Some kids hang out at the park. Other kids rob banks.

4 Kids Walk Into a Bank is a coming-of-age heist story written by Matthew Rosenberg and penciled by Tyler Boss. The graphic novel was originally published by Black Mask Studios as a five-issue limited series. It’s got criminals, it’s got tabletop gaming, and it’s got embarrassing adolescent moments. In other words, it’s not like any bank heist story you’ve ever seen before.

Liam Neeson is set to star in a film adaptation of the comic, which means now is the perfect time to read the original story. And so, ahead of the film’s August release, here’s everything you need to know about 4 Kids Walk Into a Bank, its ending, and everything in between.

What is 4 Kids Walk Into a Bank about?

4 Kids Walk Into a Bank is about four middle-schoolers who plan a bank heist in order to save one of their parents. Think of it like Ocean’s Eleven meets The Goonies, but with a dark twist. Paige, Berger, Pat, and Walter find themselves involved in a criminal conspiracy after a conman named Vernon turns up looking for Paige’s father, who has a criminal past. Vernon wants Paige’s father to join his crew for one last bank heist, and Paige fears that if her father goes through with it he’ll be arrested and she’ll lose him forever. Paige decides that the only solution is to rob the bank before Vernon’s crew does.

How does 4 Kids Walk Into a Bank end?

The heist ends in disaster, the kids get caught, and Berger dies.

At first, everything appears to be going as planned, but one of the bankers activates an alarm, which causes the kids to panic. When the police arrive, Berger is shot in the stomach after an intense confrontation. As if things weren’t bad enough, Paige learns that Vernon and his crew robbed another bank without Paige’s father and have already left town, which means their entire heist had been for nothing. Paige, Berger, Walter, and Pat head to their getaway vehicle, but wind up crashing the van. The kids are arrested, and it’s implied that Berger died after bleeding out.

The comic ends with an epilogue that flashes years into the future. An adult Paige is released from prison and reunites with her father, Pat, and Walter. Paige and her father embrace as they both apologize to one another.

Do Paige and her friends rob the bank? 

Paige and her friends rob the bank, but multiple things go wrong and they’re caught. The kids wind up stealing $9,300, but Berger is shot by a police officer during a heated moment. The kids attempt to escape in their getaway truck but wind up crashing into a nearby body of water. The cops then arrest them.

Technically speaking, you can say they robbed the bank because they were able to steal the money and leave the bank with it. Getting away was another story.

Who dies in 4 Kids Walk Into a Bank?

Berger is killed in the final chapter of 4 Kids Walk Into a Bank. When the police arrive at the bank, Berger gets into a violent confrontation with a cop who shoots him in the stomach. Berger begins bleeding out and enters a delirious state. He has a fantasy sequence that implies he’s passing away, but we never see him die. There is an epilogue set sometime in the future where Paige is released from prison and reunites with her father, Pat, and Walter. Berger’s absence makes it clear that he didn’t survive.

During the robbery, Paige shoots the police officer who had fatally wounded Berger. There is some speculation that the officer died; however, another panel makes it look like he was shot in the arm and his injury wasn’t fatal. Paige appears to be a relatively young woman when she gets out of prison in the epilogue, and I would have to imagine she would’ve had a longer sentence if the officer had died.

Does 4 Kids Walk Into a Bank have a sequel?

There are no plans for a 4 Kids Walk Into a Bank sequel. Speaking to Paul Semel, 4 Kids writer Matthew Rosenberg says the story was always meant to have a definitive ending.

“I think there is something beautiful about definitive endings. We always wanted to do this in five issues, so we did.” Matthew Rosenberg and Tyler Boss reunited for the Image Comics series What’s the Furthest Place From Here?, but it has no connection to 4 Kids Walk Into a Bank. Simply put, don’t expect to see anymore adventures with Paige and her friends. 

Does the 4 Kids Walk Into a Bank movie closely follow the comic?

It isn’t certain how closely 4 Kids Walk Into a Bank will follow the original comic. The movie won’t be in theaters until August, so until then, we can only speculate based on casting announcements and promotional material. For example, the movie version of Danny will be Paige’s grandfather instead of her father. This change was likely done so Liam Neeson could play the character. For everything else, we’ll have to wait until the movie comes out.

How can I read 4 Kids Walk Into a Bank?

4 Kids Walk Into a Bank can be purchased at most book retailers. The storyline was originally published as a five-issue limited series, and those individual issues can be purchased at selected comic shops, provided they have copies available. However, your best bet is to get the trade paperback collection, which has the complete storyline in one graphic novel. The trade paperback is still in print, and it can be found at bookstores such as Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and Books-A-Million. A digital version of the graphic novel can also be purchased on Amazon for Kindle and other e-readers. Simply put, there are a few different ways to get your hands on the comic and watch Paige and her friends become the youngest bank robbers.

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