My Faith in Frankie is something like the Phoebe Cates flick Drop Dead Fred, only Mike Carey's story is brainier, more clever and far more sexy. The writer manages to present a Vertigo book that's surprisingly cute yet not without the customary edge and maturity one comes to expect from the writer's work and the imprint's overall expectations. The artwork is appropriately light and playful as well. My Fait in Frankie boasts supernatural plot elements, yes, but it's a significant divergence from the horror stories we've come to expect from Mike Carey. It was a pleasure to see the writer show off a degree of the range of which he is capable here.
Everything goes perfectly for Frankie Moxon. She has great grades, she excels in everything she attempts, tragedy never befalls her or her best friend and those who would call themselves her enemies are always struck down in some manner. It's as though Frankie has her own guardian angel, but that's not the case. She actually has a god looking out for her, albeit it one from a long-forgotten pantheon. Yep, Frankie's life is perfect... until adolescence and the blossoming of her interest in boys. While she lusts after the male form, her spiritual protector has deemed it necessary to protect her from them in bizarre and divine ways.
Sonny (Malinky Robot) Liew's loose, sleek style suits the story incredibly well. There's a playfulness in his linework that's in keeping with the comedic quality of the script, but he also does a great job of capturing the youth of the characters and the sexuality that's such a key element in the teen scenes. His art here reminds me of the work of such artists as Bill Watterson, Stephen DeStephano and Walter Simonson. I'm also quite surprised with the restraint in the inks. Hempel's style is usually a heavy one, though always fun, but it's really difficult to see his influence at work here.
Carey achieves a nice balance in the title character. Frankie is thoroughly likable; even as a child, her intellect comes shining through, as does her confidence. But Frankie also comes off as spoiled at times and far too cocky. The writer has his audience rooting for the main character but hungry for her comeuppance as well. I was also quite taken with the narration. It's appropriately light and imaginative. There are some delightfl turns of phrase -- "'I know a shortcut' doesn't butter any parsnips with me" -- and Carey breaks the Fourth Wall on occasion to achieve an amusing effect.
Ultimately, this story seems to be about the wisdom of shrugging off conventional thinking, of flying in the face of conformity, but about the dangers of taking that philosophy too far as well. It's not just Frankie's who marches to the beat of her own drummer. Jeriven, her heavenly helper, is bucking the divine system he's been taught to uphold as well. The rebellious nature of those characters makes for entertaining reading.
