San Diego Comic Con doesn’t officially start until later this week but the announcements are already trickling out. Dyanmite, home to many licensed properties, has acquired the rights to Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys.
With this new license, Dynamite will publish comic books, graphic novels and manga featuring the characters. Created over 80 years ago, The Hardy Boys, Frank and Joe Hardy, are teenage detectives who solve mysteries around their town. Their father is an actual detective and, often times, their cases would somehow tie to their dad’s. Because they were created for boys, Nancy Drew was created in the 1930’s to cater to female readers. Both properties became true American pop culture staples like “Archie,” and have had a storied history through novels, comic books, television shows, movies and more.
Recently, Papercutz held the rights (they also held Power Rangers and the WWE license but since lost both) and with the move, Dynamite hopes to reinvigorate the properties. Nick Barrucci, CEO and publisher of Dynamite, said “Working with Simon & Schuster on ‘Nancy Drew’ and ‘The Hardy Boys’ will help that campaign. With original graphic novels, manga and periodical comic books coming their way, pre-teen, teen, and grown-up fans will have plenty of opportunities to experience these beloved characters — and their captivating mysteries — in our distinctly visual medium.”
Dynamite tends to do well by their licensed properties and with the right creative teams, and if they do in this case, these characters can thrive again. There’s always room for comic books geared towards the teenage/young adult reader if you offer something new, so maybe Dynamite can capture an audience here that they really haven’t had with some of their other titles. Expect to see these books launched sometime in 2017.
