Looks like Bandette #1 was too good to be true. With a few exceptions. In this story - taking place in the luxurious country of France - with our Robin Hood-esque heroine (you know, if the poor were herself) we get a terribly unrealistic story and I foresee some artwork mishaps in the near future of these Parisian streets.
Inspector Bellique has his work cut out for him when a bank robbery goes down. Bandette lends a hand to stop a robbery-in-progress, but has to call on some friends for a little bit of help...
Right away, Bandette #2 starts off with a problem. The "previously" on it's very first page offers way too much. It is literally a play-by-play of the first issue and makes it possible to skip it. With a comic as short and cheap as this, even a short previously may be too much.
On to the actual story. Writer Paul Tobin's unrealism is breathtakingly bad. I know. A comic book, unrealistic? Shocking. Especially when comic books have previously featured an alien from Krypton and a reporter who spends his days swinging around Manhattan on webs. But Bandette presents a situation that seems to take place in reality. There are no super-powers or super-situations.
What makes Bandette so unrealistic? First off, the bank robbers during the heist wear fancy suits with no masks. They look like they're ready to go to a fancy banquet. Get ready to see your mugs on every news station in France! Then, we have Bandette, a thief, working with the police to stop a... robbery? There's an oxymoron. Bandette even says it herself inside the bank when she spots the tons of money she is supposed to be protecting.
Her relationship with the inspector should be like Commissioner Gordon's to Catwoman's, not Commissioner Gordon's to Batman.
But these witty and insightful comments from Bandette are one of the few things I still like about this comic. She is a little minx that's fun to watch with an air about her that just makes you like her. It could even make you ignore the fact that she's always calling someone to help her finish something, but this plot point is a creative one. She helps herself more than others and does admit that her heroic moments are overshadowed by the side of her that commits crimes.
The main thing that I still enjoy - partly - is Colleen Coover's artwork. I love the cartoonish quality of the characters that matches the tone of the series and is so unlike the artwork you'll see in other titles. The painted style is a great choice that I never want to change. I also like the contrast between the brightly colored characters and the dull brown palette backgrounds. It puts emphasize on the characters. The only problem with this is that is hurts our opportunity in future issue to enjoy the scenery of France, which does have some beautiful monuments that I would love to see shown off with Coover's painted artwork.
With this issue, don't think too much about it like I did. All of the blatant unrealistic moments can take you out of the story. And while that story is not brilliant, it can be enjoyed along with the lovable heroine and quirky artwork. And it's only $0.99.
$0.99 that you could spend on the first issue. Maybe not this... even if the cliffhanger is somewhat promising.
An all-around nerdette, I’m a comic book connoisseur, horror aficionado, video game addict, anime enthusiast and an aspiring novelist/comic book writer. I am the head of the comic book department and the editor-in-chief of Entertainment Fuse. I also write and edit articles for Comic Frontline. I am also an intern at Action Lab Entertainment, a comic book publisher at which I edit comic book scripts, help work on images in solicitations and help with other comic book related project. My own personal website is comicmaven.com.
