Goldie Vance Vol. 4

Goldie Vance #13-16

by Hope Larson, Jackie Ball, Sarah Stern (Primary Contributor)

The adventures of precocious teen sleuth Goldie Vance continue!

Sixteen-year-old Marigold “Goldie” Vance has an insatiable curiosity and dreams of one day becoming a detective. Luckily for Goldie, with the St. Pascal Rockin’ the Beach Music Festival coming to town, there’s plenty of inexplicable shenanigans keeping her gumshoe brain busy, from mysterious power outages, to missing musicians, to Russian spies hiding in the shadows.

New York Times bestselling and Eisner Award-winning writer Hope Larson ( A Wrinkle in the Graphic Novel ) along with co-writer Jackie Ball, and artist Elle Power bring you a rockin’ new mystery!

Genres: Graphic Novels, Mystery, Young Adult, Comics, LGBT, Historical Fiction, Fiction

112 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2018

About the author

Hope Larson is an American illustrator and comics artist. Hope Larson is the author of Salamander Dream, Gray Horses, Chiggers, and Mercury. She won a 2007 Eisner Award. She lives in Los Angeles, California.

Reviews

[Chelsea (chelseadolling reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why is there no release date for volume 5 😭😭😭

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

another cute volume!! i love that goldie makes a lot of mistakes in this book, but she takes responsibility and apologizes. there's messy growth, and it's great!! i also love the teamwork, as always. and this volume has the return of a familiar villain, which is fun!

my favorite thing about this volume is that we see more of goldie and diane's relationship. they're so cute together, and it's wonderful to see them navigate their relationship troubles, too. sweet sapphic 1950s vibes are absolutely lovely.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Goldie's schtick started to get a bit tired in this. There also may have been a few too many "lessons" presented for younger readers to make this volume as enjoyable as previous ones. The Russians infiltrate the recording industry of South Florida. Yeah, it doesn't make the most sense. Still it's mindless LGBTQ+ fun set in the 50's.

[kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is the ultimate feel good read. Each volume is the breath of fresh air I didn’t know I needed. With its cast of wonderful, loveable and diverse characters, an utterly addictive plot and visually stunning artwork and colour scheme, it’s impossible not to feel infinitely better whilst reading.

[Dev · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another cute volume in this series. It's definitely a lighter read and the plots can get more than a bit silly at times, but it's just nice to have a title with the aesthetic and feel-good mood of the 50s without having to deal with any of the sexism, racism, and homophobia of the actual time period. Great art as always and I loved all the cool new character designs for this volume.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was hoping to find the same kind of fun and entertaining mystery from the previous volumes, but in this one something felt off to me. I still enjoyed it when everyone came together to help Goldie and the investigation though. The colours and drawing style are still adorable and definitely my cup of tea when it comes to comics and graphic novels.

[Rena · Rating 4 out of 5]

#DeweysReadathon Book 2: Love this series. 💖💖

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

It might be time for Goldie Vance to retire. In this fourth volume, Goldie is after a pair of Russian spies and, naturally, no one believes her that Russian spies have invaded their quiet beach community! It all amounts to pages and pages of Goldie being grumpy that no one believes her. No exactly compelling. Plus, the plot hinges on the recording industry, which comes off as extremely dry and deeply dull. Remember volume one and all the race cars? That's what keeps my attention.

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a good and fun series!

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[Melania 🍒 · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5|5 🕵🏾‍♀️ 2022 TBR

[elle vivian · Rating 4 out of 5]

it's so good to have a new goldie vance to read!! this was precious. i love goldie so much and there was so much content with her and diane!!!!

[Alexis Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goldie Vance volume 4 did a lot of the things I really wanted to see come out of Goldie Vance. Jackie Ball's art style continues to be solid but I'm still not totally on board with it (this does come from my bias Williams being one of my favorite artists ever). The story focuses on Diane and Goldie fighting, they don't ever kiss in this issue but it is very clearly and explicitly them in a relationship with other very clearly queer characters. Still because there is a ton of build and this issue beyond it's mystery is an issue about Diane (as volume three as about Sugar) and I feel like there just coulda been this bit more. Maybe a bit more desire from Diane's end because you see Golide over the top for her but something just kinda feels off perhaps because she looks older then Golide. This is a great mystery for kids that is still fun for adults even if there isn't really a bunch of layers to solve. The payoff and personal arc for Golide were very satisfying and the art animates it super well. The color work from Elle Power continues to be really good too really painting the diversity of the world (even if all I can think about when giving a second of critical thought is the time period and what this means but doesn't seem to mean).

Anyway, I say if you liked any volume of Goldie Vance you'll enjoy this one a lot.

[Monica (Tomes Project) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 - Still very enjoyable, and one of the better mysteries/stories so far. But I just didn't connect to this volume as much as the previous ones? I'm not quite sure what it was about this story that I just didn't fall in love with.

[laura (bbliophile) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series so much!

[Izzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

best! comics! ever!

[Jessica (Goldenfurpro) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This and other reviews can be found on The Psychotic Nerd

Short and Simple Review
This is probably my least favorite volume in the series. It's still fun, the artwork is colorful, and the characters are adorable, but the story just lost me. Like the other books in the series, it was a little far-fetched, but I think I also didn't enjoy it much because I didn't quite understand the stakes and when the tension was meant to be high, the dialogue explained what was going on rather than the images. I found myself lost on more than one occasion. I did like that this book showed Diane and Goldie more. Granted, they were fighting most of the book, but Diane isn't included in the books as much as she should. I like how the plot mainly revolved around music and I like the overall '50s, almost pulp, vibe the whole series has (but with more diversity and without the sexism, racism, and any other -isms. So, much better than the actual '50s). The ending has a bit of a cliffhanger, but I have no clue when the next volume will be released.

[Elsie · Rating 3 out of 5]

overall this is a pretty cute series. It kind of annoys me though that the historical setting is used for the aesthetic (which is albeit very cutesy) because there’s some things that are so historically inaccurate and there was so much happening in the 1960s that could be incorporated into the plot which would give it a lot more depth. Granted, I guess it is supposed to be like a fun care free graphic novel but the most we got was a few references to the Cold War and spies. I also started to like the main character a lot less as the series progressed and liked her best friend Cheryl more. Goldie’s whole thing is being really irresponsible in order to solve mysteries (why does a hotel need a detective anyway?) and Cheryl’s whole thing is working to one day become an astronaut which is a lot more compelling if you ask me.

[Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Rock Beach Festival at the Crossed Palms resort, missing bands, electrical outages, and the Russians. Teenaged budding detective and go-getter Goldie Vance is ready to dive in. This the first time Walt has assigned her a case and she wants to prove to him that she is worthy of the job on her own. However, she makes a mess and realizes that she needs the help of her best friend Cheryl, her girlfriend Diane, her boss Walt, and others. I was not as enthused about this volume as I was the prior ones and it fell flat for me.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I re-read Goldie Vance Vo1. 1-3 recently and I'm so glad I did. This is a great continuation of a very cute and lovely series!!

Ps. The views expressed in this review are my own and do not reflect the views of Indigo Books & Music Inc. or any of its subsidiaries. #IndigoEmployee

[aikaterine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again, back to a very enjoyable Goldie Vance adventure with lovely artwork.

[Lauren Stoolfire · Rating 4 out of 5]

by Hope Larson was not quite as good as previous volumes in the series but it is still a lot of fun. I love the color palette and character design. I do wish Walter got more to do in this installment.

[Cande · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked how Goldie and Diane's relationship takes a big role in the plot this time. Sure, we have seen cute moments before but we didn't see the relationship grow. Which it is okay, I'm not complaining, because their relationship felt like a constant and I'm happy to see sapphic women existing.

But here they have conflicts, disagreements, and fights. We see their relationship going up and down, and both of them growing from it. I assure you, there is HEA.

I'm completely in love with this series.

[Ari (Books. Libraries. Also, cats.) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Each volume of Goldie Vance always feels like a treat, and this one is no different.

This series is perfect for Nancy Drew fans who want something a little less white. Goldie Vance is a diverse series focusing on a biracial queer teen girl who solves crimes at the hotel her dad manages. Goldie is a sweet, lovable, quirky, and flawed protagonist that will steal your heart, and she & her girlfriend, the bad-ass music-obsessed Diane are an adorable couple. I love that in this volume, we got to see Goldie and Diane get into their first argument and try to work through things together, while confronting their uncertain futures. In a most-lighthearted comic series, it was nice to see a discussion of fears, love, and being vulnerable. I also adore Cheryl, Goldie's BFF, who is a young Black girl who dreams of being a scientist. This volume brought back a couple of characters that readers may remember from previous volumes, but you could also easily pick this one up without having read the previous ones if you'd like.

One of my favorite things about Goldie Vance is what a wide audience it appeals to! Pre-teens, teens, adults. Mystery lovers. Music lovers. Car lovers. Readers new to comics as well as seasoned comics readers, and those looking for diverse comics.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A 3.5, rounded up. I found this volume started out kind of slowly, but it definitely picked up and became the fun Goldie Vance that I know and I love. The KGB stuff kind of lost me, and I don't remember anything from Volume 1 to remember Miss Petty, but that didn't really put much of a damper on my enjoyment.

Still fun artwork, decent story, great characters - Goldie Vance is just such a bright, fun series, I really enjoy the whole vibe of it.

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was a big lull in this one that I pushed through because I love the series and the characters. I was glad I did.

The relationship angst was not something I expected to get here. Loved the way things played out and when they had their talk about the way they communicate and their issues there. Love the adorable queer moments we get.

The music elements were fantastic. I was very there for it.

Still a fan of the series and excited to read more.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series continues to be fun, so enjoyable, and nudge the reading-Nancy-Drew-under-the-covers-as-a-kid memories. I really love the self-contained mysteries; they conclude in each bound volume. Yet there are also threads that carry through and that makes things fun for the addicted reader. And, addicted I am!

[Anne-Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would so listen to the Hummingbirds and the Peanut Butter Boys!
This volume features local rock music, a festival, and the KBG!
Loved the art and the new characters and I really appreciated Diane and Goldie’s relationship growth.
Basically I ended up reading this whole volume in one sitting while in the bath :P

[Gabs · Rating 5 out of 5]

A song that takes out the electricity must be good!!!

THE last two volumes had much longer fully fleshed mysteries. This volume lost me a little in the middle but it definitely was able to pull back my attention. I love a good evil plot that has ups and downs, bad guy team ups and international plots. I cant wait to see what's next for Goldie and her friends.

[Claire]

I don't want to rate this yet cos I haven't figured out how to feel about it. The change in artist was seamless, but the writing........was not great. There aren't a whole lot of words in comics, so if I find myself skimming because the writing is boring, that's a very bad sign.

[Leelo · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite thing about the GV series is that it sort of feels like what a 50s utopia might feel like. It has all the flavor of the 50s but it's diverse in body type and skin color and Goldie and Diane can date each other legally. The colors are bright and beautiful and a joy to look at and the artistic style of the characters is so much fun to see.
The stories themselves are wild but no more wild than other teen detective stories. All in all, each volume has been a joy to read. Choose Goldie. She sparks joy.