Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for September 08, 2021

Whoa, shamelessly exposing those forearms!

Good morning™, everyone!

It looks like the new Ace has potential to be a rogue operator who doesn’t follow the wishes of the Apparatus. That could be personally dangerous for him as he concentrates on creating a distraction to lure Tracy off his trail.

On the other side of the door, the shadowy council looks at the welcome cake they’re collectively holding, sigh and throw it away. As they walk away they wipe each others’ tears.

I’d be more worried about the King & Queen of Clubs muscling in on the time drone….

As someone said last week or so – the reveal had better be good!

Good morning™, wild cards !

Does throwing Tracy off the trail mean a story within a story ?  I can hardly wait !

Ace and Queen had better make sure there are no security cameras or microphones in that room.

“I’ll keep Tracy busy while I steal the drone, the huge building full of the equipment necessary to run the drone, and kidnap the scientists and technicians who are able to run the equipment. I’m sending him to Mars. With any luck I’ll be finished by the time he gets back.”

“I’m one of those people who has no friends. By the way, I poisoned your coffee”

Didn’t you read those last few panels? They’re no friends of mine…

Sorry, but the short sleeve shirt just isn’t working with the rest of the ensemble.

1-QUEEN OF TARTS: ♪♪♫ ME AND MY SHAAAAA-DOW. STROLLIN’ DOWN THE… ♪♪♫ HEY! Wanna see me make a rabbit on the wall? OH NO! I think I’m being shadowed by some gorgeous chick!

2-RATFACE: Pipe down, would ya? I’m thinkin’ here!

3-QUEEN: I’m tryin’ to get you to notice I cut the sleeves off my outfit. It’s so much more comfy and I think it’s cute!

RATFACE: Yeah, great. Maybe you can market it in the Middle East as the latest Burka fashion.

QUEEN: JERK!

RATFACE: HARLOT!

How is he smoking that stogie through his mask? That’s what I want to know!

“I found this giant spider, last time I was vacationing in the sewers. I call him Mr. Puffy Toes, and I shall hug him and love him. Then I’ll send him after Tracy.”

i’m hoping the drone finds Alley Oop

Just like the ladies back at the Mesa hideaway many years ago – I read the whole story in a reprint Blackstone comic magazine (the Dick Tracy series on the original hovercraft)!!

Stealing the Time Drone won’t be easy, – at least partly because it doesn’t exist in the present? Only the past?

We have a time fi story so this might be a good time to also look at some space fi, with a time element.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdTprDGoMN4

You have plans for Dick Tracy?

Gee,that’s funny.Dick Tracy has plans for you,too.But why am I bothering to tell you?

This guy’s plans are barely underway and he thi nks he can dodge both Dick Tracy and an angry,double-crossed Crime Syndicate at the same time.

Why do I feel the urge to go out in my backyard and dig this man’s grave in advance?

Looks like Ace has a pretty good grasp of what his relationship to the Apparatus truly is.

Why do I have a feeling Ace just traded his black jumpsuit for a red shirt? (Trekkies will get this reference.)

And Ace doesn’t know that Sam was made aware of him by his CI, Barney… And that Sam will share that info with Dick Tracy…

Around 1970-71,mostly as a party favor,Diet Smith invented something called “The Non-Violent Gun”.

These days,maybe we should take that invention a little more seriously.

If I remember right,it was a combination oil slick/anesthetic stopper.

Sure, why not say right out loud you’re working against the Apparatus while you’re in their headquarters, maybe being watched & listened to on video cameras & mics, talking to the Number 2 person in the outfit?

Ace and Queen of Spades are a pretty potent power couple. But, it gives one pause, who or where is the King of Spades? Did Ace whack him and leave him dead fish dead? Or should Ace be wary, watching his back all the time he dallies with Queenie? Time (or Time Drone) may or may not tell.

Meanwhile, both the Apparatus regulars and Dick Tracy should be on the qui vive as Ace develops his nefarious scheme….

..to watch a psychopathic sociopath’s mindframe processing..

I’m betting Diet Smith has a method similar to the remote control he used to send that Space Coupe on a one way trip to oblivion built into his Time Drone.

You’re right, in an organization like apparatus, friends don’t exist