My guess it was the one playing blackjack he hid the silencer in his cap. This minit mystery looks more a J Straightedge Trustworthy story, only more boring. How about giving some clue to the readers?
I’m disappointed that even after expanding the format to two weeks, they only spent one panel each on the interviews, not counting the earlier appearances of Flattop, Brow and Doubleup. And at no time were we told where they were or what they saw. Rather important in a murder investigation, I’d think. All we were told was how they said they felt about the victim. Maybe we can assume that the murderer would not admit to disliking him, but there’s no motive that we’ve been told about.
We were told that there was a clue about the desk. Lots of us expected Tracy to rub a pencil against the notepad to see what had been written on the previous sheet, but that didn’t happen. It still might, in the final strip tomorrow, but we ought to have all the clues by now.
I’m probably wrong, but I think I’ll stick to my original theory that “Flattop” is the murderer, based on his surprised reaction when he opened the door. He was looking at what appeared to be the person he’d just shot, and it took him a moment to register that this was the real Dick Tracy. Maybe after having pointed him out, Tracy will produce the notepad and reveal that Roche was about to accuse him of some crime, just to close the case.
That is actually a very good likeness of Sam in panel 2, from the early days when Gould introduced him. Sam’s “perpetual grin” has always been part of his personality.
I would not want to be the DA who has to take this case to trial (based on the evidence we have been given) and prove the murderer’s (s’) guilt beyond a reasonable doubt – oh, and the name of the case is “People vs. Tracy Fans or How to spend two weeks totally stumping the Tracy faithful by not giving them any way near enough evidence to solve the case”…
I’m going with Doubleup. Doubleup. From Sam’s reconstruction, the killer has to be very tall (Sam mimes the gun held about the level of his head) and, from the August 23rd strip, Tracy has to look upward to Doubleup. And the Sunday strip suggests he is the tallest of the rogues.
Yeah, not enough evidence to convict, but at least enough to draw suspicion.
I usually enjoy reading the comments here about this strip because you guys often think of things I never would have thought of, and it’s great to see the collaboration as you put things together. Gotta say today’s comments are largely disappointing. Half of the comments thoughtfully discuss the mystery at hand, but the other half is whining and complaining like little kids about the quality of the storyline. Get over it. And the one guy was really vulgar about his description of Sam. Glad some of you called him out on it. I, for one, am looking forward to seeing how Tracy wraps this up tomorrow, because l actually enjoy the strip for what it is, as I can tell some of you do too.
What lost me in this MM was the cosplay. It doesn’t seem all that long ago when we had another cosplay story, the Three Margies. And, to me, that Little Shop of Horror thing was a cosplay, as well.
The first Sunday, I said this looked promising because, with no reason for an MM to maintain continuity, why not a Flattop mystery?
The first Monday, I was already disappointed when it turned out to be yet another cosplay!
If we look at this two-week MM story solely as a way for Dick Tracy fans to see a talented artist draw some of the strip’s most iconic characters, then it was a huge success. The artwork was excellent and I especially enjoyed the film-noir elements in the layouts, like the use of shadows and the overhead POV.
But as a work of narrative storytelling in the “whodunit” tradition of mystery writing, it was a complete failure. Going back and re-reading it from the start, it feels a bit like a 30-second mystery padded to fill two “minits”. The expansion from one to two weeks was wasted as there were several days that contained no elements that advanced the plot. Those were the moments that should have been filled with the variety of details and specifics the reader needs to pore over in the joyful pursuit of discerning the actual clues from the red herrings so we can try and piece together the puzzle. The one-week Minit Mysteries have suffered from this and sadly this story is the same watered-down product in a giant-sized package.
My guess (as I can’t call it a hypothesis because there’s not enough evidence) is that the killer is “Blackjack” aka Dr. Chaplin. We’ve been given the clue of Dr. Mabuse – the story of a psychiatrist who hypnotizes and then blackmails rich businessmen. The only character specifically identified as a medical doctor, as opposed to an educational doctorate, is Dr. Chaplin. While there’s no evidence of this I’d like to think that Chaplin hypnotized “Doubleup”/Dr. Hall into being the one who actually pulled the trigger, especially since then it could be declared as “Dr. Hall, in The Hall, with The Gun.”
And that same lamp keeps showing up because that’s where the silencer is hidden?
I don’t mean to brag, but I’m afraid my guesses will be more interesting than tomorrow’s trite wrap-up. I love this strip and think Team Tracy does an awesome job with every other kind of story arc, but the Minit Mysteries need a LOT of work.
Dick is going to lord it all over the squad room and is giddy to get this wrapped so he can commence to showing off that he is still head detective.
.
Original thread Deleted !:
As a majority found my comment about Sam’s facial expression distasteful or even gross, I have bent to your will. I want to thank the three who actually enjoyed the post and we are truly living in a more repressive society where “inappropriate” humor by basically harmless types who only like a good laugh and also firmly believe that people’s personal taste is their own business. If Morrow were here he would have given a hearty Like to that post.
My reply before pulling it down.
Sorry, Guys ! I see some likes so will split the difference by removing the comment this afternoon. I am getting through my queue and before I go back to work will do the drop. I thought it was funny, in the spirit of something different from normal DT strips, and would not say that in the regular series. So, patience, donut munchers auxiliary…
Sam doesn’t show a fitting face in the last panel. Dick is telling that he almost knows who is the murderer, at least knows one of them is it. And Sam, who should be excited and surprised, is looking as if nothing happened at all.
avenger09 about 6 years ago
Ya gotta love Sam’s loving gaze at Tracy in panel 2! LOL!
Night-Gaunt49 about 20 hours ago
(just in case you didn’t see my reply to your question, nightingale 49)
“And you could do it better?”
Better than this bore-fest?
ABSOLUTELY
Hook it up for me and I’ll dazzle you!
Neil Wick about 6 years ago
Good morning™, guys!
Tracy knows something but he’s not telling us … yet.
If anyone is still having trouble seeing all the comments, use a link like this:
https://www.gocomics.com/dicktracy/2018/09/01?comments=visible
Ashmael about 6 years ago
My guess it was the one playing blackjack he hid the silencer in his cap. This minit mystery looks more a J Straightedge Trustworthy story, only more boring. How about giving some clue to the readers?
Ashmael about 6 years ago
In the first panel Sam looks bored out of his skull…
Magic Brain about 6 years ago
Maybe Sam – but it’s not Sam. He has a pencil and it was missing on the desk?
22ph about 6 years ago
Flattop did it!
blunebottle about 6 years ago
I bet I know who’s the murderer. The murderer.
Yngvar Følling about 6 years ago
I’m disappointed that even after expanding the format to two weeks, they only spent one panel each on the interviews, not counting the earlier appearances of Flattop, Brow and Doubleup. And at no time were we told where they were or what they saw. Rather important in a murder investigation, I’d think. All we were told was how they said they felt about the victim. Maybe we can assume that the murderer would not admit to disliking him, but there’s no motive that we’ve been told about.
We were told that there was a clue about the desk. Lots of us expected Tracy to rub a pencil against the notepad to see what had been written on the previous sheet, but that didn’t happen. It still might, in the final strip tomorrow, but we ought to have all the clues by now.
I’m probably wrong, but I think I’ll stick to my original theory that “Flattop” is the murderer, based on his surprised reaction when he opened the door. He was looking at what appeared to be the person he’d just shot, and it took him a moment to register that this was the real Dick Tracy. Maybe after having pointed him out, Tracy will produce the notepad and reveal that Roche was about to accuse him of some crime, just to close the case.
Ken in Ohio about 6 years ago
That is actually a very good likeness of Sam in panel 2, from the early days when Gould introduced him. Sam’s “perpetual grin” has always been part of his personality.
AnyFace about 6 years ago
Is that shelf of bottles behind Tracy and Sam in Panel #2 of any great significance? ✨
AnyFace about 6 years ago
Would wadding up a torn off sheet of paper and stuffing it into a gun barrel work as a makeshift silencer? ✨
Ignatz Premium Member about 6 years ago
Are we actually supposed to now have enough information to solve this?
Counterpoint about 6 years ago
I would not want to be the DA who has to take this case to trial (based on the evidence we have been given) and prove the murderer’s (s’) guilt beyond a reasonable doubt – oh, and the name of the case is “People vs. Tracy Fans or How to spend two weeks totally stumping the Tracy faithful by not giving them any way near enough evidence to solve the case”…
Trespassers W about 6 years ago
I’m going with Doubleup. Doubleup. From Sam’s reconstruction, the killer has to be very tall (Sam mimes the gun held about the level of his head) and, from the August 23rd strip, Tracy has to look upward to Doubleup. And the Sunday strip suggests he is the tallest of the rogues.
Yeah, not enough evidence to convict, but at least enough to draw suspicion.
tcayer about 6 years ago
Hey, maybe throw US a clue or two! Doesn’t this wrap up tomorrow?
mbruni316 about 6 years ago
I usually enjoy reading the comments here about this strip because you guys often think of things I never would have thought of, and it’s great to see the collaboration as you put things together. Gotta say today’s comments are largely disappointing. Half of the comments thoughtfully discuss the mystery at hand, but the other half is whining and complaining like little kids about the quality of the storyline. Get over it. And the one guy was really vulgar about his description of Sam. Glad some of you called him out on it. I, for one, am looking forward to seeing how Tracy wraps this up tomorrow, because l actually enjoy the strip for what it is, as I can tell some of you do too.
Cheapskate0 about 6 years ago
Today was a wasted day. No new clues to throw to us readers. Filler until tomorrow.
Cheapskate0 about 6 years ago
Yesterday, I started writing this:
What lost me in this MM was the cosplay. It doesn’t seem all that long ago when we had another cosplay story, the Three Margies. And, to me, that Little Shop of Horror thing was a cosplay, as well.
The first Sunday, I said this looked promising because, with no reason for an MM to maintain continuity, why not a Flattop mystery?
The first Monday, I was already disappointed when it turned out to be yet another cosplay!
And now, today, no new clues!
Am I alone in thinking this just ain’t working?
Liam Astle Premium Member about 6 years ago
I love that smile on Sam’s face. “Alright. We get to rough some people up.”
42Irish Premium Member about 6 years ago
It was the butler! I know we haven’t seen him, but that is how the mystery authors used to do it. Throw him in in the last few pages and wrap it up.
Don Bagert Premium Member about 6 years ago
Sam, please move your hand and shoulder in panel 1 – you’re blocking two of the Rogues’ Gallery lol
falcon_370f about 6 years ago
One member of the Rogues Gallery is the killer? DUH!
buckman-j about 6 years ago
Dr. Hugo Hackenbush with a horsewhip in the back yard
artsyguy65 about 6 years ago
If we look at this two-week MM story solely as a way for Dick Tracy fans to see a talented artist draw some of the strip’s most iconic characters, then it was a huge success. The artwork was excellent and I especially enjoyed the film-noir elements in the layouts, like the use of shadows and the overhead POV.
But as a work of narrative storytelling in the “whodunit” tradition of mystery writing, it was a complete failure. Going back and re-reading it from the start, it feels a bit like a 30-second mystery padded to fill two “minits”. The expansion from one to two weeks was wasted as there were several days that contained no elements that advanced the plot. Those were the moments that should have been filled with the variety of details and specifics the reader needs to pore over in the joyful pursuit of discerning the actual clues from the red herrings so we can try and piece together the puzzle. The one-week Minit Mysteries have suffered from this and sadly this story is the same watered-down product in a giant-sized package.
My guess (as I can’t call it a hypothesis because there’s not enough evidence) is that the killer is “Blackjack” aka Dr. Chaplin. We’ve been given the clue of Dr. Mabuse – the story of a psychiatrist who hypnotizes and then blackmails rich businessmen. The only character specifically identified as a medical doctor, as opposed to an educational doctorate, is Dr. Chaplin. While there’s no evidence of this I’d like to think that Chaplin hypnotized “Doubleup”/Dr. Hall into being the one who actually pulled the trigger, especially since then it could be declared as “Dr. Hall, in The Hall, with The Gun.”
And that same lamp keeps showing up because that’s where the silencer is hidden?
I don’t mean to brag, but I’m afraid my guesses will be more interesting than tomorrow’s trite wrap-up. I love this strip and think Team Tracy does an awesome job with every other kind of story arc, but the Minit Mysteries need a LOT of work.
HarryCK about 6 years ago
Good morning™, smug chief detectives ! …reprint
Dick is going to lord it all over the squad room and is giddy to get this wrapped so he can commence to showing off that he is still head detective.
.
Original thread Deleted !:
As a majority found my comment about Sam’s facial expression distasteful or even gross, I have bent to your will. I want to thank the three who actually enjoyed the post and we are truly living in a more repressive society where “inappropriate” humor by basically harmless types who only like a good laugh and also firmly believe that people’s personal taste is their own business. If Morrow were here he would have given a hearty Like to that post.
My reply before pulling it down.
Sorry, Guys ! I see some likes so will split the difference by removing the comment this afternoon. I am getting through my queue and before I go back to work will do the drop. I thought it was funny, in the spirit of something different from normal DT strips, and would not say that in the regular series. So, patience, donut munchers auxiliary…
Spock about 6 years ago
Sam doesn’t show a fitting face in the last panel. Dick is telling that he almost knows who is the murderer, at least knows one of them is it. And Sam, who should be excited and surprised, is looking as if nothing happened at all.
Sisyphos about 6 years ago
Well, good for you, Tracy (and Sam, too). Unfortunately, we haven’t a clue—literally!