Animan

Angoulême Grand Prix winner Ricard (Anna & Froga) riffs on the 1983 TV show Manimal in this insouciant, absurdist take on superheroes. Francis, an unassuming fellow with a bald spot and prominent mustache, is “a man just like any other,” except he can transform into any animal. Not even his wife, a frog named Fabienne, knows his secret identity as Animan—though he reveals it to the animals he treats in his day job as a pet therapist. Animan primarily employs his power for casual fun, like turning into a fish to enjoy a swim at the beach. But he also leaps into action to solve mysteries or stop his arch-nemesis, Objecto, who can change into inanimate objects. In a shuffle of comedic vignettes, Ricard combines adult sensibilities—all this transforming includes male nudity—with guileless, lively artwork, nonsensical jokes, potty humor, and gross-out moments. Animan, for example, turns into a termite to interview the maggots chowing down on a murder victim. His showdowns with the snotty, resentful Objecto read like kids playing make-believe: “A turtle, really? That’s the best you can do?” Perpetually shape-shifting between silly and sophisticated, the story reinvents the idea of a superhero comic from first principles. It’s not for kids, but the young at heart will be delighted. (Mar.)