Nancy Drew, America’s favorite teen sleuth, is dead. Or at least, from what we know.
In honor of her 90th anniversary, Dynamite Entertainment announced a brand-new comic book series called Nancy Drew & the Hardy Boys: The Death of Nancy Drew. What a way to celebrate to milestone.
But fear not! The Hardy Boys will be on the case to find out what happened to their close friend and colleague—the Hardy Boys are brothers who have also been featured in their own publications as well.
News of the new comic spread quickly on social media. Following the announcement of series, a few of Nancy’s fans had some critiques. Many did not understand why the teen needed to be killed off in the first place.
Others decided to wait until the comic’s release to see what was really going on with the story.
No Fridging For Nancy
The main issue many have with the upcoming comic is the possibility of Nancy being “fridged.” Coined by writer Gail Simone in 1994, the act of “fridging” or “to fridge” in any form of media refers to the de-powering of a female character in order to further advance a male character’s story arc. This could mean killing off or having something detrimental happen to a female character.
However, in an interview, The Death of Nancy Drew illustrator Joe Eisma promised that the series would not fridge Nancy, revealing that he also is not a fan of fridging characters in order to further move a story’s plot.
In addition, series author Anthony Del Col let fans know that Nancy is indeed in the series, but “will not say whether it’s through flashback or whether she’s still alive.”
A Brief History of Nancy Drew
The first stories came out in 1930. The titular character encouraged young girls and women to go for what they believed in, becoming a role model for many and even inspired some to take on careers such as working in law enforcement.
Since Mildred Wirt Benson brought the character to life 90 years ago, over 600 books have been published that feature the teen detective. Additionally, several Nancy Drew films and televeision series have premiered throughout the years, although many have also failed. The most recent is the 2019 Nancy Drew series currently airing on The CW; just this week, the network picked it up for a second season.
Nancy Drew & the Hardy Boys: The Death of Nancy Drew debuts in April.
