If you ever go down to Chicago, you better keep a tight hold of your pockets. Especially if you find yourself walking along the southside. You might just end up feeling a little lighter than when you arrived. The Banks tells not only one but two intriguing tales intertwined together. One from the past and one from the present. The score of a lifetime and the chance to avenge a lost one leads to three generations of the Banks family coming togther. Above all else grandmother, mother and, daughter risk breaking the one rule which has kept their family out of prison. Get in, get paid, get out, never get greedy. If you’re a fan of a good old fashioned heist story The Banks might be exactly what you’re looking for.
Plot
The Banks is written by Roxane Gray, who you will know from her work on Black Panther: World of Wakanda. The artwork is from Ming Doyle known from The kitchen and Jordie Bellaire who has previously worked on Redlands. We’ll keep the first part of this review spoiler-free for anyone who is yet to read The Banks and then we’ll dive into all those juicy spoilers. What I found impressive about The Banks was its ability to tell two different stories simultaneously switching between the modern-day story and the youngest of the Banks family Celia. As well as the story of Celia’s grandmother Clara in her hay day as a thief. For the first 4 issues, the stories are noticeably different, from the dialogue to the color pallet and art style. The two do however begin to come togther really nicely in the 5th and 6th issues.
A tale of two thieves
In addition to bringing togther Celia’s story, it leaves Clara with a really satisfying ending too. Despite this obviously being Celia’s story Clara resonated with me a lot more. I loved the flashbacks to Clara in her hay day even more than the modern-day plotline with Celia. It was, however, really funny to see Clara, an old school thief have to adapt to modern-day tech and security. It added a nice bit of comic relief to what is a very mature and at times dark story.
Fantastic action is littered throughout, although not always in the traditional sense. The tension and suspense alone were enough to keep me gripped even when there was no “action” so to speak. Although along with the classic heist storyline The Banks has its fair share of blood. At times it felt a little like a cop drama, most noticeable thanks to the character of Detective Vasquez who plays more of an anti-hero role rather than a straight-up antagonist.
The Banks is a brilliant read for any fan of a classic heist style story, with a fantastic cast of characters that bring real heart into the mix. A healthy dose of drama and some gritty downright dark moments makes Than Banks a genuinely great read. Now if you haven’t given it a read time to skip to the end of this review. Its time we dive into those spoilers.
Spoilers
The Banks revolve around Clara and Melvin banks. Two smooth old-timey thieves who don’t do good things but are good at the things they do. They only steal from the people who can afford to lose it and never get greedy. Only taking what they need and all. It added a nice “robin hood” vibe to the whole thing. Melvin and Clara end up having a kid named Cora, who Clara has to bring up alone with her husband in prison. Cora follows in her ma and pa’s footsteps becoming a thief of her own. Eventually has her own child Celia and then marries her wife Addie. Celia decides not to join the family business but after losing out on yet another promotion at her work and hearing about the score of a lifetime. She decides its time to make her own fortune.
I loved watching Melvin and Clara grow togther, from their first meeting to when they eventually go thieving together. When Melvin gets put away after getting himself caught to save Clara on a job gone wrong it was genuinely emotional. The start of Celia’s story was less gripping. After losing out on a promotion at work and consoling in her boyfriend she learns of a client at her firm who has millions stored away in gold and bitcoin. Fed up of missing out she decides to take action and join the family business. Telling her mother and grandma about the job. Her motivations were believable enough but the modern-day stuff didn’t have that same charm as Clara and Melvin’s story.
A Free man
Melvin eventually gets out of prison and gets the chance to live his life with his wife and daughter. His happiness is short-lived once Victor Alenko, notorious drug dealer and member of the mob forces Melvin the best thief in the city, into retrieving some stolen cocaine for him. Melvin can’t say no and unsurprisingly gets caught with the drugs sending him down yet again for another 30 years. It was hard to not feel for Melvin. He did his time, wanted to live a good life with his family and got sent down yet again. Sure the guys a thief, but like I said he only stole what he needed from those who could afford to lose it. That Robin Hood charm made him and Clara both super likable.
Mother and daughter
It’s downright impressive how The Banks can juggle all these different relationships effectively. Clara and Cora, Celia and Cora as well as the disdain between Clara and her granddaughter who she thinks looks down at her. Cora’s relationship with her wife Addie was also handled really well, although Addie herself didn’t show up all that much. She never did join Cora in her thieving skills although it didn’t stop them from being together.
An old rival
After Melvin does his 30 years Alenko looking for some revenge after losing his product straight-up murders Melvin in the street. Easily one of the darkest and more shocking moments of the series I didn’t see it coming and it switched up the vibe of the issues after this. Espcially when it’s revealed the client Celia wants to steal from is working for Alenko. Now its more than a job. Now it’s personal. Justice for Melvins murder.
I loved seeing the lead up to the heist. Reaching out to an old informant for the gear, Clara learning how to deal with new modern tech which is obviously out of her league. Plus Claras back and fourths with detective Vasquez were brilliant. Vasquez didn’t have many huge impacts on the story until near the end but I enjoyed watching her tail and chase after the Banks girls.
That same Robin Hood vibe that is present throughout the whole series comes full circle. Both storylines conclude with Alenko getting what he deserves. The Banks girls live up to Melvins Legacy stealing Alenko’s assets to give to those who need them most. A really satisfying conclusion which I thoroughly enjoyed to what was an intense, dark and gritty story.
Characters
We’ve already talked quite a bit about the Banks Girls. I will say I found Celia to be a relatable and likable protagonist. She goes through unfortunate mishap after unfortunate mishap. First at her job and eventually lying to her boyfriend to try and protect him. Whilst I thought she was great the beginning of her story didn’t have that same flare as Melvins and Claras. I loved the flashbacks to the ’60s and 70’s where we first meet Clara and Melvin. Their chemistry was fantastic and I kind of wished we saw more of them on heists together.
Cora, Clara’s daughter was also a really interesting character. Her relationship with her wife Addie was handled brilliantly when we did get to see it but it wasn’t focused on too much. All 3 generations of The Banks family were both similar and different. They were each unique and likable in their own way and It’s downright impressive how they pulled that off.
Alenko was a typical evil bad guy. Nothing too special about him other than his ruthless nature which Clara finds out about all too well. Don’t get me wrong as a villain he served his purpose but he didn’t feel as special as the Banks girls. Some smaller characters such as Celia’s boyfriend or detective Vasquez definitely played there part in the story but again were outshined slightly by our three main stars. They were nice additions that helped move the story along but didn’t have that same lasting impression.
Artwork
The Banks looks absolutely stunning. The entire series has this dirty, gritty wash over it which accompanies the story in a great way. What stood out the most to me though was the obvious difference between the modern-day stuff and the flashbacks. When we travel to the ’70s the issue has a bright and vibrant color to it compared to the darker color of the modern-day stuff. As the flashbacks get closer and closer to the modern-day that brightness tends to fade a little. Such a subtle detail but it works wonders. Everything from the atmosphere of the heist to the small action sections looked fantastic.
The Banks is a fantastic read for fans of crime dramas or good old fashioned heist movies. It has that same feeling with a modern take on it, a story full of twists, turns and gripping moments, a great cast of characters and some genuinely brilliant artwork to accompany it all. If you’re looking for a thrilling heist story, look no further than The Banks.
Feel free to check out our thoughts on TKO’s other 6 issue series Sentient.
