Anouk Ricard is a French comic-maker, and her work is often translated into English. She's done the fun all-ages books about, "Anna and Froga," and created the stellar, "Benson's Cuckoos," some time ago. Her latest work is, "Animan," which is a bit of a superhero story...except not really. Published by Drawn & Quarterly, this book is loosely inspired by the 1980's show, "Manimal." The idea is that as a baby, Francis was bitten by a radioactive mosquito that had absorbed a lot of animals' blood at a zoo. He can now turn into various animals and uses this to be a pet therapist who can (secretly) talk with the animals when he becomes one too. He also helps stop crimes, but doesn't really seek them out. If he's made aware of wrongdoing, he'll make an effort, but he mostly just enjoys his job and living with his girlfriend, a talking frog named Fabienne. Interestingly enough, others can hear her talk, and she is unaware that Francis has powers and only ever sees him as a human. The complexities of that aren't exactly explored, because the focus is more on just following Francis as he goes about everyday life and occasionally uses his animal powers.
This isn't to say, "Animan," is boring or lacks suspense. At one point, Francis proves the owner of a dog he treats murdered her husband (with an assist from the pet) and when a man who can turn into objects and hates Francis for initially unclear reasons (named Objecto) continues to try and hurt Francis or those he loves, things get a bit violent! That said, Ricard has a wonderfully cartoony style of illustration that helps give even the darker or slightly morbid elements of the story ( like chatting with maggots eating a dead body) a nice, chill vibe. Even when there's thriller danger, it all feels like it's all in good fun.
As a fan of Ricard, I was excited to read, "Animan," and it delivered plenty of enjoyment! If you like off-kilter stories, unique takes on superheroics, or just want a great original graphic novel to check out, you should give, "Animan," a look! I rate it...
5 out of 5 Stars.
