A wave of crime has hit The City, leaving scores of victims in its wake and only one man, with his yellow jacket and cool watch, can stop it.  Your Major Spoilers review of Dick Tracy #1, awaits.

DICK TRACY #1

Writer: Alex Segura and Michael Moreci
Artist: Geraldo Borges
Colorist: Mark Englert
Letterer: Jim Campbell
Editor: Chas! Pangburn
Publisher: Mad Cave Studios
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: April 24th, 2024

Previously in Dick Tracy: In the aftermath of World War II, the country stands frozen–waiting for the next shoe to drop. In The City, a brutal murder draws the attention of rising star detective Dick Tracy,

AN URBAN JUNGLE

Dick Tracy #1 starts in a diner with a journalist meeting up with a city official, who is promising him a big scoop.  Their meeting is interrupted by a group of gunmen who open fire on everyone.  The next day the police are on the scene, trying to make sense of the massacre.  They’re then joined by Dick Tracy who has his theories about what went down.  He’s also introduced to the daughter of the slain city official, Tess, when she arrives on the scene.  Later on, Tracy speaks with the police chief who’s not as convinced that the murders are part of something bigger as Dick is.  Elsewhere Tess is going through her father’s office where she finds a lead but is interrupted by a pair of goons.  She manages to get away and heads to Dick Tracy.  The two of them then go to track down Tess’s lead.

THE FIRST VIOLENT AND DRY STEPS INTO A MYSTERY

Dick Tracy #1 doesn’t waste any time getting the reader right into the thick of things and it doesn’t lose this pace throughout the issue.  Surprisingly, it also manages to introduce a fair number of characters and story elements in a way that feels natural and sensical. The level of violence at the beginning was jarring to say the least, especially as it seems like an exception as the rest of the action in the issue pulls back to more of a PG-13 level as opposed to the R level that was there in the opening pages.  While this issue nails the pacing and plot, it drops the ball when it comes to giving its setting and characters a voice.  Being that this is set in the 1940s I was expecting something here to signify this.  But, other than a couple of shots of old cars and an awkward reference to The Marshall Plan, there’s not much here that sets this apart from something that would be set today.  This leaves this issue in a bland state that fails to utilize a major element of itself.  But, if you’re not too picky about your double-fisted noir action, you could do far worse than this.

LOOKING LIKE TOYS

Visually, Dick Tracy #1 has all the usual suspects when it comes to crime/noir comics.  There’s the heavy use of monochromatic backgrounds, a deliberate elimination of certain facial details, scratchy shading, and rain that nearly obscures everything else.  But every now and then things get up close and personal on the characters’ faces and things suddenly look very different.  The faces in this issue are plastic-like to the point where a few shots of Dick look like concept drawings of a Dick Tracy doll.

BOTTOM LINE: A DECENT CRIME STORY, BUT LACKS ANY PUNCH

When it comes to pacing, having a decent plot, and really capturing all the things you’d want in a crime/noir story, Dick Tracy #1 has you covered.  It’s just a shame that it stops there and doesn’t do anything to elevate it, especially when it could’ve been done by simply utilizing the setting and era the story is set in better, or at all.  I can see this being a great read for fans of the character, excited to see him back in print.  But if you don’t have any sentimental connection to the yellow trench coat, there are better options to get this kind of story.  3 out of 5 stars.

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Dick Tracy #1

60%

60%

He Didn't Even Use The Watch

Dick Tracy #1 is a mostly competent crime story, but it feels like a Dick Tracy story in name only. None of the familiar elements of the character or the universe he’s in are utilized here.

• Writing

  6
• Art

  6
• Coloring

  6
• User Ratings (0 Votes)
  0