Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for December 29, 2021

Observant. ✨

Neil called it! I checked back on that Dec 8th strip with the police lineup and Neil correctly surmised that ponytail lady was the Queen. Way to go, Neil!

Oh, nice! How did she pull off the “Uber Eats” dodge? Didn’t they check out her story?

1. Lizz’s eyes look like they’re popping out of her head.

2. The QOS’s hand is holding the orders differently today from yesterday.

3. Nighty night Lizz, pleasant dreams.

Good morning™, Undercover reporters !

Yay, Lizz. Where is she that she can be so easy and secure while potentially giving herself away ?  Is she staying at Patty’s known to the Apparatus address ?

And I thought it is a tattoo :)

I am really loving all of this detective work, disguise, and observation. I also love seeing Lizz take a major role in the story. I wouldn’t mind seeing Queenie and Lizz having a little tussle so that we could see Lizz use some of her legendary martial arts training.

Good morning™, everyone!

Well, she didn’t get to meet the Ace of Spades, which makes it more likely now that he won’t get caught at the end of this story, but it seems that the MCU have made some headway already with this undercover move.

and as I said, she isn’t wearing gloves when she handed that over. FINGER PRINT IT.

Two deep undercover ops at Apparatus HQ in the same month? Those card guys are slacking. They need a secret handshake or something.

Why would there still be bruising from handcuffs a day, or, two later in strip time, especially if they were put on with normal tightness?

First panel…wow her eyes look weird!

Yes, stick to this story line!!

1-DOLL: I didn’t know those glasses I had to wear for my disguise had 20/400 lenses! My eyes are permanently crossed now!

DT: Realism helps sell the disguise. You should know that.

2-DOLL: NOT IF I’M KNOCKING INTO WALLS AS A RESULT!

DT: Never mind – give us a description of who you talked to.

3-DOLL: Well, she was an African American woman – the “woman” part I’m guessing from the voice – who was wearing a tight black shirt with peach-colored sleeves. Or maybe NO shirt and just peach-colored sleeves and gloves. I dunno. I was blinded by the glasses.

DT: EXCELLENT! I think we can work with that. SAM! PUT OUT A BOLO FOR A MOSTLY NUDE AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMAN!

SAM: Can’t you be a little more specific?

DT: MAY BE WEARING PEACH-COLORED SLEEVES!

SAM: Good. That helps.

Handcuff bruises don’t prove anything since ponytail woman could have simply been a Bettie Page-style model for a gentlemen’s photography club. With the retro/modern timelessness of the Tracyverse that popular pastime of the 1950s-60s would fit right in just like from “The Rocketeer.” Heck, young adults these days are doing the same thing on various online platforms but the casual openness of it lacks that certain je ne sais quoi of the “nudge-nudge, wink-wink” all-analog, home darkroom type of private sessions.

Hmmm, you’re not supposed to cuff a perp so tightly they bruise – official doctrine. And always make sure you double lock the cuffs.

Of course, if the perp gets squirrely they can damage themselves.

Myself, I always offered “Take your pick, either we cuff you conventionally or if you’re going to be nasty about it I can cuff your right hand behind your back to your left ankle…”

Enlightened self interest wins every time.

Er, wouldn’t the voice have given the Queen of Spades away?

Handcuffs should not cause bruising. And maybe she’s just into bondage!

After her first undercover session, Lizz answers some of the questions I had yesterday (panel 1) and then (panel 2) raises questions about the blonde ponytail released after the raid possibly being the Queen of Spades (but I thought Tracy was pretty sure her alibi was good). And in panel 3 she explains why she suspects the Queen of Spades is one-and-the-same as the blonde released after initial raid on the the former Apparatus HQ by some keen observation of suspicious bruises on Queenie’s wrists.

How long will Lizz attempt to carry on her undercover operation? What more intel would she want to collect?

As they say Lizz is in there having infiltrated the Apparatus. But will her position as escort manager move her into the inner circle where Ace of Spades is?

If Lizz never saw the headquarters of the Apparatus, her “guides” must have led her through a maze.