There is something eternally appealing about stories involving kid-gangs. While Stranger Things may have brought the kid-gang back with its '80s nostalgia, comic books have been exploring it with mind-bending comics like Paper GirlsDespite its roots though, the kid-gang can work in more genres than just adventure and science-fiction, the kid-gang can work just as well for a heist. That's where Pantomime #1 comes in, and the unique mash-up of genres leads to something with a tremendous amount of potential.

The comic from writer Christopher Sebela and artist David Stoll, focuses on a young girl named Haley who is deaf. After the death of their mother, Haley, and her brother Max, are sent to live in a boarding school for people with hearing disabilities. The two quickly form a small friend group consisting of a non-binary athlete named Kestrel, a popular girl named Lexi, and a nerd named Harry. When Max's phone and tablet are taken away by a teacher, the group bands together to steal them back. A successful heist has the group elated, but it doesn't take long for the group to start wondering what their next heist should be. Unfortunately, their next heist comes sooner than they expect.

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It is not specified why, but Lexi's parents are arrested, forcing them to spend all of Lexi's tuition money on hiring a lawyer. Worried about potentially losing their friend, Haley and the rest of the group decide to steal from a local crime boss. They plot it down to the minute and their plan pays off when they leave with a haul larger than they expected. The group is exhilarated about pulling off the crime and saving their friend, but their excitement turns to horror when they're confronted by the man they stole from. He gives the five teenagers a choice, either pay him back with interest or pay with their lives.

Right away, the first thing the comic deserves praise for is its portrayal of hearing-impaired teenagers. The main cast are all compelling characters that readers want to succeed. Helping their characterization is the comic's use of sign language. Artist David Stoll imbues each character with a ton of personality-based strictly on how they sign. From Haley's more subdued movements to Lexi's more outgoing ones, it all makes the characters endearing.

Beyond the characters, the plot offers enough to make readers want to read more. The set-up is paced well, giving room to let the characters breathe, while still putting them in tough situations. The last few pages where the group is threatened works as a perfect hook to get readers in for issue 2 and hopefully the rest of the series.

Though the first issue is quite strong overall, it is not without a misstep or two. The biggest issue comes in the character's instant willingness to go through with the heist that gets them in trouble. What they're doing is dangerous and it feels odd that none of the five main characters voice any concerns about their plan. This would have provided a touch more characterization and also would have opened avenues for potential conflict in future issues.

Overall though, this small problem hardly diminishes such a strong first issue. The best heist stories give readers interesting characters with a good reason to steal and, judging by that metric, Pantomime #1 is a big success. Pantomime #1 (in stores in November) is a perfect example of how a diverse cast of characters can give creators new ways to tell interesting stories.

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