Written by Tom Breyfogle
Art by Various Artists (Daniel Hillyard, Jordi Perez, Gabriele Falzone, Jimmy Kucaj, Juan Romera, Antonio Fabela, Davide Puppo, Rock Alves, Renan Shody, Lipe Diaz)
Letters by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, Taylor Esposito
Published by Sumerian Comics

Were you a teenage troublemaker that is now steeped in nostalgia for the late 90s? Check out the solicit below:

“Crime Through Boredom. A year-by-year look at the final generation of juvenile delinquents before technology took over. Watch the comical cast of characters grow up, as each chapter is set in a different year of adolescence (1996-2003). The first issue tells nostalgic tales of toy store heists, grand theft beer runs, backstage buffoonery, counterfeit cash, and clown weed! Issue 2 tells nostalgic tales of restaurant heists, fake ids, illegal tattoos, and gas station tacos. Issue 3 tells nostalgic tales of accidental drug use, frantic food fights, and getting deported out of Canada!”

As a child of the 90s, so much of this story hits that nostalgia part of the brain and gets me excited to enjoy every moment of this series. The characters are extremely relatable and make the big mistakes of childhood. If you grew up at any point in the 90s you’ll definitely connect with the shenanigans pulled by our main characters, Phil and Ethan. Things are wild as they grow up and try new things and learn what is and is not a good idea to do. This era really was an era of experimentation and Phil and Ethan go through many different tests and temptations.

As I flipped through the pages of the story I found myself walking in Phil and Ethan’s shoes and living life through them vicariously. Tom Breyfogle finds a way to connect with an entire generation with this story and bring us back to the days of growing up and not having the internet at our fingertips.

The art team is incredible and contains so many different artists. I love that each chapter of the story includes different talents, not only because it represents different years, but because it allows for the showcasing of so many artists. There is flawless cohesion amongst the art teams that nothing feels disjointed throughout all three issues and 9 chapters. The depictions of the 90s are spot on with fun references strewn throughout the three issues.

I had a blast reading each issue of this story as it was released and enjoyed watching the character growth that occurred throughout the story. Issue three comes with some surprise twists and leaves us at a place for the possibility of more stories coming up. This story pulls on the emotional strings of growing up and the growing pains involved with it.

If you’ve got a knackering for nostalgia and are hungry for the days of goofing off and causing mischief, then you need to grab How I Became a Shoplifter issues #1-3 (Vol. 1). Sumerian Comics should soon be releasing a TPB, but in the meantime, all 3 issues are currently available at comic shops!

Rating 9.5/10