Talk:The Gentleman Bandit

This is an interesting and difficult story to piece together timewise. The places on a timeline are disperse. The incidents have no direct reference to dates, and there are only incidental links to other characters within the tapestry of Astro City. Jack-in-the-Box and The Confessor have very brief cameos, but nothing concrete. The costumes further complicate things. One clue to a specific time point to calibrate from is Ned's comment about upgrading the wardrobe of the Menagerie Gang.
His appearance with The Sweet Adelines Gang from Astro City: Local Heroes #1 is shown again in issue 12 which would place that scene in April 2003. Kurt Busiek in a Spring Me message confirmed that the Jack-in-the-Box who the Bandit encountered almost had to be Zachary Johnson, placing that scene sometime from 1989 to 1997. And the Confessor is Brian Kinney based on the chronological progression and the "new" Stray.