Dynamite; $3.99

Things were going well for teenage detective Nancy Drew until she received a threatening letter from her hometown of Bayport. She returned to the town to investigate, reconnecting with her old friends Bess and George, as well as the Hardy Boys, Frank and Joe. As they were investigating Deadman’s Cliff, Nancy’s rope was cut and she ended up in a cave.

This issue starts 7 years ago when the five youngsters explore the cave looking for treasure and Nancy is jolted out of the adventure when her mom dies. Back to the cave in the present, Nancy is found by a handsome stranger who tells her that her friends are passed out at the cliff’s summit. He saves the day, but makes her friends quite suspicious – which gets even worse when they can’t find Nancy the next morning. Meanwhile, Nancy is investigating and Pete, the handsome stranger, pops up again. Coincidence or is he involved in what’s happening?

So far, Nancy Drew is living up to the reputation. The comic is intriguing and mysterious but also clearly about teenagers. Kelly Thompson is doing a very good job balancing the two themes, providing a fun mystery and keeping things cute with the teens who end up crushing on each other.

The art by Jenn St-onge and colors by Triona Farrell are good accompaniments to the story. It’s young and close to cartoony, but very clean and expressive. There’s a variety of panel structures that keeps things fresh and practical color choices that are warm and realistic.

-Amanda Sheriff