Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for March 12, 2020

Good morning™, houseguests!

I think we’ve seen Lafayette and Crystal’s house twice before (one time being December 23, 2018 https://www.gocomics.com/dicktracy/2018/12/23), but I don’t think we’ve ever seen it from the outside.

Crystal can hold her own, as we see from this reaction. I’m not too worried about her.

Oddly, the key still works. But, it looked like a skeleton key.

Good morning™, tough cooky residents !

Show time …. or Show down !!!?

I’m happy to see Crystal again.

Well this was completely unexpected!! Shaky II may be a moron but the plot he’s driving is taking some entertaining twists. Somebody pass the popcorn…

OH NO!

A very interesting twist in the story….

ZOUNDS!!!

This is just stupid!

Well, I was close. Yesterday, I thought I’d see Annie and Honeymoon there.

I thought he had something stashed there, or he knew the house was empty! It is good to see Crystal again, I hope she makes out ok.

What is Crystal polishing with the silver polish, and will it be part of the story?

He would have got away with it too, if it wasn’t for those pesky kids..

I am looking forward to the rest of this story, very interesting!

This is one small “everybody knows everybody” town….

Annie was the tell on this twist.

How long ago did he make arrangements, that he wasn’t sure if the key would even work? He must have been planning to shake Tess down for months. In which case, why was the shake down so badly planned? He shows up with some lie he hasn’t thought through at all, and then retreats to a house he rented months/years ago when wounded. (Owner would need months without rent payments from Shakey before it could be rented to Lafayette & Crystal.)

What a co-inkydink!

Nice pillar in P. 1 and I like the inside shot in P.2 and the porch even has a recessed light. This Joe guy is definitely hall of fame material.

Now that was a twist I didn’t see coming!

Will Honeymoon get involved next, now that her best friend ’s house is being invaded, and, after her grandmother got shot?

BOI-oi-oi-oi-nggggggg…

Ok, this was a total surprise. Especially since I like Crystal.

Yes, Shaky is stupid enough to be a Bugs Bunny villain, but this is fun now anyway.

Riffin’Without…OMG! END THIS ALREADY!

-1-JAY BOGART:* Little known fact – the cops can’t bust ya for B&E if you have a key.

2-WHATSRNAME: It’s just perfect Jay! We can raise a family and be so happy here.

3-CRYSTAL BETH: Whoa dudes. I thought I was the only one squatting here. I hope you brought some goodies. I’m down to sniffing silver polish. Want a hit?

WHATSRNAME: Oh! And it comes with a babysitter!

This had me laughing out loud!

Should have checked out your “Safe House” once in awhile to make sure it’s SAFE.

Although this story got off to a real silly start, what with Shaky’s plan depending on a threat that had no teeth in it and made no sense, we are now in a phase that has potential to be like one of Gould’s “chase” sequences, as Ray Toler notes above, with twists and turns. I just hope they don’t ruin it with a lot of nonsense about Honeymoon and Annie. let’s let Dick Tracy and Sam Catchem actually chase, and eventually capture, the bad guy!

like how the figures in the doorway are shadows; this strip always has interesting artwork.

Three short panels answer plenty of questions.When Crystal found her real dad,I assumed they’d moved into a two room APARTMENT,not a house.The little cottage was apparently vacant for some time before they bought it,Shaky makes mistake of not checking first.

Only a heel wouldn’t root for Crystal to live happily ever after.How would YOU like to be born into an organized crime family and have your life planned out for you before you’re out of the sixth grade?The chain has to be broken.Not to mention that if she gets badly hurt,a certain “Uncle B” is going to get royally ticked off.I don’t think we’ll be seeing him in this story,but he DOES care about his only living relative in his own peculiar way.

Which begs the question—how do you shrink a head that keeps moving around on you?

I don’t know who’s in more trouble here. I think Crystal can take both of them.

and why do you have teal hair?!

red and white was taken

Ribs Mocco,please report in.Your Social Security check is waiting.

SURPRISE!!!

How’s Tess doing?

Not sure if Crystal and Lafayette Austin, her dad, are renting this place just lately, or if they are “squatting” without paying rent to anyone. In any case, Shaky did not expect to find occupants in his “safe house,” though he claims to be ready to deal with them. But we know Crystal can take of herself, not to mention being a friend of Honeymoon Tracy.. Shaky’s safe house may not be so safe, all things considered….