Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for January 10, 2016

Does “Eel” O’Brian know his glasses have been stolen?

Guess they’re not Brother & Sister, huh?

Smith pays a call on Tracy at the MCU HeadquartersThrough thick and thin Tracy has been the staunchest of supporters.A prototype’s been stolen of experimental gogglesGives the wearer X-Ray vision no matter what he ogles.Smith shares a working theory about the daring theftThe purloining of the spectacles has left him much bereft.Designed to aid police work and the gaze of first respondersHow they up and walked away a subject he now ponders.Tracy can connect the dots from bank vault that was lootedTo the bearer of the specs who pilfered stash and scooted.Elsewhere Spicy Condiment in the glow of her iPadGets orders from a higher up in a voice just shy of mad.Specs to stay off of the streets, not become a spectacleSpicy wants more golden eggs, vanishing not practical.Specs just wants what Spicy wants, ‘tis a well-worn, age-old storyYet to defy the Ace of Spades, invites a fate most gory.

Looks like Ms Spice Condiment is the brain and Mr. X-ray Specs is the brawn in the partnership. Am I smelling a brewing uprising? I kind of feeling that Spice is planning for them to go freelance.The Goose that Laid the Golden Egg

Trouble is on the horizon it seems……

Miss Spicy Condiment. Cute.

Could that Apparatus agent be Ponytail …?!

Truly Beautiful Art for this Sunday page . . .

And not least of which, are those extra long lashes on Spicy - which certainly add to her fascination and appealThe treatment of the HAIR … those fringes and that pony tail touch of blonde . . .And the family sense of comfort - Specs with ‘Cash’ in hand !

But yet, a few things seem ‘odd’ (mildly perhaps), but - do strike you . . .

Not much momentum or ‘pacing’ here in those SIX panels … really, no more thant delivery of a ‘one line’ message !And it seems the female messenger (in panels 2 and 3) is presented in a ‘manner’, to provide ‘subtle’ - teasers . . . ?

That Emblem/ on her chest, the *Q (a carry over from the old 52 Gang - “thought” this was the Apparatus?) yet it suggest her rank is that of “Queen” (of something?), a carry over from the 0ld 52 Gang ?) but Joe seemed careful not to reveal “Queen of what”? There is a suggestion of an edge of ‘black’ (Spades? Clubs?) But it’s left unclear (?)Gould - it seems, ‘placed’ the emblems on the characters right front facing shoulder,Joe has chosen the left front on this occasion. Oddly though, last Sunday the Ace of Spades’ appeared on his right. Minor matter !

Did his Queen turn up at the “wrong” Gang HQ by mistake? Although the caption in panel 2 *does

Additionally, most of us will recall, that the ‘original’ ’Queen of Spades, with her clothing in ‘flames’ jumped to her “death” off the edge of the original Mesa HQ in Nov of 1962But whoever she is her dress seemed something of a misnomer (maybe, she has 2 jobs, and ‘already’ does, what Specs seems about to do - (or has already quietly done - at the Thorndike residence?)And while they ‘say’, Lightening doesn’t Strike Twice (etc) this blonde pony tail may well be Lee Ebony in another disguise.And another opportunity for Tracy to ‘SIT’ this one out too ?All ‘good things’ come to those that WAIT ! ?

Then like Bribery, perhaps the Ace of Spades is holding down two operations.Reminds one, that it’s a good thing so many Detectives are in town.

And every time I see, or think of, the Ace of Spades - jailed in 1962 and now ‘Out and Free’ . . .I gotta ASK, ‘what happened’ to Mystra’s “Daddy-kins” ? The man Ace that killed several in Space is “Out” … while Posie still in Jail, is ‘barred’ from moving about.

Perhaps Diet with everyone’s interest considered, might take up the matter with Mayor Armstrong or on to the Governor for a pardon ! ?

.Good morning one and all!**.Great poetry, Pequod. G’morning 22ph, Gweedo, Jonathan K. et al.

Jonathan K.: Your ad is perfect! I forgot to include the Transylvania sales tax with my order! I’ll sent it by BatMail.

It was established earlier that “Specs” was his real name from before he got the glasses, and now that he’s got them, he goes by “X-ray Specs.” Funny how things work out.

And we still get Jim Doherty’s Crimestoppers entry. I expect that he’ll get his “Hall of Fame” entry when his contributions run out.

“Spicy Condiment.” Uh-huh.

doctorwho55 nice reference to Plastic Man

Good morning all. I think that Spicy Condiment dresses like one of those familiar ketchup squeeze bottles. Look carefully at her turtleneck sweater.

@Jonathan K.Great ad. You don’t want to omit that Transylvania sales tax!

I always enjoy your little poems. “Pequzzle”? LOL!

An interesting turn of events. Especially with the possible ‘queen’ of the group appearing. I have a strong feeling, that she is more a figurehead, than actual power within the group.

Notice in the 3rd panel, she doesn’t appear to be as confident and also her dialog as well. More subservient, and interesting indeed.

It appears Ponytail has risen in the ranks. Or has she? The hair suggests Doubleup’s gal pal, but her “Queenly” attire leaves her identity a mystery. We don’t know where Doubleup landed in the aftermath of the siege at Ace Tower, only that it wasn’t in jail. Spicy need only bat those long lashes a few times and Specs can’t see straight, goggles or no.

Thanks to 22ph, Gweedo, Vista Bill and Jonathan K. for the kind words. Very much appreciated.

@Gweedo asked: “Were you insinuating that the X-specs would complement this wonderful garment?”It was actually inspired by what is happening in the strip (I had posted the prototype ad a couple of weeks ago, before the prices were known.)We could start a new fashion trend.

If he isn’t careful, Specs is going to end up cooked goose dead, to paraphrase the (in)famous Venus.

Interesting new cast of characters..Who is She???

Spicy Condiment is Hot Stuff..

I thought the Blackhearts eliminated the Apparatus before Dick Tracy eliminated them.

A note on the daily/Sunday divide …

The past few Sundays have tracked satellite characters peripheral to the story (The “Three Detectives”) and those criminals driving the action (Spicy, Specs, The Apparatus) while the weekday strips seem to have focused a bit more on Tracy, the MCU, and the victims of their crimes.

I look at life from both sides now.

I’m not getting the connection between Spec’s actions (going out to get a magazine) and the Golden Eggs Fable that Spicy makes reference to. The Fable seems to be making the point that greed will cause one to rush things, thus losing everything. How is that idea relevant here? Anyone?

Spicy Condiment seems to be sitting pretty and likewise seems to be the boss of Specs, who is not Mensa material, shall we say. The Apparatus chick, possibly a queen of some suite, relays the orders of the Ace of Spades, and Spicy connects that with the fairy tale goose that laid the golden eggs (and met a bad end). I guess Spicy cares for Specs, in her way, but I also suspect she could, and would, easily replace him if he ended up a cooked goose….

Gweedo sputtered,They prefer to take it out in blood.-—————————————————————————-.That’s what scares me!

Maybe, but you do want to give enough information there that you can be reunited with your luggage if it gets lost. Airlines usually use last name and first initial anyway, I think.

I guess Spicy and Specs have different preferences when it comes to how they get their reading material. Spicy says that Specs stepped out for a magazine, while it looks like she’s reading from some sort of electronic device.

Smith pays a call on Tracy at the MCU Headquarters

Through thick and thin Tracy has been the staunchest of supporters.

A prototype’s been stolen of experimental goggles

Gives the wearer X-Ray vision no matter what he ogles.

Smith shares a working theory about the daring theft

The purloining of the spectacles has left him much bereft.

Designed to aid police work and the gaze of first responders

How they up and walked away a subject he now ponders.

Tracy can connect the dots from bank vault that was looted

To the bearer of the specs who pilfered stash and scooted.

Elsewhere Spicy Condiment in the glow of her iPad

Gets orders from a higher up in a voice just shy of mad.

Specs to stay off of the streets, not become a spectacle

Spicy wants more golden eggs, vanishing not practical.

Specs just wants what Spicy wants, ‘tis a well-worn, age-old story

Yet to defy the Ace of Spades, invites a fate most gory.