Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for January 18, 2020

I hope they got the tag # on that getaway car.

Good morning™, eggheads!

We’ll get him next time. Meanwhile, Ralph not only lost his favourite gun, he also lost his job in the gang. Well, at least nobody shot him.

Good morning™, about to die, used up goons !

He should be relieved they have gotten away but has the look of a guy who has reached the end of the line which causes me to suspect disposability in the eyes of Robo.

Roboto is turning into one of the more interesting Tracy villains. I hope this isn’t the last story arc we see him in.

It looks like the gang members have not seen the face of Mr. Roboto but they know his hideout. It is about time for Mr. Roboto to move to a new safe house

Presumably, Tracy & Co will have more egg on their faces once they take statements and learn how they were duped. Still, even if Roboto doesn’t use Ralph again, the cops know what he looks like, which might help in tracking down the gang. Did they take photos?

“And since that the cops have seen your face, you’re a liability. So long, Ralph. It was nice knowing you.”

BLAM! BLAM!

Looks like a easy and out-of-the-gang moment!!! Better leave town or die!!!

“Gee Sam, how do you think that hostage guy is doing? Sure hope he’s doing ok. Seems like a nice fellah. Wish we could have helped him, but what are you gonna do?”

Not sure why he can’t use Ralph again if he’s wearing a mask, next time Johnson gets to be the hostage.

Lemme guess – it’s a ten-cent bonus, in full metal jacket…

Is anyone else thinking the mask is from Mysta’s play, and she’s going to be the one who gives the clue to his identity?

This has probably been mentioned before, but I’m wondering if Roboto might be Blackjack, hiding under a new gimmick. Robbing a payday lender fits in with Blackjack’s M.O. of robbing those he thinks deserve it, and Roboto seems to share Blackjack’s wacky sense of honor.

But now the thing that really has me curious is what’s with Roboto’s getaway driver? The hat looks an awful lot like Wendy Witchell’s, but I can’t really see her as a henchman.

1-SAM: There they go. DT: I wish there was some way we could know where they were going…

*2-…Good luck hostage. We did all we could do. Let’s go men. It looks like the Halloween Hooligan is going back to Tracyville. Maybe we’ll catch a break and they’ll run out of gas on the way. That’s our only hope. Tomorrow – everybody show-up at the shooting range for practice! The only thing you hit today was glass and the security guard.

SAM: It was me! I got the guard!

3-KABUKI: Crying was a nice touch Knuckles. Really sold it. I think we need to go all in now and kill you.

KNUCKLES: Wait! I’m putting my mask back on. See! I’m not a hostage now!

KABUKI: Sorry Knuckles. Every cause needs a martyr. VIVA LA HALLOWEEN!

The bank clerk will show up looking for a cut.

Ralph’s bonus: 270 grams of lead?

RALPH: Oh boy, how much bonus?

ROBOTO: Twenty percent of the take from the robbery!

RALPH: Wow! Hey wait, we didn’t take any money!! grumble

Now, see, this is where the current team appears to have no concept or “feel” for traditional Dick Tracy. Even given that in this situation, they might not have been allowed by current police procedure to fire on the crooks, after Roboto and his “hostage” escaped, Chester Gould would have had Tracy and Sam going over the crime scene for clues. One of the crooks would have dropped something (a slip of parer, receipt for yesterday’s lunch, say, or maybe a footprint where one of them stepped in a substance which would identify the location of their hideout, or fingerprints on those spent shell casings – something!) But here we get yet another “Oh well, they’ll strike again someday” which is just not how Tracy used to act.

I’ll boldly guess that Ralph’s last name is Byrd.

Now if the hostage had been an Arab or a Mexican…

Thug #2 now has a name, Ralph, but not a job. Might he flip and snitch on Roboto in his frustration? And where’s his new gift shotgun, Mr. Roboto?

The robbery business is not what it used to be. And now Mr. Roboto needs to recruit a new “thug #2” to complete his team.

Maybe the Very Polite Cashier would be interested in a less sedentary job with a polite Robin Hood….

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KN7SMrbrVc