Smooth Criminals Complete Collection

by Kiwi Smith, Kurt Lustgarten, Leisha Riddel (Illustrator)

One master thief. One modern hacker. Two timelines collide in a stylish, high-stakes caper full of charm, brains, and retro flair!

From the minds of Legally Blonde screenwriter Kirsten "Kiwi" Smith, co-writer Kurt Lustgarten, co-writer Amy Roy, and artist Leisha Riddel, comes the complete collection of the acclaimed crime-comedy series where espionage, fashion, and friendship never go out of style.

When Brenda, a brilliant but awkward hacker from the late 90s, accidentally thaws out Mia Corsair—an international cat burglar from the swinging 60s—they find themselves the unlikeliest of partners. With fifty years of world-changing tech (and fashion) to catch up on, Mia’s got unfinished the biggest heist of her career. Brenda’s got the skills to make it happen, and maybe a few secrets of her own.

As they navigate Y2K anxieties, high-tech security systems, and their budding team-up, these two smooth criminals plan the heist of the new millennium—that is, if they can stay one step ahead of the law...and time itself.

Collects Smooth Criminals #1–8.

224 pages, Paperback

Published January 6, 2026

Reviews

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is typically nothing funnier than a story about someone that is out of time. It gives an opportunity to point out the absurdity of what we were thinking at the time. “Smooth Criminals” does not disappoint in this venture and hits several homeruns.

Master thief, Mia Corsair, is unfrozen from a mysterious capsule by super hacker Brenda. The issue is that she was frozen in time in the late 1960s to only wake up in 1999. Mia, like all thieves, has that ONE thing that she must have. Well, guess what, it just happens to be nearby. And to add to that, her arch nemesis has used chemicals to keep him fit and he is ready to collect the exact item she wants.

Brenda is truly the star of this show. She’s awkward. She doesn’t really have a lot of friends, unless you count online friends (and crushes). Mia must figure out the language and the technology of the 90s. My favorite moment had to do with Blockbuster. I literally laughed out loud.

My only criticism is a forced preachiness that was included in the story. The situation was fine, but it didn’t flow naturally. It didn’t add layers to the story or Brenda. It was just forced and really didn’t serve a purpose. Taking a stand for social issues in nothing new to comics/graphic novels. Marvel Comics was literally built off of that and did an exceptional job from inception through the 90s. Then we lost the art of nuanced stories that challenged your thinking and helped you see multiple perspectives. But enough about that. Off my soapbox because this graphic novel was fun and the art was incredible.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing an ARC for an unbiased review.

[Shiritaku · Rating 4 out of 5]

Das war mal ein wenig was anderes.
Wir befinden uns im Jahr 99 und treffen zu Beginn auf Brenda, eine ziemlich gute Hackerin. Sie wird sowohl in der Arbeit, als auch sonst nicht wirklich wahrgenommen und kommt daher auch nicht sonderlich gut mit Menschen aus.. Als sie von ihrem Chef dazu verdonnert wird, einen alten Lagerraum auf Vordermann zu bringen, stößt sie auf eine Kryo-Kapsel, welche sie versehentlich öffnet.. Mia kommt zum Vorschein - eine exzellente Einbrecherin aus den 60er Jahren… ja, so fängt alles langsam an. Die Frauen sind zunächst sichtlich verwirrt, verstehen sich aber nach und nach immer besser und so planen sie auch ziemlich schnell schon einen Überfall - denn Mia wurde damals daran gehindert, als sie ihren größten Coup machen wollte!
Durch Witz und Charme begleitet man die beiden dabei, wie sie eine zunehmend tiefere Freundschaft aufbauen und nicht nur über den Raub, sondern auch über alltägliche Dinge sprechen. Brenda’s Unsicherheit bezüglich anderer Menschen, ihrem fehlenden Selbstvertrauen (zumindest wenn es nicht ums Hacken geht) und ihrer Schwärmerei für eine andere Frau. Bei Mia ist das nicht ganz so offensichtlich - klar, sie will ihren großen Coup landen, aber ebenso vermisst sie ihre Mutter.. es ist eine sehr schöne Story die zeigt, was Freundschaft alles bewegen kann und es egal ist, wie lange man sich kennt. Der Humor traf mich nicht an jeder Stelle, aber insgesamt hab ich schon hier und da etwas geschmunzelt. Das Artwork ist sehr realistisch und ausdrucksstark - ich finds auch super, dass die Charaktere in ihrer Vielfalt überzeugend dargestellt werden - sowohl in ihren Persönlichkeiten als auch in ihren unterschiedlichen Körperformen.

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Smooth Criminals tells the story of Brenda, an awkward hacker in 1999, and Mia, a thief from the 60s. When Brenda finds Mia in a cryo chamber, Mia has to adapt to the new age, while simultaneously attempting to finish her dream heist.

First of all, I loved the artwork. The world is so bright, and the anachronism of Mia's outfit and the rest of the world makes for great visual storytelling. I also like how the characters in this universe also visually react to these contrasts.

Not to spoil it too much, but the training montage was the funniest thing I have ever seen in any heist-related media. While I did find the overarching story a bit confusing, the heist itself and the preparation for it were awesome.

This will probably be a bit of an uncommon opinion, but I was not really that much of a fan of your main characters. Brenda was, for lack of a better word, cringe, and Mia is more concerned about having missed her heist window than her life-altering predicament. I got annoyed at them from the start, which affected my enjoyment.

Finally, I am not too sure that hackers in 1999 could affect the world as much as Brenda does. Maybe they could, but I kept forgetting that the story takes place before Y2K, and the technology/slang contrast kept taking me out of the setting.

Nevertheless, it was a delightful read, and I was excited to uncover more pieces of the puzzle.

Thank you to NetGalley, and BOOM!Box studios for the advanced copy. This review is left voluntarily and honestly.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Selling Pitch:
A graphic novel with a basic heist plot and lots of Y2K pop culture references.

Pre-reading:
Cover’s giving Spider-Man.

(obviously potential spoilers from here on)
Thick of it:
The art’s cute but the story is basic.

I like all the music references.

Ha, the Blockbuster joke made me chuckle.

Post-reading:
Cute but nothing incredible. The humor relies almost exclusively on pop culture references. It’s a plot you've read before, but it's done well enough to be satisfying. I don’t think you need to rush out and read this, but if your library has a copy, it’s a quick read.

Who should read this:
Nostalgia fans/90s kids
Heist fans

Ideal reading time:
Anytime

Do I want to reread this:
No.

Would I buy this:
Get it from your library.

Similar books:
* Red Before Black by Stephanie Phillips-thriller, graphic novel, queer
* The Blonde Identity by Ally Carter-thriller, romance
* The Frame-Up by Gwenda Bond-magical realism, thriller, heist, family drama
* The College Try by Olivia Cuartero-Briggs-magical realism, time travel, queer romance
* A Thing Called Truth by Iolanda Zanfardino-graphic novel, revenge thriller, queer romance, heist

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Lay Tonic · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the series and it was a lot of information to take in especially in the first chapter and mid chapters. I found it amusing that to take out the other thieves in the world, he decided it was okay for them to be experimented on just so he can live forever. But, in reality, he was being stupid too because the more and more he took the serum or injection, he started to have mood swings or worse effects outside of living a long life. So, he too was being experimented on. Mia and Brenda together were an uncanny pair to be teamed up but, it worked out because they learned something from each other. Mia actually boosted Brenda's confidence to become what she wanted to be and gave her the motivation when they did do the heist together. The comic illustration itself was pretty mid but, you understood what was going on and it was well drawn, nothing too elaborate with the designs. Overall, the story line was really good and it made me think about the old school 007 movies.

Thank you Netgalley for the early read. It was fantastic.

[Alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Smooth Criminals Complete Collection is a cute sapphic turn of the century story that reads similar to Marvel comics. I received a free copy and am leaving my honest review voluntarily. I enjoyed the characters quite a bit and the story was fairly fast paced. My only complaint is that, honestly, I would have preferred more. I feel like this plot could have been split into two collections, or just a longer one, to allow the reader to see more of what happens during many of the time jumps. Additionally, some of the jokes were just a bit too cringy for me, but as an adult I am not the target audience so I have to take that into consideration. Outside of that, I feel this is a cute graphic novel that is suitable for teens/YA audiences.

[Lucsbooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read that "Smooth Criminals" was by one of the co-writers of "Legally Blonde" and about a museum heist, and I requested it immediately.
I ended up finding it incredibly underwhelming.

I liked the diversity and the idea behind it, but the execution was terrible. It felt like a collection of popular tropes thrown against a wall in a nonsensical manner, with barely anything to say at the end.

Thank you to NetGalley, BOOM! Studios and BOOM!Box for this DRC.

[summer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a lot of fun. It's super easy to read and I really just flew through it. I did personally find Brenda to be pretty annoying, but the heist prep was fun, the twists were fun, and it was gay!

Thank you to BOOM!Studios and NetGalley for an early copy of this collection.

[Nina Phillips · Rating 3 out of 5]

I recieved a copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and BOOM! Studios. I am leaving an honest review voluntarily.

This was a charming and funny read. I would have enjoyed a little more world building, but it was a simple read with beautiful art and fun characters.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, I enjoyed this comic. I really liked the artwork and I thought the story was interesting. However, I feel like it wrapped up too quickly and left me with a lot of questions.

[Tiffany Seward · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐ Graphic Novel | Adventure | Humor

Thank you to BOOM! Studios for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Smooth Criminals: Complete Collection follows a quirky duo on a fast-moving adventure filled with humor and unlikely teamwork. While the pacing can feel uneven at times, the charm of the characters and expressive artwork keep the story engaging.

The dynamic between the leads brings plenty of comedic moments, and despite the bumps along the way, the collection wraps up on an upbeat note.

Overall, Smooth Criminals is an entertaining graphic novel with lively visuals, perfect for readers who enjoy heists, humor, some sci-fi elements, and unconventional partnerships.