Review: “Nancy Drew” and “Submerged”

Comic: Nancy Drew
1st issue: June 13, 2018 (on-going)
Publisher: Dynamite
Genre: Young Adult, Mystery

Comic: Submerged
1st issue: July 4, 2018 (miniseries)
Publisher: Vault Comics
Genre: Fantasy, Mythology

Descriptions

Nancy Drew: “Nancy Drew is seventeen and good at everything…ESPECIALLY solving crimes. But her totally-in-control-and-obviously-running-perfectly-smooth-(but-not-really) life hits a snag when a mysterious message drags her back to the hometown she left behind. There she’ll have to find out which of her friends are still her friends, which are enemies, and who exactly is trying to kill her…and (hopefully) stop them before they succeed.” (via Comixology)

Submerged: “On the night of the biggest storm in New York City history, Elysia Puente gets a call from her estranged little brother Angel, terrified, begging for help. When the call cuts out suddenly, despite the bad feelings between them, Ellie rushes into the night. Finding his broken phone in front of a barricaded subway station, Ellie follows echoes of her brother into the sinister darkness of the underground, desperate to find him before it’s too late.” (via Comixology)

My Thoughts

Nancy Drew

Kelly Thompson is a gem of a comic book writer. She’s written Hawkeye, Ghostbusters: Answer the Call, Jem and the Holograms, Rogue & Gambit, Captain Phasma, the brand new and super good Jessica Jones, and so much more, and I’ve yet to read something of hers I didn’t absolutely adore. At this point, Thompson is an auto-buy author; if she’s involved in it I am guaranteed to order it. I’m happy to report that trend continues with Nancy Drew. This series is tailor-made for me. It has everything I love about young adult comics and nothing I don’t. Like the rest of her work, it is defined by feisty fun, sugary charm, darker undertones, quirky storytelling, and realistic and diverse characters…

Submerged

Although the story suffers somewhat without knowing what’s going on in Elysia’s head, Lisa Sterle’s beautiful art smooths out the clunkier bits. She does a solid job conveying emotions and setting tone, not just through facial expressions but with uncomfortable camera angles, creepy backgrounds, and moments of earnest realism. I think my favorite panel is the one where Ellie is laying on her couch with her cellphone propped up on her chest. It’s almost a throwaway shot, but one that a lot of people will immediately relate to. It’s a small moment but a humanizing one that conveys a host of character development….

To read the rest of my review, head over to Tor.com.

Do the world a favor and buy these from an indie comic book store or borrow it from your local public library.