Happy birthday, Nancy Drew! You’re 90! And now you’re dead. Oops!

In Dynamite’s new series Nancy Drew & The Hardy Boys: The Death Of Nancy Drew #1, the teen sleuth has apparently kicked the bucket, and her crime-solving buddies The Hardy Boys are trying to solve her murder. Not much of a celebration for a character who has been an icon for women everywhere for 90 years, right?

Writer Anthony Del Col (Luke Cage: Everyman, Kill Shakespeare) and artist Joe Eisma (Riverdale, Morning Glories) lead the series, with colorist Salvatore Aiala and letterer Crank!. The noir story begins with The Hardy Boys at her grave before the twisty, turny plot unfolds, leading the team down a path to one of their greatest mysteries to date. According to Del Col, a self-proclaimed Nancy fan, the story is in line with his previous Ringo Award-nominated Nancy Drew & The Hardy Boys: The Big Lie, which also pushed the boundaries of what is expected in a Nancy Drew story.

Reactions to the plot caused an immediate stir. Many accused the creative team and publisher of being tone deaf. The story seems to “fridge” the titular character, meaning the girl gets shoved in the corner so her big strong male counterparts can save her. But Del Col and artist Eisma are encouraging fans to read it before getting too upset.

Del Col told the NY Times, “What we tried to do is create one of the ultimate mysteries of Nancy Drew. How did she die? Who killed Nancy Drew?” He added that the series is “more than meets the eye.”

Eisma explained to CNN, “”I personally am not a fan of fridging as a plot device, and I wouldn’t have agreed to draw a book that had that as a plot element. I just hope folks will give us a chance to tell our story.”

To put your mind at ease, there’s a really good chance Nancy is alive and well, and still being the smart, resourceful detective we expect. In fact, it would be nice if she’s in charge this whole time. Was the story poor timing since it’s the character’s anniversary or was this incredibly clever marketing? Maybe a little of both, but I will personally reserve any judgments of the story until I read it.

Nancy Drew & The Hardy Boys: The Death Of Nancy Drew #1 will be available for preorder in February. Ask your local comic shop to order your copy. The issue is set to release in April. For digital, head over to Comixology, Kindle, iBooks, Google Play, Dynamite Digital, ComicsPlus, and more.