Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for December 04, 2021

Good morning™, everybody!

In case it’s not obvious to anyone: Mumbles: “I got you first. Drop the gun, Tracy!”

The drawing today is great, with none of the awkwardness of yesterday, at the expense of mostly being head and upper torso shots. In case we weren’t sure, that thing projected from Sam’s wrist device was indeed radar.

“I’d better go before I’m discovered???”

Dickyboy, you were outed days ago!

2nd day in a row things seem off with the illustrations, like the frames were rushed.

“Don’t hate, it’s just an observation!”

That’s Tracy’s “Oh, THIS idiot” face.

What’s with the CLICK? Is Mumbles out of bullets?

They’re using cigar smoke as smoke screen :)

If Mumbles gives Tracy further instructions, will Tracy pretend to misunderstand him? And somehow get out of this mess?

Dick appears perturbed. ✨

Quit mumbling & just tell me what you want.

It will take me a while to get used to this new Tracy.

Good morning™, Usurped !

Could this be the biggest blunder in Tracy’s career ?  I hope someone drifts in and gets the drop on Fumbles.

Kind of nice that Mumbles is suddenly a more threatening bad guy today.

A hostage situation after all…

Methinks this isn’t going to work out for Mumbles…he should have followed his first instincts and got outta Dodge.

Also thinking that radar gimmick on Sam’s wrist radio shows him Mumbles is there with Tracy.

Time for the 7th Cavalry to arrive….

And he never said a Mumblin’ word.

In my mind’s eye, I see Panel #3 as Rick Fletcher might have composed it— CU Tracy foreground left, barrel of gun a diagonal “pointer” to smirking MS Mumbles on right. Little more dynamic.

Now, if anybody understood that, this could be trouble!

Of course it isn’t radar, but I’ll give that one to Sam because it’s easier to say than ‘thermal imagining’… Unless we’re supposed to think he really is on radar.

But in either case, why didn’t the technology pick up Mumbles?

“Tracy,” Sam asked. “Who is that beside you?”

“Beside me?”

“Hullucoppha!” (ominous clicking sound)

Oh, O.K., O.K………

I love Mumble’s hiding deep inside a houseplant. I can see him hustling Tracy out, still inside the plant, like something out of Get-Smart.

If Mumbles captures Tracy and Sam captures Ace, will there be a prisoner swap?

Given Tracy’s firmly expository pronouncement in panel 1, it looks like Ace’s capture/unmasking is definitely postponed to a later date (perhaps even a later story).

Will Mumbles finally bite the dust after all of these years?

Discovered by who? YOU are the cops!

I better go before I’m discovered ??? Tracy’s there to bring Apparatus members to justice and now he’s turning tail and running for it? I never thought I’d see the day where Tracy went yella!

i’m guessing that left elbow is gonig to fly back into mumbles ribs

The images today are just fantastic again by Shelley , super for sure . All Tracy needs to do if put the " wheel gun " under his left arm and pull the trigger .That would be the end to the " mumbler " for sure .

1-DT: Hmmm. Where’s there’s smoke, there’s Apparatus members. I BETTER HIGH TAIL IT! SKEE-DADDLE! GET THE HELL OUTTA DODGE! RUN FOR COVER! SKATE LIKE HANS BLINKER! MAKE LIKE A BREEZE AND BLOW!

2-DT: This is Tracy. I need an E-Vac. Over.

SAM: All vacuums use electricity, Tracy. And why do you need one anyway? Did you make a mess? THUNK!

3-MUSHMOUTH: Oops. Draptmygnn. Thr. Ptemup, Tracee!

DT: I must be slipping. I let a bush get the drop on me.

MUSHMOUTH: Drp th peeshtr! DT: I can’t – it’s attached. HA HA! Get it?

MUSHMOUTH: REEPEET JOKS!

DT: Yeah, well maybe not everyone saw it yesterday.

MUSHMOUTH: Luky thm.

The old armed-potted-plant-in-the-lobby trick! Fell for it again!

Wow … first time all week I could understand what Mumbles was saying … :\

And look who has the drop on Tracy?

Like Ace yesterday, Mumbles appears to be left-handed.

I could actually understand what Mumbles said this time.

From the look of the third panel, Mumbles stayed behind to get revenge on Tracy.

He (Mumbles) probably called his date for a hide-out….she wasn’t home. So he came back.

They all laughed at Mumbles’ plant costume, but who’s laughing now?

Is this the end of Mumbles?

I love the look on Tracey’s face in panel three, not fear, not shock, just sort of a resigned, “Oh crud.”

Will Mumbles be killed for the 3rd or 4th time since the mid-40s?…stayed tuned

In the old MAD magazine cartoons that featured a hotel detective hiding behind a plant… The plant had the name “Arthur” on it’s pot…

I wonder if this plant has a name ? LOL !

I was kinda wondering where Mumbles had gotten himself off to.

Not often anymore one day’s strip leaves me on the edge of my seat, feeling like I can’t wait until tomorrow. But they pulled it off today. Great work!

Does anyone besides me consistently hear Mumbles’ dialogue in Dustin Hoffman’s voice?

It looks to me like Tracy feels absolutely bummed that he’s been caught by Mumbles. “Avealladarttnluk”!

who could that be?

Oh, it’s a plant. I was wondering what Mumbles was wearing.

Captured by Mumbles? Oh the shame!!

“Mumbles in the shrubbery” sounds like a good band name.

Oh, crap. Beware, the Mumbles-tree plant, Tracy!

Your little peashooter (which does indeed resemble an S & W 642: shrouded-hammer, 5-round cylinder, .38 Special caliber—and Tracy has already expended at least one) should not be surrendered, however. In his plant-disguise, Mumbles is not very mobile, and some quick elbow strikes should disarm and disable him! If need be, plug him! You can do it detective—you’re The Man!

I really do like the look of DT’s chin now that it’s not as sharp as it looked like before where the inking looked like join ends. And also it disrupted the flow when he’s drawn with others with their softer faces.

“What’d he say?”

Mumblespeak Translator: He said, “I got you first. Drop the gun, Tracy!”