Well, I am sure the title of the column got your attention! April marks two years since Mad Cave Studios, in my opinion, launched one of the best licensed comics: Dick Tracy. And, of course, that comes from the creative team, writers Alex Segura & Michael Moreci, and artist Geraldo Borges.
Fans may know Segura from his comics-noir novel Secret Identity, or Moreci from Vault’s Wasted Space, and Borges from his work over ot DC and Marvel. But, combined, they make Tracy something truly special. Tracy, a still-running comic strip, is fast approaching its hundredth year.
Licensed properties go back all the way to the start of the Golden Age, but over the last few years, there seems to be a boom from publishers, not only Mad Cave. In today’s marketplace, balancing being true to the core of a character with making it fresh for today’s readers is something Mad Cave gets right with Dick Tracy.
Now, it’s actually a fantastic time to get into the series, because next week, with issue 16, the series starts a new arc. That means you have to catch up on things before the bullets start flying again! And, catching up, because the series is that good.
Start with the first trade, collecting the first five issues, in which, post-WWII, a fresh, new detective, Tracy, gets dragged into the mystery of a terrible murder and a conspiracy that threatens everything important to Tracy. Lots of Tracy’s supporting cast get introduced, including Tess Truehart.
Tracy fans know from the comic strip that one day he marries Tess and has a daughter: Bonie Braids. In the Mad Cave, you get the slow burn, which is for a fan. You get to see their relationship evolve over the issues, knowing where it will lead one day. In the comic book, you can see that, as friends, there is a connection between them, and she acts as a safe harbor amid the chaos for Tracy as a detective.
And, don’t stop with that first volume! And really, once you’re done with it, volume two will be on your list. Yes, Volume 2 follows Tracy as he’s pulled straight from the fallout of the city’s gang war into a new case involving a string of grisly murders, shocking secrets, and a rising threat within the underworld. And, part of the fun is watching the relationship between Tess and Tracy get more interesting for fans and more serious for them.
I am going to let you in on a little secret: you can find Mad Cave on Global Comix. A lot of Mad Cave can be found there—including Dick Tracy. Feel free to sample Tracy over and globalComix. Then, get ready to add Dick Tracy as a regular pull at your comic shop next week.
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