Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for March 04, 2017

It is sad. Fortunately, that’s changing in the near future, right?

Happy Saturday guys!

And now the Lunarian genes are slowly taking over every cell of her body turning her into a humanoid being of immense power. Too bad the one Lunar city is destroyed, all the inhabitants gone.

Dang.

Dang, indeed.

Serendipitously, I happen to have the classic ‘Star Trek’ episode ‘METAMORPHOSIS’ playing in the background right now.

Of course, we know the Moon Governor is on Earth, awaiting the right time to make contact!

I remember how disappointed I was a few years ago when it was finally revealed that Mysta wasn’t the original Moon Maid. As it turns out, though, Mysta Chimera is probably 100 times more interesting than if they HAD brought back the original Mysta. With her physiology having so quickly transformed due to the dominant lunar DNA, and the inevitable trajectory of the story that is inching her closer and closer to becoming a 100% genetic and psychological twin of Mysta Tracy, even to the point of possibly “reuniting” with her Moon family, it would seem that for all intents and purposes, Mysta Chimera IS (or will soon be) Moon Maid, the original brought back to life by an amazingly complex and delicious turn of events.

Like Spirit infers, it’s hard not to feel sympathy for her. Mysta was the victim of terrible crimes. She was kidnapped and violated, both physically and mentally. She’s even been the object of a congressional witch hunt. Yet in spite of all the unspeakable abuse she’s been forced to endure, Mysta has made peace with her situation, doesn’t seem the slightest bit bitter, and has cheerfully embraced her new identity. She often shows more concern for others than herself, as with Posie after the accident and on many occasions with her beloved Imoto-Chan, Honeymoon. Not only has Mysta become a compassionate and virtuous soul, she has also been physically transformed from an ugly, angry person to a total knockout. This is the irony of Mysta’s transformation I find compelling, that it was greedy criminals who transformed her, both physically and mentally, from a spoiled criminal into the beautiful, powerful person she had always longed to be. And yet, more sadness awaits her, for she doesn’t realize that her adopted home no longer exists, Bribery still has his plans for her, and who can say how Moon Governor will respond when he finds out she’s become a lunarite. It’s a wonderfully-crafted story of redemption and restoration — but “dang sad” at the same time.

I agree with WillyCarlson007 above, save for one thing: An issue I would love to have seen explored was ducked when we got the big reveal (that Mysta is, in fact, Mindy Ermine, not the real Mysta Tracy). With all the “power” that Lunarians possess, I always considered it possible that she could have survived Collins and Fletchers’ intended demise for her. But alas, that is not the direction Curtis and Staten have taken. And the issue that was ducked: What is the status of a man’s wife if she was mistaken for dead, due to events totally out of her control, and the man has since remarried? Especially since, in this case, the man has had children by both women! Again, a reminder, if only to myself, that this is not going to be explored. As Anyface and WillyCarlson007 have said, “Dang, Dang Sad, Dang Sad Indeed!”

For what it’s worth, at one point, I thought that Diet Smith’s dispatch of the Space Coupe to its destruction (along with the criminals who “created” the current Mysta) might have been a harbinger, of sorts. That ship’s name was “Sparkle Plenty.” Curtis and Staten are known for symbolism in the strip, and I wondered – is Sparkle now in danger, as well? And if Sparkle were to get written out of the strip, would this be Moon Maid’s chance at the reunion the original Mysta would most surely desire?

Today’s strip provides an admirably succinct introduction to the backstory of Mysta Chimera for anyone in the Spirit’s place of basic unfamiliarity. But it also strongly hints that a Lunarian thread will be part either of this arc or (as Neil Wick suggested in his reply to my comment yesterday) of a new story coming up maybe this summer….

Either way, fans of the original Moon Maid will probably be pleased, and even those of us who like myself were not fans of the Moon Era stories in DT back in the ‘60s will find Mike’s well-crafted character studies satisfying (as long as Mysta’s story does not turn into a tragedy)….

Sorry but I wholeheartedly disagree with EVERY sentimental word posted so far today concerning Frankenmindy.

Moon Maid is DEAD… shes been dead for DECADES and quite honestly I find it highly odd, if not completely out of character, for not only tracy himself but his ENTIRE supporting cast to have welcomed this abhorration (spelling?) as a somewhat ‘replacement’ for the REAL DEAL MOON MAID….. worst of all is HONEYMOON AND JUNIOR not having a problem with it (and yes, I MEAN to say it and not her) For EVERYONE to just willingly accept her with open arms and a little MORE than just ‘blind faith’ is ludicrous and ridiculous.

Frankenmindy is just an extrapolated example of the ‘fan stalker mentality’ regardless of whether or not it was against her will.. back in the day she WANTED to be moon maid and was, in fact, a criminal. It is impossible for ME to have any kind of sympathy for Frankenmindy.. and with ANY kind of luck, maybe the next upcoming arc will take everyone back to the moon and Frankenmindy will remain behind.

a more interesting angle would have been to have her human DNA overpower the Lunar DNA and begin reverting her back to her normal appearance. Either way, I never liked, and never WILL like the screwed up science experiment that is Frankenmindy, and I have no sympathy, empathy, or ANY sort of feeling towards her at all except disdain.

the ‘Return Of Moon Maid’ was nothing more than a giant flip of the bird to fans who had hoped and prayed that SOMEHOW the REAL DEAL MOON MAID would somehow be resurrected (mind you, im NOT one of those fans.. bringing her back cheapens her death and the entire storyline in which she died).. some things are better left untouched, and Moon Maid is one of those things.

to Cheapskate’s question I again reiterate.. if ones spouse is declared legally dead and the surviving spouse remarries there is no issue

TSULL2121, you seem to go on these tirades every time someone posts anything positive about Mysta. I don’t know what’s in your heart that motivates you to react so aggressively toward other posters, shouting with ALL CAPS and BOLDED WORDS just because they like a comic character you don’t, but I think we know where you’re coming from by now, thanks. Seriously, you get this agitated because others express a different opinion than yours? Sheesh.

“DANG!” She got the sickness, I got the cure!Down boy! LOL!

….guess it’s just me, and the way it ended, but I still keep thinking the space coupe, inhabitants alive, are going to re-surface some day. (then again, I had the same feeling about Sprocket when she was in what appeared to be her watery grave, so……)