Don't pick up this graphic novel unless you plan to read it through in one sitting - it's that involving. An (incomplete) collection and reformatting of cartoonist Hartley Lin's Pope Hats series, Young Frances details the corporate law firm world of clerk Frances Scarland, and the relationship with her less straight-edge best friend, actress Vickie Griffin. The nuances of their relationship and the absurd and stressful office sequences are created with empathy, knowledge and irony. They all ring true.
The story is told in that fashionable indie style which mixes carefully observed detail with a more cartoony surface (most likely a half-century-later derivative - whether conscious or not - of Herge's influence). In short - it's beautifully drawn and beautifully paced. Readers of any age will find much to appreciate in it.
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