Mad Cave’s Dick Tracy is where comic strip’s greatest detective comes back onto the leaflets. So how do you make an iconic character for a company’s audience? Follow the rules of reboots with a style for the medium. Because in a world full of your typical noir thrillers, showing off why this dick stands out is a must.
Slang For Detective
Dick Tracy barely needs an introduction, you’ll see him on a lot of strips and online. Since the 1930s, he’s been the bright image of crime’s unraveling. But America’s greatest detective is nothing without his supporting cast. Tess Trueheart is every bit Tracy’s equal in cases; but if anybody remembers this brand, it’s Tracy’s colorful rogues. Each with unique grotesque designs that are so memorable with personalities to match, they say more about Tracy than he does.
Mad Cave’s Dick Tracy: A Light In The Noir
Between Alex Segura and and Michael Moreci is a typical noir plot in contest with the title character. There’s a shootout, people get killed, and the officers pretty much leave it when a politician meets a journalist. Even the police chief’s not impressed by the brutality of it all. This is all just part of the course in these stories, especially since this takes place in 1945. The depression era and WWII might be over, but there are still scars.
Seeing Dick Tracy as this passionate ray of optimism feels refreshing for the reader. He holds himself high with confidence, despite coming back from the war. Most people (including minor characters) will wait for the usual bit that knocks the joy out of him. With odd gangsters like Flattop showing up, maybe there’s some big intrigue plot coming to do the job. But maybe, just maybe there doesn’t need to be an ending that involves getting jaded.
Contrast For Impact
Geraldo Borges and Mark Englert have plenty of surprises in Mad Cave’s Dick Tracy.
There’s a brutal look at what readers and Tracy are getting into. From the tilted perspective and red colors, the effect of a shootout alone is shocking. Adding the gangsters in black who have their backs to their handiwork, there’s a casual disregard for decency. Plus a blood splattered message shows that Englehart alone is working in sync with Jim Campbell’s lettering in the last page.
All of which is in contrast when readers first meet Tracy. Having a literal ray of sunshine over his shoulder that Tracy’s iconic yellow coat makes brings a sense of levity. To further that point, Campbell includes the cartoony title logo.
Will Mad Cave’s Dick Tracy Be Yours?
Mad Cave’s Dick Tracy makes a great start by showing off the timelessness of its title character. Tracy bright appearance and personality might look like something from a bygone era. But with rouges like Flattop and his partners matching the noir setting, having an aspirational icon around can challenge that mindset. Especially with characters who were way ahead of their time like Tess Trueheart by following Tracy’s example. So right now, this gets 8.5/10.
Thanks for coming to the end and as always remember to look between the panels.