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Frank at Home on the Farm #1-2
Writer: Jordan Thomas
Artist: Clark Bint
Letters: NS Paul (Issue #1) LetterSquids (Issue #2)
Covers: Clark Bint

After surviving the atrocities of war, Frank only wants to return home and be surrounded by his family once again. However, it seems as if he’s stepped from one nightmare into another and he needs to figure out what’s going on soon or he might end up wishing he was back on that battlefield.

Like any good thriller, the opening of Frank at Home on the Farm is a pretty quiet one as Thomas and Bint introduce us to our main character. Bint’s artwork moves most of it along as Frank searches around the old farm for his family. The art itself is strong and does well at cementing you firmly in this tale while taking you through several moods all at once. We go from a solemn moment where we see the memories of Frank juxtaposed with the current state of things. To downright creepy and ominous as he ventures into town to find answers on the whereabouts of his family. Thomas works these moments so well with his dialogue and pacing that effectively builds the tension needed to keep you uneasy while reading. Especially during the anthropomorphic nightmare scenes with the one in the second issue giving us an extra dose of horror.

It also seems as if Thomas keeps you guessing as to whether some of this is psychological trauma from Frank’s time at war, something else sinister in the town, or a mad combination of both. Though, after the cliffhanger in the second issue it’s probably the latter.

The only issue I had with the story was that at times the sequential storytelling struggles during several transitions. There are so many panels during certain sequences that the layout takes away from the story’s flow. Though it could be that I’m a fan of “less is more” when it comes to this genre so it could just be a personal bias of mine. However, by the second issue this was less of a problem and the multi panel layout was worked into the art itself and made for a chilling moment and possible revelation.

Overall, Frank at Home on the Farm is a solid addition to the horror genre and worth your time as the creative team here has certainly crafted a story you’ll want to see all the way through. And for more, you can check out the Kickstarter for the next issue!

Infinite Speech
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