Something
that a lot of people do not know about me is that I love graphic
novels. I was never into comic books as a kid. It wasn't
because I didn't like the concept, I just didn't have access to the kind of
stories I enjoyed – as the whole superhero thing just wasn't for
me. But today, some of my favorite books are in fact of the drawn
variety as the graphic novel section in the bookstore is one of the
best places to find interesting detective stories – and you all
know how much I love detectives stories.
Now
imagine my joy when I spotted my favorite teenage detectives on the
cover of a new comic book series – The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew
have gone noir.
I
am a bit of a purist when it comes to the Hardys and Nancy. While I
do love the 1970s TV show for all it's campy glory, I could never get
into any of the book series that put them together. But I guess
there's always an exception, and that exception is:
"Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys: The Big Lie"
In
true noir fashion, this new series starts on a very dark note when
the Hardys find themselves in the middle of a corruption scandal that
hits its peak when the boys are accused of murdering their own father. And when the whole town of Bayport turns against them they
team up with an old friend to clear their names and find the real
culprit.
What
I love about this series is that even though it is a very modern and
gritty take on the books, the characters are still recognizable and none of the conflicts feel forced. There is for example a rift
between Nancy and her father — something that would usually be
unimaginable — that is handled really well, and feels completely
natural. Writer Anthony Del Col (Assassin’s Creed, Kill Shakespeare) and artist Werther Dell’edera (Batman: Detective Comics, House of Mystery) did not just throw these beloved characters
into a noir universe, they found an organic way to make them a part
of that universe — and I cannot wait to see more of it!
And grab issue #4 this Wednesday (June 21)
For
fans of:
The
Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew,
Veronica Mars, Riverdale
…and fans of Stratemeyer's mystery books will also appreciate a couple of fun cameos (those Bobbseys sure like to party).
Peace,
Love, and Lobsters
Laura
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