The rumors are flying fast and furious that Buffy, Angel and Firefly creator Joss Whedon might be the new writer on New X-Men sometime in 2004. This is good news to me, not just because of how much I've loved most of Whedon's TV work and how the comic-book sensibilities inform that work, but because his first big foray into comics, Fray, was a true delight. Whedon imagines a future world that has similarities to many dystopian futures, based largely around the increasing gap between the rich and the poor but also including a twist in the form of supernatural dangers that lurk in the shadows waiting to return. He was joined in this endeavor by new artist Karl Moline, who has a great vision for this future as well as incredible character designs, such that these characters come to life as well as those embodied by flesh and blood actors in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Though it's probably of most interest to Buffy fans because it shows the future of the Slayer line and features the same sort of vampire-killing and witty banter that made Buffy so much fun, it's actually just as enjoyable to those who have never watched the show. Whedon's references to the Slayer and the rules of vampires in her universe are Easter Eggs for Buffy fans, but they serve as useful exposition for those who aren't already familiar with Buffy canon. You can come in here not even knowing what a Watcher or a Slayer is and still get a kickass, futuristic adventure story with a touch of horror and human interest. After all, not even the protagonist really knows what these things are (or believes in them) until the very end of the tale.
Whedon has a gift for character interaction and dialogue, and that is very much evident in Fray. Like J. Michael Straczynski, another TV writer who has come to comics, Whedon's work sometimes feels a little bit more cheesy on the page than it might if delivered by an actor, but in general the banter between the characters is excellent. Certainly Melaka Fray comes across as tough and a little bit bitter but with a hero's heart, a difficult balance to hit without veering into cliche (which Fray rarely, if ever does) and the practical, bemused Urkonn makes a perfect counter-point to Fray's practical and streetwise attitude.
In fact, Whedon's story, while based around an action/horror plot of monsters plotting to return bigger monsters to the world, is really all about the different characters and viewpoints that intersect in the course of the story. At the heart of Fray's journey is her choice to go from mostly looking out for herself to becoming a leader and defender of her world. Providing different viewpoints on all of this are a variety of different characters. There are the two big bad vampires, one of whom has a clever surprise identity and a nifty twist on the Slayer lineage. There's Gunther, her aquatic mutant fixer who serves as a lure to her old life. There's Urkonn, who holds a few secrets of his own as well as playing the mentor role. There's Melaka's sister Erin, who represents the straight-and-narrow that Melaka has avoided all of her life, and there's a little girl that represents Melaka's adopted little sister and the hints of a protective role that will become a bigger part of her life in the end.
As vivid as Whedon's imagination is, plenty of the credit for the creation of Fray also belongs with Karl Moline. There are several defining moments in the pages of Fray that show off Melaka and her social status and skills. Seeing her straddling a pair of walls, taking a shower by means of a busted pipe, not only indicates that she has to scrounge for even her basic needs but that she has a superhuman agility and lack of fear. And Moline also does some fantastic work on the acrobatic skills of Melaka, especially when she's falling (something she tends to do a lot of) or fighting (ditto). Then there's the big apocalyptic finale, which shows that Whedon knows when to cut loose and take advantage of the comics format's easy special effects, and that Moline can deliver on the potential of the medium with some spectacular (and at times funny) big action.
Like most seasons of Buffy, Fray starts small and goes big, but Whedon never forgets why his readers are there. Even at the height of the apocalyptic moments, the characters retain their sense of humor (the use of a taxi as a weapon and Melaka's reaction was a high point of the series for me). And while I found some of the revelations in the series to be a little forced, especially the one that pits Melaka against an ally at the end, it's nice to see that Whedon retains the ability to surprise and subvert expectations that hooked me on Buffy in the first place.
