Nancy Drew has been a beloved, iconic female character for well over 80 years. The teenage sleuth originally appeared in 1930, starring in her own book series Nancy Drew Mystery Stories from 1930 to 2004, which was then followed by an even more modernized series called Girl Detective, which lasted until 2013. While she would often pair up with fellow teen detective brothers The Hardy Boys, Nancy never took a backseat when it came to telling her own stories and solving mysteries, landing herself as not only a literary icon, but a cultural one as well for many notable people, including, but not limited to, Supreme Court Justices Sandra Day O’Connor and Sonia Sotomayor and 2016 Presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton.
The Nancy Drew books sold over 80 million copies worldwide and have been translated into 45 different languages. Additionally, the Nancy Drew character appeared in five feature films, two television shows and a number of interactive PC games produced by Her Interactive, a gaming company designed to create fun and interactive games specifically for a young female audience. And now, Drew will take on a new media format: comic books.
Comic writer Anthony Del Cole (Kill Shakespeare) secured the license for Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys and set out to do so with a very specific mission in mind: to turn the classic cast into hard-boiled noir characters. Instead of the classic All-American Nancy Drew fans are acquainted with, this new vision sees Drew as a femme fatale. Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys: The Big Lie will be written by Del Cole, illustrated by Werther Dell’Edera and published by Dynamite Entertainment.
Source: Entertainment Weekly. Nancy Drew character sketch by Werther Dell’Edera.
The brand new, six-issue miniseries sees teen brothers Frank and Joe Hardy living in a small resort town known as Bayport. The two come under suspicion for the death of their well-known detective father, and turn to local “femme fatale” Nancy Drew for help proving their innocence. The story, according to Dynamite, is a bit more mature and gritty than the Nancy Drew stories fans know and love, and involves a great deal of deceit and double crosses.
Source: Entertainment Weekly. Hardy Boys character sketches by Werther Dell’Edera.
The first issue is set to hit comic stores in March. Check out this sneak peek at one of the interior comic pages for an idea of the new tone and vibe of the series:
Source: Entertainment Weekly. Interior art by Werther Dell’Edera.
Even though this new series sends the character in a different direction, what is your favorite classic Nancy Drew mystery?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhcb6GhgUiA]
YouTube Channel: xHBNDMysteriesx
Featured image via Faith Moosang
