Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for January 14, 2023

Good morning™, everyone!

Dekko has him totally fooled. If only he knew about that SCUBA diver looming in the distance! He may be having the time of his life, but I’m not sure his life has much time left in it.

“However long that might be.”

and soon, the coroner will have the time of his death…

Kripto! must charge a pretty penny for his services.

I mean, how good are you if you’re able to know just when and where your target will be!

Only in Tracyville!

Good morning™, beach bums !

I see an “undertow” about to happen. Pull him down, stun him, weapon or brute force, and then keep him there until he is fully ‘hydrated’.

You have to know that you don’t bring snorkel gear to a scuba fight.

Paul will pay with his life for the solitude. Then on second thought with this “me” time, he’ll get inspiration for future art projects. (wishful thinking on my part)

Kyrptonite must have gotten a generous sum from Art to vacation in Florida. Only difference his is the “working type”.

Spear me the trouble….

WAIT!!!

Before you knock off Paul (my bet’s no sooner than next Thursday, let’s milk this setup as long as possible) make sure he tells you how he keeps the sand off his towel!

Right, Art the flim flam man who’s running a massive con on the entire art world. No reason to distrust him at all, Paul.

That’s either the hit man Kriptonite or one of Fidel Castro’s communist agents here to destroy the American way of life !!!Bet you thought I was going to say another illegal alien trying to enter Florida from my previous comments this week !!!

……or he could escape the hit man and be the one who foils Dekko….

You’ll never have a better day than today.

Here comes the harpoon…

Well at least Dekko practices “Always Leave ‘em smilin’”

How soon before he gets the “point” of his trip here?!

You’re having the last time of your life

Ok, yes, this looks like a good day. But “the time of his life”? Really? The dude must have had a pretty shabby life if THIS is the best it’s been. Dekko is doing him a favor, sending Kripto to do a business call.

“Pheeleep an’ I, we airn ze extra monnaie by ze whacking of ze double-dealer. Weez our expertise of ze ocean, eet ees ze pairfeck craime.”

I like the way the suspense leading up to Paul’s demise has been building up. More effective and entertaining than having it all wrapped up in one day’s strip.

The time of his life is getting shorter!

better to use a re-breather unit than SCUBA, no tell tale air bubbles

So is he wearing contacts? Haven’t seen him wear his glasses sin he went to PC.

1-This couldn’t get any better! A private beach and some kind of invisible server who left a cocktail on my blanket for me. Tastes a little bitter though. Kind of like those bitter almonds I once ate for some reason…

2-KRIPTO MANIAC: Heh heh. Step 1, learn to SCUBA – check. Step 2, manage to get a cyanide laced cocktail onto Paul’s beach towel while he was underwater for 60 seconds without being seen AND without getting salt water in the drink – check. Step 3, hope he drinks something that mysteriously shows up on his beach towel – check. Step 4, wait around and confirm his demise – hmmm…maybe. I’m kinda bored…

I missed that rocky shoreline the past few times I was at Panama City Beach.

This segment of Paul in Panama City has gone on at least one day too long—at least to the point of “Paul on the beach” has gotten boring. Did we really need to see 3 panels of Paul getting a hotel room and three days of him swimming before the second panel today hints at action? This is what stretches stories out and allows the readers to get ahead of the writer in knowing what is coming. Is there anybody who didn’t know there would be an attempt on Paul’s life in Panama City?

I also know that when I start seeing so many two-panel days in a row, that the story is being stretched and drawn out. In my opinion, it wouldn’t hurt if the story were more concise.

When before did we see Dekko agree to Paul’s terms? We saw that Dekko lost his temperat Paul’s demands but I cannot find where Dekko agreed to these terms. I guess clarity of the plot takes a backseat to all of Paul’s vacation activities.

Poor guy is going to die drinking from a sippy cup.

Well Paul messed up just this once. Too bad dying is his lesson. No backsies.

Yeah, right, sucker! Think you were a tough guy and made Dekko the Gecko accept your terms?

Look to your right, big fool, and see the frogman sneaking up on you. Your day is darkening.

He who laughs last, laughs best….

Suspenseful music intensifies!

It was only in the 50s today in South Florida. No wonder the beach is empty… but I am a spoiled Florida teacher who thinks 50 is freezing while my Canadien neighbors (snow birds) are using the pool and enjoying the warm temperature to them !!!

It’s a 180 pound “sucker fish”,about to meet up with a shark.