Boom! Box--Boom! Studios 2016
Written by Hope Larson
Illustrated by Brittney Williams
Coloured by Sarah Stern
Lettered by Jim Campbell
Last issue Goldie managed to find Mr. Ludwig’s necklace and solve the mystery. Along the way we got to see a lot of her resourcefulness, skill and tenacity. However things aren’t always what they appear to be as Goldie and Walter head to Mr. Ludwig’s room to return the necklace only to find what appears to a struggle and Mr. Ludwig is nowhere in sight. There’s a small window of opportunity for this altercation, if there was one, to have taken place as he called for room service only an hour ago.
It was determined the necklace was nothing more than costume jewelry but then Walter found something on the back of it, etched in. What it is could be a major clue as to why someone would want it. Now call me cynical but as they are discussing this a woman bursts into the room claiming to have locked herself out of her room. Awfully convenient if you ask me but hey after seeing Goldie lock it in the safe you just know that it’s going to come up missing in the morning!
Ah so while Goldie is trying to figure things out we get to see more of her life in Florida. That her parents are divorced and it’s the night she’s spending with her mom. Who just happens to be a mermaid at a local joint. Some of the locals like Tony and Diane, though we only see her through a window but this is kind of important to Goldie’s story. All the while though she keeps thinking about everything that’s been going on. She’s really a modern day Nancy Drew and I gotta say i’m totally loving that about her. I’d almost think like Veronica Mars but she doesn’t have that penchant for getting in trouble with the law, she’s more I want to say innocent.
The way that Hope writes this story is pretty impressive. While it’s definitely an all-ages inspired book to motivate young girls, and boys, to follow their passion there’s a lot for everyone to gain from the characterization here. Still I am very much enjoying how the clues are being found, Goldie’s thought process and how she ties the pieces together. Taking chances and opportunities to follow leads when they present themselves all have that go-getter mentality to it that is refreshing to see.
I have to say I do like the ending as well. There’s something with Sugar that goes beyond jealousy, well it has to right I mean spoiled rich kid being upstaged by a poor-ish local isn’t something a girl like her is used to. Oh and her modern day Penelope Pitstop outfit is just to die for!
Brittney and Sarah do some great work on the interiors here. I love the all-ages feel to what they do and yet they also manage to do some marvelous things in faces and facial expressions. The tone, mood and feel of what’s going on is easy to see, follow and get into to. It’s hard to do an all-ages that is so well done that adults see one thing and kids another but the girls here manage to do just that and do it very well.
The more I see books like this one the more I become a fan of the all-ages imprints. This couldn’t be any more fun and inspiring.