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With the success of Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Angel, it isn't surprising that Joss Whedon wouldn't mind a third series on the go.
When Anthony Stewart Head said he wanted to leave the hit series, BTVS, Whedon asked him how he'd feel about leading his own series, but set in the UK, so he could spend time with his family, Head jumped at the chance....
Dealing with the BBC, Whedon is currently setting up the UK based series 'Ripper' (also known in places as 'The Watcher'). With Anthony Stewart Head starring as his BTVS character Rupert Giles, the series has been reported to be 'Cracker with Ghosts'. It's supposed to be an 'older' show. Buffy is for the teens, Angel for the 20's, Ripper will be for the older viewer. It won't be action packed like it's 'younger' predecessors, but it won't be 'too British -stuff will happen'!
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Joss Whedon, a fan of comics since he was young, was eager to pen his own. Rather than simply doing a comic version of Buffy or Angel, he decided to add a new that to his growing 'Whedonverse'.
Set 500 years into the future, Fray, is a Slayer... she just doesn't know it. The comic tells of how a slayer (500 years previous-we're to guess it means Buffy) fought in a great battle against an army of demons. She was successful, a demons were no more. With no demons, there was no Slayer, only girls with the potential - but never called upon... until Fray. Of course without Slayers, The Watcher's Council were useless. The comic shows them as weird people, kind of insane - the one who is supposed to 'watch' Fray sets fire to himself!
The comic is in four parts - currently waiting for Issue 4 - and already has us interested in it's characters and plot.
THE CHARACTERS
MELAKA FRAY  "WHAT'S A SLAYER?" |
500 years have passed since the last slayer was called, but now it's time for a new one... and Fray is it! As the story begins, Fray is in business as a thief, working for Gunther, but her life is about to change when she finds out about her destiny. |
URKONN  "YOU HURT ME... I GOT ANGRY" |
Fray's 'Watcher', of sorts. He's a demon from another dimension, who has come to guide Fray - knowing how useless Watcher's of this time are. |
ICARUS  "YOUR LITTLE FINGER. BITE IT OFF." |
A Vampire - or Lurk as they're now called - and a powerful one at that. He demonstrates his power over his minions when he forces one to bite his own finger off. |
ERIN FRAY  "I'M TRYING TO KEEP YOU OUT OF JAIL." |
Melaka's sister, a cop. She wants the best for her, but Melaka seems to see her as the enemy. |
GUNTHER  "TELL HIM WE HAVE HIS PRIZE." |
Melaka's slimy boss. He is an aquatic being who commands from under a glass floor. It seems his intentions are not too honourable..... |
LOO |
A mutant girl, who clearly pulls at Fray's heart-strings. She looks up to Fray, and sees her as a heroine... and she'll no doubt be correct. |
HARTH FRAY "Miss Me?" |
Melaka & Erin's brother who was supposedly killed by a lurk when accompanying Melaka on one of her 'grabs'. Erin has always blamed Melaka for his death... but with the return Icarus, it turns out Harth isn't as dead as they thought... |
THE ISSUES
Chapter One Big City Girl |
The first chapter introduces us to the characters we will be following over the eight issues. We meet Fray, the next slayer, at get a glimpse of the life she leads. We meet Gunther, Fray's boss, and feel the tension between Fray and her sister, Erin - hinting at trouble in Fray's past. The last frame of the issue we see Fray, seemingly about to be attacked by a big demon... |
Chapter Two The Calling |
...Fray fights heroically against the demon, only to find that he is there to help her. His name is Urkonn and he tells her that she is The Slayer. She is naturally cautious, and chooses not to accept what he says. By the issues end, having battled some lurks (new age vampires), she ask's "what is a slayer?". We also are introduced to Icarus, and his power... |
Chapter Three Ready, Steady... |
This issue shows us more of Fray's past... and it includes Icarus. At this time, however, Fray and Icarus haven't met...yet. Urkonn tells her the story of the Slayer, and the end of the demons. We get to see Fray's fighting skills, just before she realises... Icarus has come from her... |
Chapter Four Out Of The Past |
As Fray freezes in battle against Icarus, we see what happened to her twin brother, Harth. As Fray lay in hospital with a fractured spine, she is left to believe that her brother is dead - after being bitten by Icarus. We see that Urkonn's bosses (The Powers That Be?) are growing impatient for the Slayer to get on with her duties, and, when a bunch of lurks kidnap Fray - we find out who Icarus is working for.... Harth! |
| Chapter Five The Worst Of It |
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| #7 | |
| #8 |
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Not happy with 3 live action series, Joss Whedon is also developing an animated version of our favourite Slayer!
Although there are many things to still be planned, what we do know (with a few educated guesses thrown in) is that the series will go back to the first season of BTVS. Or around then anyway - possibly starting with the second season as it allows for more characters. Also, Dawn will be seen, as 'we' remain in the world altered by the monks in season five. James Marsters has said about voicing his character, and Spike doesn't appear until season two. It's know that Whedon wants the cast of the live action series to voice their animated characters.
Also, the animation is set to be 'more Batman' style than a cutesy style, and the storylines will be progressive. A lot of cartoons stay still in a timeframe and never really allow themselves to expand from that. BTAS will allow the characters to grow, filling in the bits we didn't get to see in BTVS.
- Possible characters
Buffy, Xander, Willow, Cordelia, Angel, Giles, Oz, Dawn, Spike, Drusilla, Joyce
This animated series has been shelved as Joss Whedon cannot find a home for it. This section will left open - for now.
