NANCY DREW AND THE HARDY BOYS

Joe Hardy investigates Nancy Drew’s death and the corruption within River Heights.

Joe, confronted by the apparently accidental death of his childhood friend and crush Nancy, believes she was murdered, and he begins tracking whomever is responsible, starting by retracing her obsessive investigation to destroy the Syndicate, an organized crime group. Nancy’s hometown of River Heights is struggling economically, with closed factories, high unemployment, and rampant crime and corruption. With his brother, Frank, focusing on college, Joe is left alone to follow up potential leads—including information from Nancy’s friends and family and the place where she was last seen—leading to shocking discoveries. While elements of family, love, trust, and grief will feel familiar to fans of the young detectives, themes of revenge and obsession fit the noir tone. The pages reimagining Nancy’s past are terse in composition and work well. Unfortunately, the story meanders from clue to clue with only sporadic scenes that hit the right emotional and dramatic notes. With a muted color palette, minimal linework, and simple backgrounds, the atmospheric art clashes with the overuse of narration from multiple characters who sound too similar to one another. Clunky panel flow and awkward action sequences detract from the sense of danger in otherwise dramatic scenes. The main cast is White; there is minor background diversity.

A grim, noir modernization of childhood classics that doesn’t quite hit the mark.