Chester Gould (1900–1985)

There are some pretty decent storylines here, beginning with the conclusion of the Flattop Jr. story, where Flattop Jr. is haunted by the ghost of a young woman he had killed -- or is he tormented by a guilty conscience? There are some truly chilling sequences, as when a young girl is sneaking into a darkened walk-in freezer and feeling about for her favorite ice-cream bars, unaware of the frozen corpse of her father a few feet away. But there are segments that range from lame to truly show more offensive. The former is represented by a movement that Gould attempted to start within his strip toward crew cuts and dressing sharp among younger people. The latter is represented by one of Gould's most offensive stories, in which B.O. Plenty's 88-year-old father Morin Plenty shows up with a doting child-bride of perhaps 19. When she dies tragically, he apparently moves on toward grooming her twin sister as a replacement. The Dick Tracy stories have become a guilty pleasure for me, but I've always felt that Gould's elevated reputation among comic historians has been undeserved. show less

The newlyweds Dick Tracy and Tess have their house burned to the ground in a revenge attempt by Blowtop. Gould's plotting turns particularly grim as we see child characters (Junior and Sparkle Plenty) in near-death situations, and Tess gives birth to Bonny Braids after a near-invisible pregnancy. There is a particularly poignant (for this strip) moment where Tracy kneels at B.O. Plenty's hospital bed as he fights for life and calls upon the Lord to save him. Villains include Blowtop, T.V. show more Wiggles, Dr. Plain, and Crewy Lou. I still don't rank "Dick Tracy" among the great strips, but it was influential and popular and it's growing on me. show less

In the first story, Dick's estranged girlfriend Tess marries a former major-league pitcher, and of course the union ends tragically. Stooge Viller makes a re-appearance in a touching story that involves his young daughter, Binnie.And a particularly interesting crime couple makes their appearance: the midget Jerome Trohs and his gargantuan lover, Big Mama. I don't hold with all the praise this strip gets; I think the plotting and art are overrated. But take away the hype, and it is a pretty show more entertaining strip for a slow afternoon. Good junk food. show less

I've always considered "Dick Tracy" to be not nearly as good as its reputation. Gould's artwork is distinctive but only adequate, his characters tend to be less than three-dimensional, and his plots are simplistic, often outlandish, and much of a type, with a few themes that Gould rotates. Still, I have to respect Gould for the seminal influence and originality of his creation; he basically created the hardnosed, honest cop in a trenchcoat icon. Sam Spade would not have existed without him. show more And his stories are easy reads and addictive guilty fun. This book introduces most of the characters in the Dick Tracy universe, including Pat Patton, Tess Trueheart and Junior. This is the first in a series purported to print the complete series (good luck with that; it lasted decades). I applaud the effort, but there are many more deserving series. show less