4 Kids Walk into a Bank

Amid themes of friendship, family, and the tribulations of the awkward tween years, Rosenberg (Kingpin) and Boss (Calexit) stage a gangsters-versus-gamers showdown. Four young friends, fresh from a Dungeons and Dragons session, encounter a pack of unsavory recent parolees (“We’re the bad guys, dear,” the leader quips). Afterward, the kids—tomboyish leader Paige, loutish Berger, lanky “Stretch,” and introverted chemistry devotee Walter—come to suspect the thugs of luring Paige’s father into a criminal scheme. When they launch a stakeout, they discover the bad guys’ plans for an upcoming bank heist. Fearing for her father’s safety and freedom, Paige organizes an audacious plan to beat the criminals at their own game and rob the bank first. The art is rife with pop-culture references, paired with sharp, witty dialogue and well-orchestrated coloring. What could have ended up as a juvenile romp is instead presented as a realistic piece that pulls no punches in its honesty and slow-burning anxiety. [em](Jan.) [/em]