The Hardy Boys Crawling with Zombies!

[SDLagent]

I really liked it. I thought it was cool how it set-up and foreshadowed so many future subplots. Not only that, with the mastermind of the bad guys still a mystery, the next title looks to be a direct continuation of this one! Pretty unheard of in Hardy land. I really enjoyed the last series but Scott Lobdell's biggest down fall was that his stories felt to rushed. I'm glad Conway is telling his stories over multiple books.

There was quite a few quotes that I really liked. Some ironic almost fourth wall breaking stuff. I will post them later.

Anyway, this is what it seems we have to look forward to in this series:
a) the "break-up" of Frank and Joe
b) a crossover with Nancy Drew
c) Frank and Belinda dating?

EDIT: I like the new larger format but some of the art looked grainy, as if it wasn't meant for this size. It was even worse in the Nancy Drew preview. Hopefully this isn't the case with future titles.

[hardygirl847]

Yay! You finally read it so we can discuss it more!!

I definitely enjoyed the foreshadowing. We know more of where this series is going overall. Like you said, the other GNs were more rushed. Everything had to be wrapped up by the end. So glad that this is going to be different. I felt like Conway brought a different side of the boys to light. They bicker a little in other books but this felt more contemporary or something. I'm not sure how it explain it. It was like he was bringing them to 2010 instead of past decades....

Definitely post your quotes. There were some great ones!

a) I am looking forward to Frank and Joe breaking up because it's different. They will eventually get back together and I look forward to that as well.

b) Nancy Drew herself doesn't excite me, but I can see where the crossover would be interesting. I am willing to see where this goes. However, I hope the artwork is much better than the preview of her book. 

c) Frank and Belinda will probably happen but I am pro-Callie so I find her absence to be disappointing. Will Joe have a steady girlfriend or will he be a ladies man in this series? Remember, he's NOT little anymore.

I didn't notice the grainy artwork too much...I'll have to go back and see. I also hope it does not continue though in future installments.

BTW, did you see a title for Chapter 2? I couldn't find one.....lol

[SDLagent]

a) I am looking forward to Frank and Joe breaking up because it's different. They will eventually get back together and I look forward to that as well.

Same here. I always welcome shaking-up the status-quo in fiction series.

[hardygirl847]

While I oppose the change for The Hardy Men, I don't mind a temporary plot involving their fighting. My main problem with the movie is that they stay that way. I am sure that the boys will get back together. However, I think it's interesting that Conway is taking a risk by doing something that really hasn't been done before. Well, at least not to this extent. I really think it's going to be awesome. The question asked in the teaser is intriguing. Will they be better or as good solo?

This then poses the question....who is better on their own or are they equally matched?

Frank and Joe have both had several instances when they had to work partially on their own. Either one was hurt or missing or they needed to cover more ground.

What do you think?

[MacGyver]

I don't know that The Hardy Men movie would keep Frank and Joe permanently working on their own. The premise says that they have been off on their own for years and then they reluctantly join forces again- I'm thinking the movie would have them work out their differences and at the end have them reunited (and it feels so good!) so they can be ready for the obvious sequel to be made.
A good model for this might be the 1995 TV-movie follow up to a totally awesome 1980s detective TV series (which, by the way, is a great show that's in the vein of The Hardy Boys)- Simon & Simon: In Trouble Again.
If you've ever seen Simon & Simon, you can see what I'm talking about. Another possibility is the classic '70s cop show Starsky & Hutch (note: the TV series- NOT the movie. Though the movie is probably a good indicator of what Ben Stiller would do with The Hardy Men). Dave Starsky and Ken Hutchinson are partners on the force and good buddies, but it's even better with A.J. Simon and Rick Simon, since they actually are brothers- and for the most part are total opposites. Switch hair colors and you'd have the personalities for Frank and Joe down pat for the most part.

[SDLagent]

Joe: DON'T CALL ME "LITTLE BROTHER".

I got a kick out of this because I remember some fans complaining once on a forum that they didn't like it when Frank called Joe "little brother."

Cop: YOU'RE FENTON HARDY'S BOYS, AREN'T YOU?
Joe: THAT'S RIGHT, OFFICER.
Cop: YOUR OLD MAN'S A DETECTIVE. THIS ISN'T PART OF SOME CRAZY AMATEUR INVESTIGATION, NOW, IS IT?

I liked this because becuase it's a twist on the classic "You're Fenton's boys, aren't you? How can I help?" scenario - a element of The Hardy Boys that people like to make fun of. At first I thought this was more of the same, but it wasn't. The Hardys have arrived in the post-911 world. lol

Frank: "AMERICAN TEENS AGAINST CRIME."
Joe: THE IDEA'S RIDICULOUS.

Tell me about it! I wondered if Conway was using Joe to voice his own feelings, here, or maybe just echo a many of the fan's. Either way, I thought it was funny.

Trudy: IT WASN'T THAT LONG AGO I WAS A TEEN MYSELF.

No kidding! Have you seen what Aunt Trudy looks like in some of these graphic novels? Again, this quote echoes what a lot of fans have been saying.

This quote is in a different vain but I just really liked it. It's something I've never thought of it before and, I think, it sets-up the rest of the series nicely.

Fenton: OUR SONS HAVE BEEN "THE HARDY BOYS" FOR SO LONG SOMETIMES WE FORGET THEY'RE TWO DIFFERENT YOUNG MEN, WITH THEIR OWN MINDS, AND THEIR OWN POINT OF VIEW.
Laura: SHOULD WE BE WORRIED ABOUT THEM, FENTON?
Fenton: LAURA, I WISH I KNEW. BUT I HAVE A FEELING OUR BOYS ARE FACING SOME TOUGH TIMES. I JUST HOPE THEY CONTINUE TO FACE THEM TOGETHER.

These words and coupled with the picture of Frank and Joe walking away together but with frowns on their faces and the caption, reading NEXT: "BREAK-UP!", were a very ominous way to end the book! Looking forward to the next one already!

[hardygirl847]

Mac,
I'm not familiar with Simon and Simon and sadly I've only seen the Starsky and Hutch movie. My gripe about Hardy Men was that they have been estranged for possibly decades. I don't see that happening. Sure they come together for another case and probably get back together, but it's not the same vibe or chemistry as having them be lifelong partners. To me, I can see them growing up together, being a happy crime fighting family with hot wives and cute kids. I guess that's just the optimistic in me.

With all that said, I am excited to see how the new GN series explores this separation with them being teenagers. Of course, they will get back together, but I feel that it's somewhat natural for them to quarrel. They are brothers after all.

Spencer,

I LOVE those quotes too!! I mentioned some of them in my spoiler. I especially like the last one. Fenton is definitely giving us a heads up. The one about Joe is very fan based I think. With them only being 1 year apart, I sometimes wonder why Joe is always emphasized as being the "little brother". It's worked for decades but I like the spin on it. It also adds to his character and challenges Frank's role as big brother a little. I am interested in seeing where this goes.

Is it just me or are fans being slightly heard this time around? It feels like Conway's nods to fans are finally letting us be heard. Now...if only Nelvana and the Hardy Men would also do that....

Also, let's see if it continues....

[SDLagent]

Yeah, I'm hopping to see more nods to the fans in future stories.

About the second chapter thing - I think they just forgot to put the heading in. It should have gone over the shot of the Hardy house. I wonder what the chapter was called?

[tomswift2002]

I noticed that the heading for Chapter 2 was missing as well and that reminded me of The Ocean of Osyria Part 2 comic book where the book started with Chapter 4, and then didn't have another chapeter, until Part 3 came out and started with Chapter 7.  (It was fixed for the first printing of the Graphic Novel reissue.)

But I felt that Crawling With Zombies, while interesting, some of the gun scenes felt sort of forced in as if Conway was trying to hard to make the series different from Lobdell's series.

[JoeHardyRocks]

I went to the "Look inside this book" Part in Amazon, but even though the UB GNs and the Casefile GNs are illustrated by the same person, the hardy boys look different...   

[SDLagent]

I noticed that the heading for Chapter 2 was missing as well and that reminded me of The Ocean of Osyria Part 2 comic book where the book started with Chapter 4, and then didn't have another chapeter, until Part 3 came out and started with Chapter 7.  (It was fixed for the first printing of the Graphic Novel reissue.)

But I felt that Crawling With Zombies, while interesting, some of the gun scenes felt sort of forced in as if Conway was trying to hard to make the series different from Lobdell's series.

Gun scenes? Didn't Lobdell ever use guns?

I went to the "Look inside this book" Part in Amazon, but even though the UB GNs and the Casefile GNs are illustrated by the same person, the hardy boys look different...   

How so?

[hardygirl847]

Lots to respond to....

Spencer,

Maybe we can ask Conway what happened to Chapter 2.  I agree that is where it should have been...but it was left absent. A little strange to me. Maybe they will correct it and release it with a fixed version. Somewhat of what Captain Claus was saying.

I can see why you think that the boys look a little different, JHR. I have noticed in a few of the older GNs, that the style does change a little. I even was skeptical about whether or not I liked Frank's new hair. lol Then I finally read Deadly Strategy and noticed it was the same as Crawling with Zombies. It's growing on me.

I didn't notice guns being overused or forced at all. I felt that everything seemed to flow nicely and made sense. Actually, I thought the dialog was more of Conway's way of being different.

[SDLagent]

Lots to respond to....

Spencer,

Maybe we can ask Conway what happened to Chapter 2.  I agree that is where it should have been...but it was left absent. A little strange to me. Maybe they will correct it and release it with a fixed version. Somewhat of what Captain Claus was saying.

Conway probably wouldn't know anything about it. It's the letterer's job.

[JoeHardyRocks]

How so?

I don't really know. They just look a little older, and less like teenagers I guess...

[hardygirl847]

Conway probably wouldn't know anything about it. It's the letterer's job.

Oh...well nevermind then.

I don't really know. They just look a little older, and less like teenagers I guess...

In certain ones I agree. They do look buff at times. No complaints though!