Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for April 19, 2022

Elsewhere, Tracy yukking it up over on “Gasoline Alley.” ✨

Tracy is now using his real name, Matt.

I still think deja vu is still on.

Good morning™, reviewers!

Tracy reviews lessons from the past with Matt, so he doesn’t make the same mistakes as Tonsils did. Tonsils’ agent, Dude, was involved in a horsemeat racket.

We get a quick cameo flash back of the couple, Augustus (“Gus”) and his wife who he only called “Mamma.” Tonsils didn’t trust Gus, who ended up trying to make money by telling the Dot View Show people where Tonsils was hiding out (at Gus’s house). Tonsils ended up starting a fire with that gasoline that the couple used for cleaning.

Good morning™, Fatal Flashbacks !

I hope this ‘Tonsils’ learns. I can see him in the next panel sobbing while he spills it all to Tracy.

Meanwhile, Dot is thinking, “This is getting ridiculous. If the next guy who looks like Tonsils doesn’t treat me better, I’m going a whole different direction in the future. I wonder how Shaky II is doing?”

Hallelujah! Team Tracy finally listened to me and has Tracy call him Matt! 2 times!

There’s hope in the world!!

I don’t think Tracy needs to give Mattie a Tonsils history lesson, the dude’s living his life like he’s his idol.

Now that’s what Tracy SHOULD do. Show compassion, and try to help. I think Matt is a far different person than Tonsils was. Tonsils was still too fixated on the criminal side, Matt seems to have just done something stupid and is over his head. (I have all the IDW books, and LOVED THEM! :)

There is a grammatical error in panel 2. It should read as “…the agent’s…” to show the possessive singular case. Other than that, the story is on point and it’s moving forward nicely. Pleger’s artwork is stellar.

On first reading I thought Tracy was expressing a knowledge that Matt had engaged in criminal activities. (And how in the heck did he know that?) But closer reading and Tonsil’s mistake, that Tracy is warning Matt to avoid, was not trusting those who wanted to help him.

This kind of speech is why I like Tracey.

What does Dick think he’s talking about? All he knows is what Aspirin Flintstone told him, which is that Tonsils was supposed to meet a nightclub owner to discuss a gig but the meeting location is suspicious. Dick didn’t know about Tonsils 2.0’s criminal activities or that he was bringing Dot, but one look at a red scarf and Dick acts like he’s been reading this comic himself.

The scarf suggests. The detective deduces. Another strong use of the flashback to add eye candy with depth. On the 12th, the clouds parted to reveal Tonsils shooting Tracy. While Tonsils struggled with Mr. Crime’s vile order, he eventually took the shot. On the 15th, we witnessed Shaky manhandle Snowflake, as Vitamin took it on the noggin’. Today, Tracy holds Dot’s scarf as we witness Tonsils ruled by fear and mistrust. Shelley again artfully taps into Gould’s Dot View: expressive facial expression, dramatic body language, and fine fashion. Tracy speaks the truth. Will Matt listen and take heed?

Can someone PLEASE * get the “Sweatbox Express” rolling? This story is amazingly weak, boring and slow moving

As drawn by Shelly, Old Gus looks like he would fit right in over at Gasoline Alley, where Tracy happens to be visiting these days.

“So, what I’m about to do to you should come as no surprise.”

A story within a story as told by Dick Tracy!

By all means – let’s have a lecture instead of trying to find Dot. Coffey has a full 3 minute head start so there’s no catching him now.

1-DT: Before we go eat, lemme get one thing straight…

2-…Is this your scarf? If not, I’m going to give it to my wife. It’s pretty nice. Oh. And what are you doing here?

ASTRO: Well, I’ll tell ya. I had just woke up – I was wearing my leopard —spot jammies and Dot had my oatmeal bubbling on the stove – when me and Dot were attacked by some old guy trying to force money on us! So I grabbed a glass bottle of gasoline that we keep by the stove and was ready to smack him when Ma grabbed my arm because…well, I don’t know why.

DT: So, lemme get this straight – Dot sleeps over?

ASTRO: Yeah she does! Wink wink.

DT: YOU DAWG YOU! Oh. Maybe we should go find her?

ASTRO: After we eat. DT: Good thinking!

While some may complain about the “flashbacks”, etc.I appreciate the “backstories” since they greatly make the story more understandable…

Speaking of gasoline alley"… Anybody notice what the original Tonsils was attacking the “Dude” (?) with ? It looked like it was labeled “Gasoline”…

Hopefully Matt will take the right fork in the road and not end up like his character Tonsils.

Vitamin should be in court for running a racket. A racket of finding blast from the past discoveries.

I suppose tomorrow Matt will break down and tell all that he knows.

Really creative name…Matt?? OMG

I love the flashbacks!

You’d think Dot would have known better.

OFF TOPIC: You know you’re reading too many comic strips when you have another detailed Dick Tracy dream. This one has it all — a car chase that runs multiple panels (instead of one), a mysterious killer, a visiting ‘expert’ detective on said killer, and a plan to off both Tracy and Sam at once.

I remember the simple childhood dreams of childhood. The ones where I’d just fly. And dive bomb the grade school the day before the big class play (I looked pretty bad in that turban – why do parents and PTAs conspire to inflict this kind of torment and humiliation on kids??)

The problem with this story is that has 2 audiences: veteran Tracy fans who are aware of the previous history with the original Tonsils & can appreciate the references, & those who have no memory or knowledge of the original story, so the references go right past us (at least until we learn about them in the comments section, thank you, Neil & Roy) & are basically meaningless. Now, just when the story was getting some actual momentum, it comes to a complete stop for a history lesson for Tonsils. I appreciate Tracy history as much as anyone, but here’s hoping next time Mike can come up with a story that can stand on its own, in the present.

Counselor Dick Tracy tries to save Matt from his path to self-destruction, using wise flashback advice. But is it too late for Matty to straighten out his ways, come clean, serve his time, get out, and live “happily ever after” with the seemingly ageless (not to mention witless) Dot View?

Coffyhead may have something to say about this….

Tracy’s thoughts echo mine exactly.Original Tonsils ran like ascared rabbit away from the people who could help him t he most.