Review: Dick Tracy Dead or Alive #2

The newest version of Dick Tracy from IDW sure is serious about keeping it in the family. Whether you are talking about the crime family Tracy is trying to crack in the comic or the creators, this is a family affair. Written by Lee and Michael Allred with color work by the always excellent Laura Allred, Dick Tracy, Dead or Alive is a love affair with the classic Chester Gould newspaper comic strip.

Let“s face it, you are buying this book for the art. Rich Tommaso“s (8 1/2 Ghosts, She Wolf) pencils, along with Michael and Laura“s inks and colors celebrate Dick Tracy“s distinctive style. They have managed to merge that style with their own in a way that brings in some modern touches. In other hands, you“d be worried that such a combination would be jarring.

Here they honor what makes it unique, but with color saturations that you would never be able to get with newsprint four-color processes. Laura Allred“s (Catwoman, Silver Surfer, IZombie) color treatment is spot on here. Tracy“s iconic yellow hat and coat have never looked so good. Nor have any of the classic villains that have shown so far.

Now that Dick Tracy has already taken down one crime family, a new boss has moved in to fill the vacuum. He is determined to get Tracy out-of-the-way. However, the corrupt cops are less inclined to cooperate since their bribe money has stopped flowing. The chief knows that this is only a temporary problem and is willing to put roadblocks in Tracy’s way until the graft returns.

Unfortunately the plotting and dialogue are the let down in this book. The plot seems to be moving at a snail“s pace. We are in the second book and we are just now seeing the elements that will put Tracy on the wrong side of the city corrupt police force. I get that this series is a tribute to Gould but in some cases they are following along too slavishly. Everyone who has seen a copy show on television or the movies knows how the bad cops set up the good one.

Similarly, there is a tendency to stick to the classic dialogue style of the 30s, but in some cases mix in modern expressions and idioms that make both the modern and old speech patterns sound clunky.

It is a shame, because both Lee (FF, Batman 66, Bug!) and Michael (Silver Surfer, Squirrel Girl, The Prisoner) have proven in the past what excellent writers they can be, when they gives themselves the freedom to break the rules. Much of this book seems like a writing exercise that has trapped these talented people.

Let“s hope they manage to weld the classic and modern together better soon. If they can just get out of their own way, this could well be a classic story to match the artwork of this comic. I was really hoping to like this book, which makes its failing all the more glaring to me.

[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]

Writers: Lee & Michael Allred
Pencils: Rich Tomasso
Inks: Michael Allred
Colors: Laura Allred
Publisher: IDW Publishing

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Andy Hall

Sent from the future by our Robot Ape overlords to preserve the timeline. Reading and writing about comics until the revolution comes. All hail the Orangutan Android Solar King!