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Joss Whedon's Fray #1 SUMMARY: In this issue, we are introduced to Melaka Fray, a theif who works for a fish, Gunther (really a human turned mutant). After stealing some goods for him, he gives her some silver for it, but she is later confronted by her a sister, who is cop investigating the theft of the omulet Fray stole. Fray manages to keep her cool, without getting arrested. Returning to her home, she is confronted by a man who sets himself on fire telling her, she is the one who will save them. Things getting too wierd for her, so Fray decides to go to her apartment to catch some sleep, but when she gets there, she finds a demon waiting for her. A demon sent out to prevent the newest slayer from being called perhaps... THE GOOD: It's the writing debut of Buffy scribe, Joss Whedon, but more importantly the debut of the future vampire slayer, Melaka Fray. Unlike Buffy though she has no true allies, friends, family to help guide her through her new found destiny. Think of her as the Buffy version from the episode "The Wish". She even has a scar on her face just like the alternate Buffy, but whatever you do, never compare the two, because they are both from two very different worlds. Joss Whedon's Fray #2 SUMMARY: This issue introduces us to the storyline of this eight issue mini-series. The demon in her apartment had been sent to help her prepare for her destiny, but things got off to a bad start. The demon, Urkonn tries to explain her slayer destiny, but Fray refuses to believe him. However, later during the day, after a run-in with a lurk (a vampire), Fray returns to Urkonn deciding to now accept her destiny. THE GOOD: This issue wasn't exactly Whedon's greatest writing material, but then again, this issue is to only help set up the min-series' storyline. I'd give the issue a 7 / 10 rating. Joss Whedon's Fray #3 SUMMARY: This issue is very much action packed, with explosive drawings and words in almost every panal. Melaka Fray learns how the entire slayer thing began, and for the first time ever, Joss Whedon explains in full detail why the slayer was created.This issue also sets the battle between Fray and her brother's killer, Icarus. THE GOOD: This issue was very action-packed. Most of the issue is filled with sarcasm from Melaka's mouth, something Buffy did a lot during her era as the slayer. Speaking of Buffy, this issue reveals how everything magical and mystical disappeared for several centuries and also revealed a possible fate of how Buffy died! Joss Whedon's Fray #4 SUMMARY: This issue gives us the full story of how Melaka lost her brother, Harth. While taking her brother on a "grab", they were stopped by Icarus. Icarus beat the stuffing out of Fray and bit her brother. years later their paths cross again, when Icarus battles Fray again at the bar. Fray loses the battle, but is saved by Urkonn. She is then later kidnapped by Icarus' people, and is brought before the mastermind...her own brother: Harth, now a vampire! THE GOOD: This issue was pretty good and finally shows the full death of her brother, Harth. This issue mainly focuses on building up the climax of this whole mini-series. Pick it up, its pretty good reading, especially that last page revelation! Joss Whedon's Fray #5 SUMMARY: This issue is a landmark in the Fray series. It gives the full story on all of the unanswered questions, of how Harth was turnede into a lurk, why Melaka is missing a lot of her inherited slayer traits and more. It truely shows that Melaka isn't just the super-hero who fights the bad guy and saves the day. When the war is finally over there will definately be humongous casualties! THE GOOD: The Good? More like the Great! This issue was AB FAB. This issue had everything you would want to make a great issue! And that last minute shocker showing the death of lil' Loo, it just makes you wanna cry! Keep up the good work Joss! Buffy the Vampire Slayer #40 Little Monsters (Part 1 of 3) SUMMARY: This issue revolves around the BtVs episodes: "Crush","The Body" & "I Was Made To Love You". Buffy and the Scoobies are coping with Joyce's death and Spike is still trying to find ways to win Buffy's heart. Amidst all this, bad tensions are going about, with the Scoobies attacking eachother with words and in the Summer's household, Buffy, Dawn and Willow are attacked by three ugly little monsters. After giving Willow some scratches, Buffy some bruises and Dawn some nightmares they depart from the battle, leaving the three girls wondering what the creatures were. THE FRAY: So, what does any of this have to do with the future Slayer, years ahead of Buffy??? On the first panal on page nine, where Dawn enters Buffy's room asking about Spike, look very closely at the magazine Buffy is reading. It is an issue of Joss Whedon's Fray #5!!! Okay so it's a very small cameo, but get the issue anyways, the current Buffy team are 'casting' some terrific stories for Dark Horse. Joss Whedon's Fray #6 SUMMARY: Dealing with the grief of losing Loo to the lurks, Fray finally steps up to the plate to take out Harth and his legions of undead. Day after day, Mel fights the lurks and dusts them, trying to convince everyone that the Lurks are a threat. The issue runs to a cliffhanger, whee Icarus and Mel decide to go for round two of their unfinished fight from issue #4. THE GOOD: At long last, we finally get to see Mel kick some tail. The entire book shows Mel just dustin away legions of vamps/lurks. Mel Rubi does an excellent job drawing these fight scenes. THE BAD: Joss truly has perfected himself, throughtout the mini-series. Hardly ever, has there been anything to complain about in the series other than teh fact that there has been massive delay in the mini-series hitting stores. The only thing I didn't like about this issue, was that the plot wasn't as vital as the other chapters. Nothing truly important to the story happens in this issue. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Tales of the Slayers TPB SUMMARY: This collection of tales are amazing, starting off with a lost tale of the Primitive finding out that she will die, but will live in spirit within the next slayer. The story continues by exploring adventures of several slayers:a medieval slayer, Claudine, Miss Elisabeth, 'Monster Slayer', Anni Sonnenblume, Nike and Melaka Fray THE FRAY: This book wraps up with Mel chasing a spider monkey that stole her scythe, the only link she has to her predecessors. The hunt ends, when the spider monkey brings her to an old, wrecked house, that has a gigantic painting of her scythe painted on the floorboard. Inside, she finds the diaries of all the Watchers, andafter reading them, she realizes that she is the only one, but she isn't alone. THE BAD: Bottom line: don't spend $15 on this book just for the Fray story. In comparison to the other tales in this book, its by far the weakest. The story also draws on plotlines from the mini-series which had not been released yet due to massive delays between issues, leaving the reader confused if they read this issue when it first came out on the newstands (i.e. Fray's scythe, working for Gunther) Also, I miss the spider monkey. More spider monkey stories! Joss Whedon's Fray #7 SUMMARY: The Fray/Icarus re-match is ended abruptly when Erin Fray drops her car on him. Getting the town of Haddyn ready for war, Harth's legions invade the city as the gateway is finally revealed, in the form of a gigantic dragon-snake-spider-hybrid-demon. Oh yeah, and Fray gets eaten. THE BAD: Besides the fact that the finale release date of this issue is over a year late (it was supposed to be released in January of 2002), I was looking foward to the rematch between Fray and Icarus, but was kinda peeved that it was cut short in the first three pages. Joss Whedon should have made this mini-series into a nine-issue story, so he could have had room for this rematch between the two. Joss Whedon's Fray #8 SUMMARY: In the mouth of the beast, Fray uses the scythe to cut her way to and then through the brain of the creature, preventing the gateway from being opened. After a really gross brother-sister "bonding session," Mel confronts Urkonn revealing that she knew it was he who killed Loo in order to push Mel to give her all to save the world. Using his one weakness against him, Fray gains the upper hand and impales him with the scythe. THE BAD: More or less, the issue was very good, but personally I think Harth should've been killed off this issue. I really think his role in the tale of Fray served his purpose and I really don't see any more usage for him in future stories. But that's just me. Also, that kiss between the Fray siblings was just plain nasty! Fray: Future Slayer TPB THE EXTRAS: Includes introductions from Jeph Loeb and Joss Whedon, Karl Moline's sketchbook, which includes trivia facts such as Mel's face being based on actress Natalie Portman's portrayal of Matilda from the film The Professional. Another one of Moline's inspiration for Mel's look was an earlier sketch of a Slayer-like character named Victoria Paris (Tori for short) who was a "super strong, fast healing, intelligent monster slayer." The best part of this sketchbook is "Slayer vs. Slayer," a comparison study in which Karl compares sketches of Mel and a photorealistic sketch of Sarah Michelle Gellar's Buffy.