People love crime. They can deny it all they want, but it clearly does pay. Just look at all of the real crime shows that span the broadcast (and streaming) spectrum. Look at the popularity of the world’s greatest detective, Sherlock Holmes to this day, that of Batman, and even the man in yellow, Dick Tracy. They are proof positive that crime does in fact pay…in a manner of speaking. Later this month, as a matter of fact, comics studio Mad Cave Studios will bring a new Dick Tracy graphic novel to audiences in the form of Dick Tracy Vol. 1. Set for release Dec. 17, the forthcoming collection culls the first five issues of the recently launched series in one complete package. The story contained within its 130 pages is not the Dick Tracy that everyone remembers from the big screen from years ago, but still finds Tracy facing off against the same gangsters made popular by that movie and by the original comics series so many ages ago. It will be discussed shortly. The transitions used within the story help to keep it moving fluidly and will be discussed a little later. The story’s art rounds out its most important elements and will also be examined later. Each item noted is important in its own way to the whole of the novel. All things considered they make Dick Tracy Vol. 1 a great start to this resurrection of one of the world’s greatest detectives.
Dick Tracy Vol. 1, the new forthcoming graphic novel from Mad Cave Studios, is an impressive new offering is a great way to introduce a whole new generation of audiences to one of the world’s greatest literary detectives. That is due in no small part to its story. The story here is a pretty straight forward presentation. It follows Tracy as he investigates the murders of politician Emil Trueheart and reporter Langdon Marsh and how the murders tied into a scheme that involved corruption at every level in Tracy’s city (which is unnamed throughout the story), from Emil’s fellow elected leaders to crooked cops and more. On a side note, it just so happens that Trueheart’s daughter, Tess, has been Tracy’s love interest for decades in the original comics, though here at least, there is no sign of that as the two have only gotten to know each other. That is not to say that this is an origin story though writers Alex Segura and Michael Moreci do provide audiences with occasional glimpses into Tracy’s past as a soldier and how it molded him into the hard boiled detective that is presented here. Getting back on the subject at hand, the scheme involves the construction of a gated community for the well-to-do in the city that allegedly was being funded through an illegal drug operation. In an effort to cover it all up, everyone’s favorite villain, Big Boy Caprice, has his henchman, Flattop, off anyone who could uncover everything and blow the lid off of it all. That includes other gangsters.
The whole thing is not the Dick Tracy comics of old. It is not necessarily the family friendly property of another era. It is far darker and more violent, as a heads up for older readers. That aside, the story is a classic crime thriller/drama that will appeal to older readers who grew up with the movie from Buena Vista and even the old cartoon series that ran from 1961-1962 largely because of the familiarity of the story and its characters.
While the story featured in this graphic novel is sure to keep readers engaged and entertained, it is just part of what will keep audiences reading. The transitions within and between chapters do just as much to keep audiences’ attention as the story. Within the chapters, readers will note the subtlety in the transitions. Segura and Moreci are to be commended on the simple approach of using text boxes and scene changes to let readers know the scenes have changed. It is not one of those right in your face approaches nor is it some badly executed approach. Everything is done expertly with the transitions. The same applies to the chapter break transitions. The Segura and Moreci ensure each chapter ends and begins in straight forward fashion. There are no loose ends left at any chapter’s end and the chapters open with a clear connection back to the previous chapters. Simply put, the transitions are handled expertly throughout this story that sets the stage for the war that is to come between Tracy, Big Boy Caprice, and his minions. Now to some, this may seem like small potatoes so to speak but transitions can and do actually make or break stories, not just in graphic novels but in novels, too. If authors and writers just jump around, it can make a story completely unreadable. Segura and Moreci did not do this. They made the whole thing progress fluidly from beginning to end. Keeping that in mind, the transitions within this story prove just as pivotal to the collection’s presentation as the story itself.
Knowing how much the story and transitions do for the whole of Dick Tracy Vol. 1, there is still one more item to examine, that being its art. Handled by the team of artist Geraldo Borges, colorist Mark Englert, and letterer Jim Campbell, the art exhibited throughout the novel’s pages is stunning. One could actually argue that to a point, Borges work bears an influence of that in Frank Miller’s famed graphic novel, Sin City. At other times, readers can also make comparisons to work he did on Marvel’s X-Men series and the Dynamite series, Project Superpowers. Blending those influences here, Borges has crafted a unique look for Dick Tracy while Englert adds to that touch with his coloring. Campbell meanwhile gives the dialogue and sound effects a vintage look all its own that is just as appealing as the primary art and coloring that is just as certain to appeal to audiences. Keeping in mind the impact of the trio’s work, the whole therein makes for a full visual appeal that expertly compliments the appeal of the story and its transitions. When all three elements are combined, the whole makes Dick Tracy Vol. 1 a great jumping on point for this resurrection of one of the world’s greatest literary detectives.
Dick Tracy Vol. 1 is a wonderful rebirth of sorts for the famed man in yellow and his campaign against crime in his city. Its success comes in part through its featured story, which thankfully is just not another origin story. Rather, it is a story that brings back so many familiar figures from Tracy’s earliest days way back in the 1930s. Though there is a bit of back story which is handled quite surprisingly well even with its inclusion in the main story. The transitions used throughout the story both in and between the chapters keep the story moving fluidly and in turn easy to follow, making for even more appeal. The novel’s art puts the finishing touch to the whole as it gives the presentation a unique identity even with its influences on display. Each item examined here is important in its own way to the whole of Dick Tracy Vol. 1. All things considered they make Dick Tracy Vol. 1 a wonderful way to bring one of the greatest literary detectives back to life for a whole new generation.
Dick Tracy Vol. 1 is scheduled for release Dec. 17 through Mad Cave Studios. More information on this and other titles from Mad Cave Studios is available at:
Website: https://madcavestudios.com
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Twitter: https://twitter.com/MadCaveStudios
