Ben Rankel's Frank is a graphic novel, historical fiction account of a bit of Albertan history previously unknown to me. Frank doesn't refer to a person but rather a town that was all but wiped out in 1903 under the deadliest rock slide in Canadian history.
Rather than simply tell that tale however, Rankel adds in a bit of a murder mystery. I admire the ambition and creativity behind it, but I wasn't crazy about the execution which relied on somewhat clumsy exposition near the end. I did enjoy the complex characters though.
The art is highly stylized in a trendy, quirky style, that reminded me both of Herge's Tintin and Alexander Forbes' The Case of the Missing Men. It's not a style that I'm particularly drawn to but I do feel the vintage feel fit the setting.
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