolates himself). A budding friendship grows from the previously harsh mentor-student relationship, but he ultimately betrays her by killing Loo in order to harden her resolve. After defeating her brother, Mel discovers Urkonn's betrayal and lures him into a trap, killing him.
- Loo – Mel's friend, a mutated girl, murdered by Urkonn in order to motivate Melaka in confronting her brother.
- Icarus – The vampire that killed Harth four years ago; killed by Erin right before the big battle.
Synopsis
The story is about a Vampire Slayer of the future named Melaka Fray and her discovery of what being a Slayer means.Centuries have passed since the last Slayer was called. Demons were banished from the Earth at some point in the 21st century by an unnamed Slayer and her friends, and the Watchers' Council has decayed into a group of crazed fanatics. The vampires (dubbed lurks) have now returned and haunt the city. To combat this threat, a new Slayer is called: a professional thief named Melaka Fray. With the Watchers' Council ineffective, a group of "neutral" demons send the demon Urkonn to prepare Melaka for the war that is sure to come.
Although training hard and feeling confident, Mel finds herself out of her depth when she fights the vampire Icarus. Years before, Icarus severely injured Mel and killed her twin brother, Harth. Mel discovers that Harth was not actually killed: after being bitten by Icarus, he bit back and fed off the vampire, becoming a vampire himself. Since he was the Slayer's twin, he has the visions and instinctive knowledge that should have been hers: he knew what Mel is long before she did, and also knew how to become a vampire.
Disheartened, Mel refuses to fight, until she discovers the body of her young friend, a mutant girl named Loo, with her neck snapped. Determined to avenge her, Mel rallies the inhabitants of the slums to fight against the vampires. Police officer Erin Fray (Mel's older sister) convinces some of the local law enforcement to also join in the crusade.
As the battle begins, a giant dragon-like demon flies over the scene. This, Urkonn tells Mel, is the gateway to the demon world, and thousands more demons will be born from its womb. Mel falls into the creature's mouth, and manages to kill it from inside by stabbing its brain. She climbs out of the creature's eye and again encounters Harth, who is riding on its back. His plans foiled, he kisses her on the mouth, and flees.
The world is safe, but one more piece of business remains. Mel tells Urkonn that she knows a vampire couldn't have killed Loo: they couldn't have got into her flat uninvited, and would have drained her blood, not snapped her neck. Therefore Urkonn must have done it, hoping to inspire her to fight. He admits the truth, and they battle. Having figured out that her demon mentor can't swim, Melaka drops him into a pool of water and stabs him in the head.
Melaka returns to her former life of crime, while at the same time killing any lurks she finds. In another world, Urkonn's superiors state that he will be stricken from history for his failure to kill her after she stopped Harth, and start to discuss their plans for when Harth tries something again.
Original issues
(Second printing: July 25, 2001) (Second printing: December 26, 2001) (Second printing: December 26, 2001) (Second printing: October 17, 2001) (Second printing: December 5, 2001) (Second printing: March 27, 2002)Collected editions
- Fray: Future Slayer (softcover trade paperbackTrade paperback (comics)In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
collecting the miniseries, ISBN 1-56971-751-6, published November 26, 2003) - Fray: Future Slayer (hardcover edition of the above trade paperback, ISBN 1-56971-992-6, published November 26, 2003)
- Fray (British reprint of the softcover collection, ISBN 1-84023-448-2, published December 19, 2003)
See also
- Buffyverse Slayer Mythology
- Tales of the SlayersTales of the SlayersTales of the Slayers is a Dark Horse Comics Buffy the Vampire Slayer graphic novel that consists of multiple stories written by Joss Whedon, Amber Benson, and others which tell of different members of the Slayer line....
- Fray makes an appearance in "Tales" - Time of Your LifeTime of Your Life (Buffy comic)"Time of Your Life" is the fourth story arc that spreads from the sixteenth to the nineteenth issue of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight series of comic books, a continuation of the television series of the same name...
External links
- Article about the miniseries from Dark Horse ComicsDark Horse ComicsDark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
' official website - Melaka Fray at WikiaWikiaWikia is a free web hosting service for wikis . It is normally free of charge for readers and editors, deriving most of its income from advertising, and publishes all user-provided text under copyleft licenses. Wikia hosts several hundred thousand wikis using the open-source wiki software MediaWiki...