With her vivacious disposition and clever wit, “Bandette” brings a refreshing new ambiance to the hero image that has yet to be seen comic books. 

This playful comic “Bandette” will leave readers laughing out loud with creative dialogue written by Paul Tobin and brilliant illustration by Colleen Coover. “Bandette” will be available for purchase Nov. 6. 

Bandette is not your usual first-class law abiding hero; while many of her actions may prove to be heroic she is in fact an art loving, cunning thief. 

“Bandette” tells the story of a carefree thief / hero (depending on one’s interpretation). This comic book has some Robin Hood-type plot twist; while Bandette does often steal art and famous historical artifacts for her own collection, she is frequently assisting Inspector Belgique returning stolen pieces to their rightful owners. 

Although, living a life of crime comes with its enemies. FINIS, an evil organization, has been plotting the demise of Bandette for years. She is able to thwart the pursuits against her with the help of her friends Tommy, Freckles, the three ballerinas, her love interest Daniel and her trusty pup Pimento. Absinthe, the evil organization’s leader, is indomitable and will stop at nothing to put an end to Bandette’s endeavors. 

In this volume, Bandette is faced with many tasks such as retrieving rare stolen paintings and famous historic coins while avoiding the detection of her thieving competitors the Matador and Monsieur. Bandette lives an untroubled life and unlike most serious heroes we see in comics, she fights her nemesis with a mocking disposition. 

Bandette is a silly yet talented thief who takes her burglary quests with a lighthearted stride. During one of Bandette’s robberies in the first scene, she is being chased and shot at.

“Bullets? How rude,” she responds. “Were they not beguiled by my adorable outfit and charming wit?”  With her sarcastic, buoyant attitude toward life and silly catch phrases such as “Presto!” readers will fall in love with Bandette. 

“I think a 15+ age rating for ‘Bandette’ is being rather over careful. I’d want a daughter of mine reading this title from a young age, making a mask of her own and yelling ‘Presto!’” said comic book writer Paul Cornell in the foreword. 

While Bandette does have some redeeming qualities, many readers may argue that some of the material displayed in this comic is not appropriate for readers who are 14 and under. “Bandette” includes one scene with characters about to initiate sex and although the words are bleeped out, characters are presumed to be swearing during some points of dialogue. 

“The result of experimentation with graphics programs and physical media that, when it all clicks into place, makes an artist like me do a little happy dance and want to tell the world all about it,” said Coover.

The artwork created in “Bandette” is full of action and clearly illustrates the dialogue occurring in each scene. Readers will enjoy the individuality that Coover brings to each main character.

Coover uses a computer, digital drawing table, working knowledge in both Magna Study by Smith Micro Software and Photoshop by Adobe Systems, a color printer, Bristol bond paper, ink and a brush. More details about applying each tool can be found at the end of the comic upon purchasing, as well as several bonus short stories by a handful of different artists. 

“Bandette” is indeed a page-turner and with its unique approach to heroism, lively illustrations, crafty dialogue and Bandette’s bodacious persona, comic lovers will be eagerly awaiting the next issue.