Late this past March Mad Cave Studios released the latest collection of issues from its Dick Tracy comics series in a new deluxe hardcover edition in the form of Dick Tracy Volume 2. Released March 31, the 152-page collection includes Issues 6-10, which are at the base of the book’s engagement and entertainment, what with the story contained therein. The writing within the collection adds to the appeal established through the story. The bonus content included with the book puts the finishing touch to the presentation. It comes in the form of the series’ standalone Valentines Day special. Each item noted is important in its own way to the whole of the book. All things considered they make Dick Tracy Volume 2: Deluxe Edition a presentation that will appeal to most fans of this Mad Cave Studios series.
Dick Tracy Volume 2: Deluxe Edition, Mad Cave Studios’ recently released latest collection of issues from its hit comics series about the famed “Man in Yellow,” is a presentation that offers audiences plenty to appreciate, not the least of which being the main story herein. The story picks off where Volume 1 left off. The gang war that Tracy had to deal with in the series’ first five issues is over but now a new threat has emerged in the form of a new criminal known as “The Blank.” This infamous villain reaches all the way back to the earliest days of Dick Tracy in newspaper comic strips way back in the 1930s. “The Blank” is a “faceless” serial killer who is murdering some of the most heinous gangsters in Tracy’s city. One of those murders – that of Gary Hilliker – opens the story. He is found dead by one of his “clients,” Tony Vincente. As it turns out, Hilliker is a bookie and Tony was on his way to place a wager when he discovered Hilliker’s body, essentially mutilated.
The discovery is just the first, as two more murders are committed, each in similar fashion. The thing is that, as Dick learns from the medical examiner, each stabbing was committed with a different knife, leading to a nice brief red herring moment. The list of suspects grows along with the investigator, with even Dick’s own partner, Pat, being suspected by one of Dick’s fellow officers. This leads Dick’s girlfriend, the head strong reporter Tess Trueheart to have to talk to him. Speaking of Tess, she causes her own share of problems along the way, even being assaulted at one point by The Blank. The whole thing culminates in an epic showdown between Tracy and The Blank. Tracy and company are led to believe The Blank is dead, but as writers Alex Segura and Michael Moreci reveal, the villain is still alive and could show up again at some point. The Blank’s identity is even revealed in the finale. For those who have not read this series yet, the killer’s identity will not be revealed but a suspicion that Dick expressed during the investigation proved true about The Blank’s identity and he would never know. That much will be said. Overall, the story is a nice touch for this collection of Dick Tracy comics and reason enough for fans of the series to own the book.
Building on the appeal established through the story is the story’s general writing. As noted already, Segura and Moreci jump right into things here, with a grisly murder opening the tale, on a dark night no less. That in itself, the late night setting, the grisly murder, making the story open so solidly right off the bat is a prime example in itself of how much the writing does to make this story work.
As the story progresses, the pair’s use of red herrings, the twists and the turns and the general developments collectively make for so much for readers to appreciate, too. Readers will appreciate the use of those red herrings as they keep Dick (and readers) guessing. At one point, Dick’s own partner is suspected. In another moment, another “legitimate business owner” named Fangs is suspected. Heck, at yet another, even Breathless Mahoney is suspected. This little detail here is important because it is clearly Segura and Moreci paying homage to the Touchstone Pictures adaptation of Dick Tracy considering that (not to spoil anything) Breathless was in fact The Blank in that movie’s story. This is sure to put a smile on plenty of readers’ faces, that the duo would go that route. There is even suspicion surrounding another criminal at yet one more point; That is until it is revealed that he himself had been met with a surprising — and grisly in its own right — fate.
The twists and turns come as Dick receives updates from his medical examiner friend regarding how the victims died. From the use of differing blades (which led to the suspicion surrounding one suspect) to the investigation leading to the revelation that The Blank clearly had a certain intent in committing “his” crimes, to Tess causing her share of problems for Dick and the police and more, the twists and turns featured here ensure readers’ sustained engagement and entertainment.
As if all of this is not enough, there is one truly shocking turn of events as Dick and company close in on The Blank. The turn in question comes in the form of someone very close to Dick and all involved – the department’s chief. His shocking death goes to show just how demented The Blank is and the lows to which this vile, sadistic figure will sink. This turn is important not only for its shockingly violent nature but also because it serves as a key moment of character development for Tracy. It brings out another side of Tracy that is rarely shown. Considering that at one point, Tracy tells Breathless during the investigation that because of what he experienced in World War I, he learned not to show a lot of emotion, yet here he is really showing that pain, that anger, his reaction to the chief’s death is a great moment of character development. When this and the other items examined are considered together, they show even more clearly how important the writing is to this story. When all of that is considered along with the rest of the book’s writing, the whole therein leaves no doubt as to the importance of the book’s writing. When the writing is considered along with the book’s overall story, that entirety gives readers more than enough reason to take in this latest volume of Dick Tracy comics.
Putting the final touch to Dick Tracy Volume 2: Deluxe Edition is the bonus content. The bonus content, in this case, comes in the form of two Valentines Day stories, one involving a murder at a movie studio and another involving a cursed Valentines Day card. In the case of tie prior, it features Tracy investigating the murder of an actor named Jack Chance. Chance was murdered on the set of his latest picture after a scene he and his costar were doing went sour. He was gunned down by a cloaked assailant. As Dick and his partner, Pat, investigate, the movie’s director reveals a key item that leads to the eventual show down with the criminal and the perp’s arrest. Once the crime is solved, Tracy tells Pat that he has a commitment to keep, that being a Valentines Day date with Tess. This is important in that the whole Valentines Day thing is kept to a minimum here. The story is largely the familiar hard boiled crime and investigation. That ongoing issue of Tess having to wait for her detective boyfriend as usual is secondary.
Speaking of Tess having to constantly wait for Tracy, that plays into the second of the Valentines Day stories. When Tracy and Pat are investigating another crime, Tracy touches a Valentines Day card found amid a group of men found in an alleyway, which leads to him facing a demon of sorts, originally looking like Tess. The demon, looking like Tess, goes off on Tracy about having to constantly wait on him, not liking it. Tracy eventually defeats the evil figure and returns to the real world, to a happy ending with Tess. The happy ending in both seasonal standalone tales and the stories themselves are a nice final touch to the collection. When they are considered along with the main story and its writing, the whole therein makes Dick Tracy Volume 2: Deluxe Edition definitely a nice piece for any fan of this still young series from Mad Cave Studios.
Dick Tracy Volume 2: Deluxe Edition, the recently released collection of comics from the noted series from Mad Cave Studios, is a positive new offering from the comics publisher. Its appeal comes in part through its primary story, which is the complete five-issue arc involving the investigation into the killings by The Blank. The writing incorporated into the story adds to the appeal as it helps keep the story moving fluidly while also keeping readers engaged in general. The bonus Valentines Day stories included in the book put the finishing touch to the whole. Each item examined is important in its own way to the whole of the collection. All things considered they make Dick Tracy Volume 2: Deluxe Edition another welcome addition to the comics library of any of the series’ fans.
Dick Tracy Volume 2: Deluxe Edition is available now. More information on this and other titles from Mad Cave Studios is available at:
Website: https://madcavestudios.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MadCaveStudios
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MadCaveStudios