REVIEW: Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys: The Death of Nancy Drew #2 (of 6)
After last issues revelation, that kind of threw a wrench into the title of the whole series, the book has to kind of re-invent itself, and it’s only the second issue! With the idea that The Big Lie and The Death of Nancy Drew were meant to be one twelve issue run, its interesting to think of where the natural breaks are and upon reflection, is the theme of the book strong enough to carry six issues with “that” revelation coming in so early?
Nancy Drew is still alive! Having been run off the road, she managed to hide her living status with the help of her friend, and sister of the actually dead but faux Drew, Dr Dana. Now that Joe Hardy has solved the titular crime, he is brought into the fold as he, Nancy and Frank try to get ahead of the mystery man who wants her dead.
In order to meet this story’s needs, writer Anthony Del Col has to ensure that there are enough twists and turns to engage the reader. It’s a tightrope for sure, as surely Del Col doesn’t want to just fill pages for filling pages sake. Its going to be interesting to see how the pacing plays out. This issue kind of matches the storytelling method of the last issue; there is the distant past, the recent past set between the two mini series and of course the present. This method works as it quickly sets motivations, thankfully in a “show and tell” way rather than just “tell”. It also means that the reader can see the norm being challenged; an example being the meeting between Carson and a possible suspect in the cafe. The dialogue has a fun give and take that you would expect from brothers; is Nancy unaware of Joe’s feelings or is that one of the unspoken reasons she tried to keep him out of the loop? Time may will tell. The other thing I liked about the book is that is shows the impact of the Syndicate on the whole town, not just on Nancy and her boys.
The art is even more stylised than the previous book, which is saying something. Joe Eisma’s pencils are at times more about intimation rather than actuality, though the latter can be on show also. It’s an odd mix of consistency at times, though it does carry the right feeling or vibe that Del Col is aiming for; a little like the darkness in the middle of town, to paraphrase a certain song. The colors from Salvatore Aiala help create atmosphere throughout the book, though it could be said that the colors at times take away from the structure of the pencils.  Letters are again supplied by Crank! with a delicate font that doesn’t detract from the seriousness of the story.
Ironically, with this being the second issue, this book feels more like the set-up book than the first one. With the conceit of the title out of the way, Del Col has to essentially restart the series. Doing this certainly didn’t hurt Star Trek in anyway. Now though, with two first issues out of the way, we can get on with the story.
Writing – 4 Stars
Art – 3.5 Stars
Colors – 4 Stars
Overall – 3.5 Stars
Writing – Anthony Del Col
Art by; Joe Eisma
Colors by; Salvatore Aiala
Letters by; Crank!
Published by; Dynamite EntertainmentÂ
Author Profile
- I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow
Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network
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