Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for April 16, 2022

“So, this headliner gig. What’s the financial end like?”

Good morning™, everybody!

Dot has doubts about the sketchy meeting place, but as many of us figured, it was too late to do anything about them by the time she realized. Matt continues inside unabated, trusting the message that “Mr. Moka” left with Vitamin.

The quotation marks around “Tonsils,” when Coffyhead says it, prove that he knows that “Tonsils” is not Matt’s real name, for any reader who was wondering about that. He takes particular interest in Matt’s girlfriend, Dot, which puts Dot into danger right away.

Very nice balance between white and solid black in today’s strip!

Less ‘Tonsils’ and more ‘Breathless’ … ✨

Elsewhere …

A strategically dropped scarf for Tracy to find after Coffy has made off with the abducted duo!

Good morning™, predictably boring replays !

Oh well, at least we get really fab graphics. :-)  I doubt Coffy would take Tonsils agreeing to go back into business. He doesn’t want to waste a good angry.

Curtis jolted his plot skillfully forward yesterday and today. Pleger’s twilight graphics are awesome. Tracy’s jazzed-up rendezvous with Coffeehead looks to be a dangerous one…

What really doesn’t make a whole lot of sense is Coffeehead’s REASON for what…being willing to commit murder? He wasn’t ripped off in a drug deal or anything…..the guy just got out of the business……so you find someone else, that’s all.

“Mr. Moka”…“Coffyhead”…oh, how could I be so naive! -“Tonsils”

Coffyhead’s brain is perculating with bad ideas for the pair!

Tonsils: “That’s not my squeeze. She’s just some tomato.”

You arrive at a dark building that has been closed for years (see yesterday’s strip before you say, “But maybe it was just closed yesterday!”). You have been told you are to meet someone at a building being renovated as an upscale night club. No sign of renovation at this derelict, seedy diner. No sign of lights. Do you enter the dark and abandoned building?

I don’t. “Maybe copied the address wrong. This sure as heck isn’t the place described.”

GASP! Never saw this coming! ;) Looks as if things’ll percolate from now on and come to a boil!

Good thing he brought girl to fight them off.

T/M: “So, do I get the gig?”

Will we see a modern twist here? Instead of being the helpless maiden, watching her boyfriend get beaten up (worse?) let Dot go all Natasha Romanoff on them. (minus the black outfit, unfortunately.)

squeeze?

My cast has been removed. I am now allowed to start putting my full weight on my leg as I can tolerate. I have been given an order for physical therapy to regain the 15% range of motion I have lost from being inactive for 6 months and having the leg kept in one position for that amount of time. But I am beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I want to thank everyone here for all of your support during my infirmary.

The wonders of desktop publishing…that brochure Vitamin had in his hand yesterday made it seem like the club was ready for action.

What choices will Coffeyhead give Tonsils…either go back into the drug business or he will kill off him and Dot. Cannot leave any witnesses around.

Did someone leave a door unlocked? How did Tonsils and Dot get in there? What’s this you got Matt, the eye of a cat? No flashlight in your hand…oh I get it…you and Dot are relying on the light of the silvery moon.

What Neil Wick said does it for me!

I wonder if Coffyhead planned on committing his crime in front of a (seemingly) major local celebrity. She’s going to really complicate things for him.

Lights, camera and FINALLY SOME ACTION!

1-DOT DASH: I’m frightened, Astro Tonsils. ASTRO: No worries. I’ve got my hands squeezed into … what’s that fighting term…fistulas?

2-COFFEE HEAD: ALLOW ME TO DEMONSTRATE! ASTRO: OOF.

3-COFFEE: And now for the rest of my nefarious plan.

DOT: WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO TO THIS GUY I DON’T KNOW AND DON’T CARE ABOUT WHATVEVER HAPPENS TO HIM AND WOULD THEREFORE NEVER TELL ANYONE ABOUT IT?

COFFEE: You didn’t feed the barracudas in the tank did you, Uber? UBER: No boss.

COFFEE: And you got the lighter fluid? And do you have matches? UBER: Yeah. Your face and my ass. Oh. And the burning kind.

COFFEE: Excellent! Let’s finish recreating this old story then! OK “Tonsils”. Firstly – Here’s a gun. Shoot Tracy in the head when he gets here. THEN we’ll get on with the rest of it…

Things are suddenly progressing quickly here.

It also looks like we are getting down to addressing everyone’s ‘made-up names’.

I’m quite surprised that no one has picked up that Tonsils’ left eye appears normal in p3 as if the punch dislodge the fake eye.

Not good! I hope Tonsils 2.0 is packing more than that little switchblade. Never take a knife to a gun fight they say.

I’m really starting to like Coffeehead.

I saw the eye difference, just thought it was another of the many inconsistencies. BTW, it’s a “dumb victim” story so far.

….no, Dot, he WASN’T sure………..

Boy, this club is sure a tough room to play.

Well, now the [stuff] has hit the fan, as Coffyhead has hit “Tonsils” and is now holding him and squeeze Dot View at gunpoint, with his flunky Luigi as back-up. The pace has gained momentum, and the dark venue at 8th and College may again become a showdown scene.

Actually, having re-viewed much of this story, I find it quite engrossing and well-paced. The Matt and Dot romance even “works” IMO when read as a whole….

Calling Dick Tracy!

Catching up after a few days’ absence, I’m struck by the third panel’s similarity in composition to its counterpart in yesterday’s strip. A nice underscoring of the parallels between Vitamin’s bad memories of the Ajax and our current potboiler.