Upcoming Noir Comic Series Features Death of Iconic Teen Detective
January 23, Mt. Laurel, NJ: Nancy Drew is dead! Or so it seems, as to celebrate her 90th anniversary the famous literary character’s mysterious fate is investigated in a new monthly comic series published by Dynamite starting in April. Help solve the case in Nancy Drew & the Hardy Boys: The Death of Nancy Drew!
All bets are off, as the series by writer Anthony Del Col (Luke Cage: Everyman, Kill Shakespeare) and artist Joe Eisma (Riverdale, Morning Glories) opens with Nancy’s iconic friends, the Hardy Boys, at Nancy’s grave. Through twists and turns, this dark noir-infused story unfurls as the biggest Nancy Drew mystery of all time. Nancy’s mysterious death follows one of her highest stake investigations into organized crime. Del Col and Eisma are joined by colorist Salvatore Aiala and letterer Crank! for this case.
With the Girl Detective celebrating 90 years, a fan-favorite show on The CW, and a recent film, Nancy fans across all media will devour and not soon forget this gritty and stylish story. A diehard Drew fan himself, Del Col brings along a deep dive into existing lore while pushing against the boundaries of tradition. The Death of Nancy Drew follows Del Col’s previous noir reinvention of the property in Ringo Award-nominated Nancy Drew & The Hardy Boys: The Big Lie, though this new series can be read entirely on its own.
“Over the years, there have been a lot of difficult mysteries to solve in the lives of Nancy Drew as well as the Hardy brothers,” said writer Anthony Del Col. “But I wanted to top them all, and so put together the ultimate case – solving Nancy’s death! Joe Eisma and I have had a blast really coming up with some twists and turns that all fans – new and old – of Nancy, Frank and Joe will enjoy.”
Artist Joe Eisma, also doing covers for the series, added, “Anthony and I have crafted a white knuckle ride of twists and turns for Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys. Whether you’re new to these characters or a long time fan, you won’t want to miss this book!”
The character of Nancy Drew first appeared in 1930 in her first novel, The Secret of the Old Clock. Created for young girls as a counterpart for her few years older friends the Hardy Boys, Nancy’s popularity skyrocketed with over 80 million books sold, available in 45 languages around the world, and adapted into film, television, video games, comic books and countless merchandise. Though portrayals have evolved over the years, she’s cemented as a cultural icon and has influenced prominent men and women from all corners of society.
“We’ve had incredible success with Nancy Drew, not only as through initial release as periodicals but then as the collections through comic stores, bookstores and libraries,” said Nick Barrucci, Dynamite CEO and Publisher. “With the TV series doing so well, the awareness for Nancy is at an all-time high. And we’re grateful to have Anthony Del Col come back to a new series, and working with Joe Eisma brings the perfect atmosphere to these crisp scripts!”
NANCY DREW & THE HARDY BOYS: THE DEATH OF NANCY DREW #1 will be solicited in Diamond Comic Distributors’ February 2019 Previews catalog, the premier source of merchandise for the comic book specialty market, and slated for release in April 2020. Comic book fans are encouraged to preorder copies of the issue with their local comic book retailers. It will also be available for individual customer purchase through digital platforms courtesy of Comixology, Kindle, iBooks, Google Play, Dynamite Digital, ComicsPlus, and more!