Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for September 19, 2021

Rose gets Tracy talking about precinct history

Hired killer Flattop shall go down in infamy.

Some did turn their lives around like Little Face and Mole

Tracy showed Mole kindness. Over time he was made whole.

Smith has aided Tracy with some gadgets and devices

Precinct gets a discount, not exorbitant high prices.

Catchem is no luddite yet high tech can bring him down

Out on the street Sam can’t be beat. Detective of renown.

The future may hold many things. None can really say

Alter paths of asteroids and make world leaders pay.

Look to see security. Ace has a bodyguard

Doubleup, he plays so rough. His enemies fall hard.

Crack the whip and make a quip. A fragile neck is broken

Double up on cruelty and see that he’s not jokin’.

Tracy is drawn terribly in the first panel.

What a wasted Sunday!

That’s it for now.

What does J Jonah Jameson wants with the Ace of Spades?

Good morning™, everyone!

Ms. Rose is more interested in the Two-way Wrist Radio than in the Time Drone, so I don’t think she poses a threat.

Meanwhile, some random person has come to see the (new) Ace of Spades, but I don’t think he’s important. More importantly, Doubleup is back! (is back!) I wondered the last time we saw him if he was thinking of going straight, but he’s still working for the bad guys.

Good morning™, thuggy doormen !

Doublegoon would be reduced to only practicing his special skill with a whip on stuffed dummies. Only real persons can give that satisfying neck snapping sound when the whip wraps and jerks.

If Rose turns out to be a bad guy she certainly rates an Emmy for best performance.

Good to see Doubleup back Doubleup back.

That lower-left panel is REALLY good.

I thought Doubleup had gone straight, gone straight

He wants to put out a contract on Spiderman.

Any chance that Doubleup is working undercover, undercover? Very professional office there with a receptionist and all… Wonder if they have an ad in the Yellow Pages™ in the ‘Crime’ section.

Him again. Him again.

I only started read this strip a few years ago and I really appreciate reading about the history of the characters as they appear from you all. Having the background about everyone is great (is great). (^.^)

1-SUKI: Check it – my eyes are brown again. That means I’m full of crap.

DT: I’m closing mine so you won’t be able to finish that old joke and say “Yours are blue – you must be a quart low."

2-SUKI: It’s been real… ly boring!

DT: NOT IF I SEE YOU FIRST. Oh. I was all set for you to say See you later. Dang it.

3-JJJ: Are you related to Little Orphan Annie? Never mind. I wanna join the Apparatus.

4-RED: OK – if you can pass the initiation.

5-WHIPPY: The “safe” phrase is Don’t Stop!. Heh heh

Finally back to something

Ha Ha. Ace of Spades has a regular business office where he comes to work every day wearing his ninja mask and tights. Others seem to know where he does business and come to his office. Ace himself, has phone access to others on the lam. He had no problem getting Abner Kadaver’s home number.

Unknown to Tracy, there is a complete and overreaching criminal communications network and criminal enterprises which are so unafraid of the cops that they are operating openly with business hours and secretaries.

Well, he is not the zKing of Hearts, for sure!

I see the time drone has made an appearance in today’s Little Oop – https://www.gocomics.com/alley-oop/2021/09/19

I admit, it’s been a while while since my art class on light sources, but I think Doubleup’s shadow has had enough of the criminal game and is trying to discreetly leave.

You’re welcome back anytime, Ms. Briar Rose.

A whip? What circus did this guy used to be with?

Miss Rose is shown leaving with her laptop? How come it was never shown during her interview with Tracy?

“Whip man” repeats himself. He must have some kind of speech impediment.

Hmm…the guy in panel three apparently heard it through the grapevine about the Ace of Spades and his partnership with the Apparatus to get the time drone. He probably wants a piece of the action.

I think Ace’s secretary looks like she could be the mother of Beaker from the Muppets.

https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/muppet/images/0/05/Beaker.jpg

DoubleUp! Yay! Yay!

Didn’t Doubleup try to go straight? What happened?

Doubleup has returned!!!

DoubleUp!! & Jameson!!

Didn’t “Ace’s” secretary look younger in an earlier strip where she announces to him that he has a phone call ?

I guess that working for a criminal and being in tobacco smoke will do that…/ sarcasm

Clearly, this anniversary arc for Tracy is turning out to be a reunion of (what Mike believes are) Tracy’s most famous villains.

And with no particular regard to their last appearances, either. More than one commentator has asked, as I wanted to, didn’t Double Up go straight, go straight? What’s he doing here, doing here?

Makes no sense, makes no sense.

Goodbye, reporterette Briar Rose (now 50% improved, with never-before-seen laptop!). Welcome back, whipmaster Doubleup, whipmaster Doubleup!

Finding a job after (as I suppose) doing Time* was not so hard for the veteran repeating bodyguard, now was it? But who is the visitor-inquisitor seeking an audience with Ace of Spades? (Yes, he looks like Jonah Jameson from Spider-Man, but I am 99.99% per cent sure he is not.) Will this be an important twist of the plotline?

*Time Drone, anyone?

Thank you for the story about Barbara Neely! I had not heard of her and it seems like she was amazing.

I will say that while Ms. Rose is more elegant during the week, she’s drawn awfully cute in Panel 4 today.