Frances #2

Joanna Hellgren's Frances Del 2 presents a quietly compelling cover rendered in delicate pencil tones — two young people seen from behind and in profile, standing close together near a street sign, their body language hinting at something unspoken between them. The soft, restrained draftsmanship gives the whole image an intimate, almost literary quality that feels right at home in Ordfront Galago's thoughtful 2010 lineup. If you're drawn to understated, character-driven Scandinavian comics, this second volume of Frances makes a genuinely appealing case for itself from the very first glance.