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A review by billyjepma
4 Kids Walk Into a Bank by Matthew Rosenberg
5.0
"4 Kids Walk Into A Bank" is what would happen if a gritty crime film starred a dysfunctional group of endearingly vulgar 12-year olds. The comic drifts into so many genres and themes and tones that it feels like it should be disorienting but that couldn't be farther from the truth. Every single page is consistently gorgeous, colorful, and pulls you into a world that feels tangible and lived-in. The layouts of the panels are never stagnant, and Tyler Boss' art and design work is really something special. His mastery of a familiar-yet-distinct aesthetic is so compelling, and the way he pulls you from page to page is nothing short of magical. For a story that relies on a *lot* of dialogue, nothing about this comic feels clunky or overly wordy, and Boss' layouts do a fabulous job at making even the densest pages seem clear and exciting.
It also helps that Matthew Rosenberg's writing never misses a beat. His dialogue is fast and clipped, and I can't remember the last time a graphic novel had me literally laughing out loud as often as this one did. Rosenberg's characterization of his cast is spot-on, and clearly outlines who each character is within just a couple lines of dialogue. Others have noted that the comic is very heavy on the dialogue, but it never once felt like overkill to me. Rosenberg keeps things moving and energetic, and I was so invested in his characters that I had no issues with the wordiness of it. Thomas Mauer's lettering helps the text really pop too, and makes Rosenberg's already crisp dialogue flow across the page that much more.
I could pick apart all the reasons why this is comic is magical and thrilling and deeply emotional, but really, you should just read it yourself. "4 Kids Walk Into A Bank" does just about everything right, and any critiques I have are so nit-picky that they're not even worth going into because everything else so beautifully overshadows it. The whole comic feels like a Tarantino film with the cast of Stephen King's "IT" and the stylish aesthetics of Wes Anderson, and I loved every page of it. It's one of the best and most uniquely satisfying graphic novels I have read in a long time and I am going to incessantly nag everyone I know until they pick it up and read it for themselves.
It also helps that Matthew Rosenberg's writing never misses a beat. His dialogue is fast and clipped, and I can't remember the last time a graphic novel had me literally laughing out loud as often as this one did. Rosenberg's characterization of his cast is spot-on, and clearly outlines who each character is within just a couple lines of dialogue. Others have noted that the comic is very heavy on the dialogue, but it never once felt like overkill to me. Rosenberg keeps things moving and energetic, and I was so invested in his characters that I had no issues with the wordiness of it. Thomas Mauer's lettering helps the text really pop too, and makes Rosenberg's already crisp dialogue flow across the page that much more.
I could pick apart all the reasons why this is comic is magical and thrilling and deeply emotional, but really, you should just read it yourself. "4 Kids Walk Into A Bank" does just about everything right, and any critiques I have are so nit-picky that they're not even worth going into because everything else so beautifully overshadows it. The whole comic feels like a Tarantino film with the cast of Stephen King's "IT" and the stylish aesthetics of Wes Anderson, and I loved every page of it. It's one of the best and most uniquely satisfying graphic novels I have read in a long time and I am going to incessantly nag everyone I know until they pick it up and read it for themselves.