9.5/10 Rating
What’s 4 KIDS WALK INTO A BANK about?
The title, 4 KIDS WALK INTO A BANK, makes the series sound like the start of a convoluted dad joke. In actuality, 4KWIB is a well wrought crime / humor story written by Matthew Rosenberg (of UNCANNY X-MEN) about kids, the awkward middle-school years, friendship, family, and the bank heist of a lifetime. First published in 2016, Chapter 1 is part of the five issue mini-series, which has recently been optioned for the movies — and with good reason.
Why is this comic worth your time?
The first installment of this gloriously quirky 1980s caper has all the ingredients for a successful big screen adaptation that will remind readers of Stranger Things and Wes Anderson flicks.
In the first pages of Chapter 1, the four kids are playing Dungeons & Dragons in an ephemeral action sequence masterfully illustrated by Tyler Boss. By the end of the issue, they’re grounded in a strange reality where they’re spying on a bunch of ex-cons who saved them from some schoolyard jocks…and also just barged into one of their homes.
Four goons strut into Paige’s house unannounced.
Rosenberg and letterer Thomas Mauer imbue each kid with a comically distinct personality, making me feel like I knew all the inside jokes and was part of the group. This doesn’t happen a lot. I just finished Y: THE LAST MAN — 11 years late, I know — and as emotionally attached as I was to Yorick’s journey, I felt like the dialogue for every character had the same wit and sarcasm, which was really just the voice of author Brian K Vaughan. Rosenberg’s writing doesn’t suffer from that monotony.
The dialogue is hilarious, unique, and almost audible.
By the end of Chapter 1 of 4KWIB, you’ll have enjoyed some quality laughs, be in complete admiration of Paige (the group leader / badass wonder child), and need to know what the hell is going on with her dad and these unruly ex-cons. You’ll want to read Chapter 2 ASAP.
Secret Society Comics 