By Stefan Petrucha, Sarah Kinney, Sho Murase, Illustrator, Papercutz, $6.99, 64 pages

10Don’t get your hopes up too much on this one…it’s only Part One and it ends at the highest peak of excitement causing the reader to exclaim in horror, “NOOO!”. From a marketing position, that’s the point, though, right?

Colorful, anime-influenced animation art is a definite draw for this series. However, the storyline misses the mark on believability, especially since our beloved Nancy Drew, in any medium, is known for a good story — or at least mystery (and always mayhem). Nancy Drew: Vampire Slayer Part One has a rushed-to-production feel about it, leaving plot twists and common interactions between Nancy & her friends Ned, Bess & George implausible, lacking their usual sharp banter. Predictability is high too, with a typical explanation of overactive imaginations. A quick, easy and — despite its flaws — fun read. How could any writer go wrong combining Nancy Drew and vampires?

Reviewed by M. Chris Johnson,