A Hardy's Day Night

The Hardy Boys Graphic Novel #10

by Scott Lobdell, Paulo Henrique Marcondes (Illustrator)

In this change of pace adventure, Frank and Joe Hardy discover a rogue mentor agent within A.T.A.C. (American Teens Against Crime) -- when that agent tries to kill them! But it's soon discovered he was being manipulated by malevolent forces who kidnapped his child -- and now the Hardy Boys have only until dawn to find the man's son!

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Mystery, Comic Book

112 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2007

About the author

Scott Lobdell (born 1960) is an American comic book writer.

He is mostly known for his work throughout the 1990s on Marvel Comics' X-Men-related titles specifically Uncanny X-Men, the main title itself, and the spin-off series that he conceived with artist Chris Bachalo, Generation X. Generation X focused on a number of young mutant students who attempted to become superheroes in their own right at a separate school with the guidance of veteran X-related characters Banshee and Emma Frost. He also had writing stints on Marvel's Fantastic Four, Alpha Flight, and The Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix mini-series with artist Gene Ha. He wrote the script to Stan Lee's Mosaic and an upcoming film from POW Entertainment featuring Ringo Starr. He also participated in the Marvel Comics and Image Comics (from Jim Lee's WildStorm) crossover mini-series WildC.A.T.s/X-Men.

Reviews

[Seema M. Fazil · Rating 5 out of 5]

This installment of the Hardy Boys graphic novel series, A Hardy Day's Night, follows Frank and Joe as they discover a dishonest mentor agent within ATAC when he tried to kill them. Soon, they find out that he was actually being threatened by the bad guys, who kidnapped his son!
Great brother teamwork, and Frank and Joe stepping up to do the right thing despite the dangers involved.

Full review on My Blog

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

Instead of being a mystery book, this is more of an action book. The Hardys are sent to rescue a kidnapped child, and they beat up multiple thugs. The different premise was interesting, although the culprit was a letdown. Poppa Noir is not as interesting as his two daughters. The Hardys leave the book for eight pages, so Poppa Noir and Mr. Hardy can discuss parenting styles. That was an odd resolution. Poppa Noir decides to kill Mr. Hardy for "talking smack about my skills as a dad", when Frank and Joe rush in with the police, bringing an end to the caper.

[Christopher Seideman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have a bone to pick with you Hardy Boys. We used to be great friends; we’d share in adventures every night back when I was a kid. Sure, it’s been a long time, and we’ve both grown up quite a bit, but while I’ve become an educated, self-sufficient adult you’ve… seemed to regress a bit. Maybe it’s just me, but there was a time when you were known for witty comedy, clever cases of problem solving, and enriching values. Now you’re running off with some vigilante group (American Teens Against Crime?), risking your life in shootouts with “rogue agents”. I get it; we both have to make money to survive, but is this what you really wanted to degrade yourself to?

The illustrations are by far the one redeeming factor for me. A graphic novel with all the onomatopoeia one could hunger for, Paulo Marcondes and Marcel Zero does a great job of designing dozens of colorful, inviting images that showcase character emotion, settings, and kung-fu justice well. I know the book doesn’t deserve this much hate. In fact, it’s simply the result of an old set of characters trying to remain relevant in a television-dominated space. Action, embarrassing teen romance, and a slightly more comical (and unfortunately less intelligent) Frank and Joe Hardy make for a book that will surely be enjoyable for young readers. I just wish there was more of Franklin Dixon’s Hardy Boys DNA still in there somewhere.

A pass for me, but a surefire read for many children I’m sure.

[Raja99 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is fast-paced and breezy; I enjoyed it quite a bit. The opening sequence is as irrelevant and implausible as ever--but at least, this time it's funny. The main story, about the brothers helping the father of a kidnapped preschool boy, is humorous and touching (though if you don't have a preschool son like I do, you might find it sappy). This is one of my favorites of this series.

(Finished 2009-09-18 23:58)

[Hannah Belyea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Frank and Joe are being threatened by an agent, but when they learn that his reasons involve his own kidnapped son, they decide to pull out all the stops to rescue the child before time runs out for him, even if it costs them their lives! Lobdell is guaranteed to stop a few hearts with this exhilarating adventure that is filled with twists and turns!

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading these again. Yay! I'd forgotten how much I love cheesy humor and catch phrases. The artwork in this one is much better than in the earlier stories, as is to be expected I suppose.

[Dannuel Delizo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Deadly ambush. Dunno what to say...getting worse.