Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for September 20, 2018

Good morning™, kindly evil uncles! :/

At least Mr. Bribery is persuadable on Crystal’s behalf.

Good morning™, smooth talking detectives !

Is that a real genuine caring emotion face I see in P. 2 ?  I wonder if he is trying to get things to work to his advantage ?

Think he’s thinking about how Crystal might be of use to him in “Her Future?” ✨

The Chess Master is contemplaing all the angles.

Is there any meaning in bringing ’AC-1938" into focus?

Dick should have given him a Rose….

Save it for a rainy day For when the cold wind blows Just to see how they run I thought they’d know I tried my best, all I could do But somehow it was not enough for you. Big wheels turning Baby I know Big wheels turning Baby I know Big wheels turning, turning,Turning, turning… (Electric Light Orchestra, Big Wheels )

This is weird. Bribery is a total psychopath, and I assume Tracy knows that. It’s hard to believe that he cares if his niece winds up in foster care. And also hard to see how he can be of any help in proving that Lafayette is Crystal’s father.

Isn’t Ugly Crystal already in foster care?

I wonder who prisoner DC-1939 (or would it be DC-1937) is? LOL

Bribery’s prison ID number—-AC-1938—-may be an oblique reference to Superman, who first appeared in Action Comics in (you guessed it) 1938…

Right. For HER future. Put her in foster care. She’ll be better off.

That was too easy…

Bribery cares or nobody but himself, this much i have learned since his “triumphant return” to the strip.

Wonder if the scratching of the back of his hand is significant

Interesting. Joie Packet is pictured with grey hair – is Mike about to retire him?

Other stuff: While I distinctly recall Bribery ‘s name prior to his assuming the nickname of Bribery, nevertheless, earlier this week, I seem to recall Crystal ‘s last name being referred to as Bribery. And, I guess we’re to assume that Christine never married, thus passing her last name on to her daughter.

My head hurts. Guess I’ll go back into vacay mode.

See you next week, same Bat time, same Bat channel!

joie packet was revealed, i believe, to be the name of the body double that bribery used to fake his own death

I still think it’s POLAR’s Anti-TRACY that BRIBERY’s talking to…

Tracy or Anti-Tracy tries to play off Bribery’s sense of family (ostensibly), but (as has already been noted) Bribery’s main and possibly only concern is himself. That tapping or scratching in panel 3 may not be a signal as such, but it does suggest that the wheels are turning in Bribery’s brain and that he is trying to find some way to turn “care for Crystal’s future” to his own advantage….

No, seriously: The reason Lafayette just can’t go to Crystal, say “Hi, I think I might be your dad” and go get a blood test to verify is…?