Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for October 25, 2015

Chief springs into action with the death of 88 KeyesThugs and Mugs that roam the streets will do just as they please.Mayor gives him an earful. You know what rolls downhillBurden falls on Shoulders. Urgent mission to fulfill.Take it to the Tower, send Bud Jenkins to the bossRide up to the Penthouse to the man none dare to cross.Goes by the name of Chalice, to not know him marks you greenOf cops and robbers, crime and law, he’s top cat of the scene.Top so flat this cool cat is premier private eyeFerrets out the truth and secures justice by and by.Take his card. Turn it around. Identity now clear.Run afoul of Chalice, know that payment shall be dear.In the Midnite Mirror good is bad and wrong is rightGaze into the glass, see cops and crooks in a new light.

Littleface, BB Eyes, and finally (!) FLATTOP! (And to think, I was happy with just the reappearance of Mr. Bribery! ) Sure, no one but Team Tracy actually knows what this “interlude” is really about, but it continues to entertain!

.Good morning 22ph, Gweedo, et al….➋ ② ➋ ② ➋ ② ➋ ② ➋ ② ➋ ② ➋ ② ➋

This is feeling like a crime novel drawing inspiration from “real-life” characters.

So the Chalice IS Flattop!

Could this be a novel written by one of Flattop’s relatives?

Good morning, DT Fans!What nice and suave Flattop! This Sunday we have a bounty! And if this is not a parallel Universe, alternate timeline, call it what you wish what could it be? An Halloween play?

Also, The Yellow Coat of Justice!

For me, the big news of today’s strip is seeing Littleface and B-B Eyes, 2 characters prominent in the Curtis era, showing up, especially since some have speculated this might be from B-B’s POV. I wonder if there’s any significance to which characters Curtis & Staton are using.

@Pequod, compliments for the beautiful poem!

Upside down….

Gweedo made his comment clear,Me thinkest you reed too much into that. I used “Count” as in living in a graveyard…-—————————————————————————-.Please don’t fight over words about me and my upcoming birthday, guys! I do appreciate being defended when the occasion arises, though.

This is shaping up to be an adventure in the past…East is West and Up is Down…keep up the surprises. Luving It..

Shouldn’t that be “Officer/Rank Eizlander” not Mr.?

I’m enjoying this story even more than the last story!I love the business card gimmick. For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out how the name ‘the Chalice’ would fit in with anybody. -Does anyone remember if the Saint had a business card with the character’s haloed stick figure logo?

It could be a story by Mysta, Honeymoon, or Vera Alldid (she could have even signed the story with the reference to Arev Alldid in the last Sunday). Or it could be a dream or a Second Life virtual reality created by Abner and Rikki, and I wager on this last one!

Plus a theme composed by creator Leslie Charteris.

By the way, in continuity “Littleface" Finney lost his ears due to frostbite.

Here, his ears are prominent.

Wish fulfillment much?

Flattop"!!!!!

“Flatop & BB Eyes” together again! Amusining for those of us old enough to remember the classic “Dick Tracy” cartoon villain team-ups! Correct me if I’m wrong, please! The others were Sketch Paree & the Mole: Pruneface & Itchy; Stooge Viller & Mumbles; Oodles & the Brow; and the original character, Cheater Gunsmoke!

“cpalmeresq said, about 14 ways of counting Up ago@Gweedo – It’s legal here !!! – Murray“Good morning to you Countdown boy !”"Gweed, if that happened to be in reference to my “count UP” comment to Vista Bill, I certainly meant it iwith the greatest respect to him: As in:“Onward and ever Upward”!“Me thinkest you reed too much into that. I used “Count” as in living in a graveyard you meet certain hungry types who Count for much. Remember back when Bill couldn’t see himself in a mirror ? Also, countdown was just carrying on the space monkey theme.”Gweedo, my Friend, I would never read ANYTHING negative into a comment you would make about Vista Bill Raley! Your appreciation of the gentrleman is utmost, and I would be humbled to say that I am next in line. When I first started commenting (after reading the posts for a whike), I found him to be a calmimg influence, as I’ve said many times over the years. Much peace to you,Sir, as our friend’s birthday approaches!

I’d rather like Flattop as a good guy!

Very cool development. Flattop a good guy, Tracy bad. No idea what’s going on, but I’m sure it will all make sense soon. Rockin’ fun!

LOL! Oh yeah! It’s the #1 Tracy villain of all time..Flattop! You guys know I’ve been hoping for a Flatttop revival for a longtime and I finally get my wish! I wonder if he’s married to Stilletta now? And I see B.B Eyes is out off the hospital.

@Gweedo – It’s legal here !!! – Murray said: “I used ‘Count’ as in living in a graveyard you meet certain hungry types who Count for much.”Like Count Dracula?

Osiyo everyone, including Vista Bill. I hope you have a fine birthday! Just remember; spirits, and cake in moderation, dancing and enjoyment in full.

At last, Flattop makes an appearance and it looks to be the equal of Tracy in this mirror universe; which makes sense. If this was a Batman universe I’d see the Joker as Batman (although hard to disguise himself.) After all their greatest enemy.

But did anyone else get the feeling that Flattop Tracy is more than a detective, but in the realm of consolidating detective? Just the way he said “Chief Boche needs my assistance?”

Reminds me of Gotham this season; Rise of the Villans

Man, the hoops you gotta jump through just to bring back a popular character! (I bet every artist/writer that came after Gould is secretly cursing him for killing off Flattop…)

Could this be the hell that all criminals go to when they die? Forced to live lives of good over and over again?

Well, the people who have been clamouring to have Flattop back have got their wish (some of), at least for a few short days, but there are others who think this whole sequence is stupid and want to move on as soon as possible. You can’t please all of the people all of the time.

It looks like the GoComics colour guy got the yellow coat right in yesterday’s strip, assuming that Alfred was getting down the coat for Flattop and not for himself, which I’m sure is the case.

“Big Ears” instead of “Little Face.” Nice!

This story line is reminding me of a two part episode of the much missed Batman: The Brave and the Bold.(Among others) In that 2 parter the Joker was the city’s savior as The Red Hood.

Since we’ve been seeing bad-guys-then-good-guys-now are all dead in real time, does that mean that BB Eyes died after the raid in Ace Tower?Nice one, Pequod.Two more days till BDay, Vista Bill. I am <going to bake a cake for you. :)

Classic Gould characters as rendered by Joe Staton? Yes, please. My eye is on the “midnight mirror” and I like what eye see. Flattop looks spiffy as Chalice. A visual feast, even as questions abound. Will patience on plot points be rewarded? If the past predicts the future, the answer will be yes.

Words of wisdom from Sgt. Doherty in today’s “Crimestoppers.” Thanks to cpalmeresq, Ashmael, Gweedo, Night-Gaunt49, Jonathan K., orbenjawell, Neil Wick, Chris Sherlock, JPuzzleWhiz, Ray Toler, rvidejung (not to my ear, but thank you) and 22ph for the kind words. Very much appreciated.

“Take his card. Turn it around. Identity now clear.Run afoul of Chalice, know that payment shall be dear.”

Excellent line, Pequod—as well as the rest of the poem, but that one really stood out. Thank you!

So Flattop plays our Tracy’s ‘dark mirror’ in this universe (good guys are bad, bad guys are good), and he looks like as a Sherlock Holmes-type, coming to the aid of the police. As for the timeline, it looks like classic Gould’s 1940s era.

Most intriguing cast of characters playing “dark mirror” roles, so who else are going to surprise us? We already saw a blonde Lizz as a moll, so how about Tess Trueheart? Diet Smith? Junior Tracy?

Well done, Team Tracy!

Thanks guys for clearing things up as I approach my happy and peaceful day with you.

I guess now we wait for Tracy to emerge from the shower as Tess says “I had the weirdest dream last night…”

I hate to say it, but this is starting to get old.

Cool! B-B Eyes, Littleface, and, as crimefighting consulting detective The Chalice, Flattop, in the iconic yellow trenchcoat! The strange topsy-turvy universe of the Midnite Mirror is surely entertaining, if perplexing. It appears as though this tale-within-a-tale will play out before we learn the secret of the Midnite Mirror. But that’s just fine!

That’s right . Jimmy Durante said “Everybodys got to be in the act” The whole mishpujah is here.

What the hell is going on?! Even Flat Top has joined the law? What in heaven’s name is going on?

Never mind Tess – I’m half afraid to see what becomes of Mysta…

Sorry. How the heck did that happened?

Chief springs into action with the death of 88 Keyes

Thugs and Mugs that roam the streets will do just as they please.

Mayor gives him an earful. You know what rolls downhill

Burden falls on Shoulders. Urgent mission to fulfill.

Take it to the Tower, send Bud Jenkins to the boss

Ride up to the Penthouse to the man none dare to cross.

Goes by the name of Chalice, to not know him marks you green

Of cops and robbers, crime and law, he’s top cat of the scene.

Top so flat this cool cat is premier private eye

Ferrets out the truth and secures justice by and by.

Take his card. Turn it around. Identity now clear.

Run afoul of Chalice, know that payment shall be dear.

In the Midnite Mirror good is bad and wrong is right

Gaze into the glass, see cops and crooks in a new light.