Buying translated foreign comics is a crapshoot: Their artwork can be stunning, but sitting down and actually reading them can be a teeth-gnashingly frustrating experience. French cartoonist Lewis Trondheim avoids this tendency with his funny-animal adventure Harum Scarum, which accomplishes the difficult task of translating humor verbally as well as visually. The three main characters–a dog police detective, a cat newspaper reporter, and a rabbit medical student–trade rapid-fire quips and put-downs with excellent comedic rhythm. Adding to the fun is Trondheim's deceptively simple drawing style: The characters are sketched with only a few lines, but are remarkably expressive and funny. Meanwhile, the backgrounds are drawn with more care, reminiscent of the clean lines of Hergé's Tintin. This combination of kinetic characters within a detailed environment creates a great cinematic atmosphere. The fast, twisty plot is also pulled off well, revolving around some shadowy scientific research in which all sorts of unsavory characters are interested. Harum Scarum represents a great leap forward for the French comedic tradition.