Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for March 26, 2020

Good morning™, Tess-watch people!

Well, it looks like we missed the worst of Tess’s medical crisis. Now, she’s doing fine—in fact, very well. So, I guess Tracy can get back to tracking down Shaky.

Well, that’s a relief. ✨

That’s a relief!!

Johnny’s signature sideburns are just that—the one in Panel 3 makes a perfect “J”.

Good morning™, grateful to your god, hubbies !

With some degree of sarcasm, mixed with surety, I figured Tess would be over the worst and on an upward vector by the time we got back on this feed.

Yeah, but look at all the medical drama we could have gotten wrapped up in! Annie was able to pull that off with Capt. Amelia Santiago not too long ago – and that strip is in perpetual re-runs…

Shaky should be halfway to a place to hide out in the mountains in Montana or Oregon instead of trying to horn in on Quiver’s nickel and dime coin jar scam…

Well, we knew she’d be alright, but expected a little more drama than THAT…..

Good news from St. Hilarie’s Hospital. But heed that classic grim Tracy in panel 2. Nice to see Johnny Apollo hanging for his partner, too. But this is Tracy’s show: it’s personal.

Shaky is going down, hard!

“And now, to hunt down that vile wicked vibrating villain”, thinks Tracy, “revenge will be mine!”

Shoot-um up comin’!!!

Much better. Now to seek revenge.

Figured Tess would be like Patton, Tracy and Sam. Heck even Fritz Ann survived…

I’m lost in chronology, or lack thereof. In our time it has been weeks since Tess was shot. Only word we had on her was a Sunday panel when it didn’t look good. In that period Shaky and Edison drove around, got patched up by Crystal, hung around until they found her annoying, and fled to visit a cousin in Albuquerque (name drawn from hat). In strip time we’ve had a day or more of time passing. Finally back to Dick and Johnny still standing up in a waiting room (doesn’t the hospital have chairs?). And Tess has gone from “This is serious!” to “We’re keeping her overnight.” (Fairly normal for even minor wounds.) Why not Dick in the hospital room, Tess in bed, and doctor saying, “She’s recovering well. She should be released in a few days.” Would have erased continuity issues that annoy me.

“chief detective’ that’s not a US rank, they follow military grades except for "inspector’ which is borrowed form the british.

ZZZZZZzzzzzzz,,,,,,,

Come on now, did you REALLY think Tess would go to the big detective agency in the sky?

Over a week of pure nonsense, (NO SMOKING HERE!) instead of what could have been a gripping week of life and death struggle for Tess.

Lost opportunities usually don’t appear a second time.

So all it was a bad case of gallstones?

Finally

Good to hear, Tess get well, Tracy get Shaky, make him dig his own 6’

Hmmm… almost TWO FULL WEEKS and we SOMEHOW go from “this doesnt look too good” to “Your wife is doing very well.”

I’m sorry but… is ROD SERLING writing this story?

Am I the only on frustrated by this story? We’re 6 1/2 weeks into the story where the big dramatic event was Tess being shot, but that was ignored for two weeks of padding, and she went from “serious” to ‘keeping her overnight is optional.’ Yes, the stuff with Crystal was a funny diversion, but it makes zero sense for Shaky to get involved with Quiver’s scam when he knows he’s looking at attempted murder charges. And all this with only a week and a half left to what seems to be a 2-month story limit.

The boys are back in town. Shaky better shake a tail now.

What a surprise.

So last we saw, it “didn’t look good,” and now it’s “Get her out of here!?”

Riffin’ Without A Script At The Hospital

1-WHEELCHAIR GUY: WHERE ARE YOU TAKIN’ ME?!? YOU’RE GONNA GET ME ONE OF THOSE EUTHANASIA SHOTS, AREN’T YOU! YOU UNGRATEFUL LITTLE SH… SON: Don’t worry Dad. It’ll all be over soon.

2-TRACY STILL LOOKING CRISP AFTER A WEEK IN THE WAITING ROOM: I can’t take my hat or coat off because I haven’t bathed in over a week. ROCK: I know, I can smell you from here. I hate you Method Actors. You don’t have to live your role to perform it ya know.

3-DOCTOR: You’re the father of a beautiful baby boy!

TRACY: WHAT? My wife was shot doc. Are you telling me she was pregnant too??? We haven’t done ‘it’ in years! Something’s fishy here. ROCK!!!!

DOCTOR: Oh sorry Tracy. I can’t see a thing with these glasses. I thought you were somebody else. Anyway, your wife is fine.

ROCK: I wouldn’t worry about me ever being anyone’s father Tracy. TRACY: So you’re saying you’ve had a vasectomy?

ROCK: Sure. Let’s go with that…

Once again, comments better than the strip. Good to see Dicko show up in his titular strip finally so we could learn the inevitable about Tess. He’ll be back by the time we no longer isolate. And while binging the Rick James classics, don’t forget the 6-7 ultra classic years of King of Queens. Or for exercise, watch Rick and Ray Romano try to golf at Pebble Beach. Choices, choices, it’s a great country. Oh, and thanks again Neil for commenting on the obvious. Finally, to kill time, one should read the IDW spectacular reprints of Tracy to discover what “Gouldian” really means.

A couple of days ago, Shaky was telling Quiver that " Tracy is distracted" and not to worry about being busted for her scam…

Well, Tracy won’t be distracted anymore and will be “loaded for bear” regarding Shaky…

Remember when Tess was shot and Tracy didn’t initially pursue Shaky, Tracy said that he will attend to him later…

And that “later” has become “Now” !

While we were watching Shaky & Edison’s adventures, Johnny, Tracy, & the family were in the waiting room, eating the hospital food (unless it’s from Subway, don’t try this @ your hospital!) and navigating the obligatory maze to the restrooms. Did you REALLY want to see THAT?