Review: ‘Dick Tracy Veteran’s Day Special’ Haunts The Detective
by Benjamin Hall
Summary
Dick Tracy’s past as a soldier during World War 2 sees exploration in this special issue. Readers will get some answers as to why the war haunts Tracy in two tales. Yet, will his makeshift family be able to help Tracy with the mental issues stemming from these horrors? Also can Tracy protect a film crew during a mission during the war?
Overall
9/10There are two stories in this issue, and they differ in depicting the effects of war. Nevertheless, both narratives have the same title character as well as the skills of letterer Patrick Brosseau. The first story is by writers Alex Segura, Michael Moreci, and Chantelle Aimée Osman, artist Craig Cermak, and colorist Mark Englert. The rest of the second creative team includes writer Keir Graff, artist Francesco Scimonelli, and colorist Marissa Louise. It is worth mentioning that artist Geraldo Borges and Englert are responsible for cover A’s creation. As for cover B, it is the work of Scimonelli.
“The Parade” is the first story’s title, and it is a bit of a misnomer since the parade has little to do with the actual plot. Yet, the event is the starting point for the plot, and there are enough pages displaying it, so the title is not a complete misnomer. When it comes to the art, Cermak shows confidence with the thin line work. Not to mention that Cermak draws the characters in a manner that evokes the idea of movie stars of the 1940s and 1950s. While Englert provides an appropriate range of hues to each page.
The second narrative, “Bridge on the River Why” seems to be a satirical yet realistic take on war. Specifically how Hollywood tries to glamorize war while not understanding how horrific it always is. Obviously, the title is a play on the movie “The Bridge on the River Kawai” (1957). While the creative team is doing satire, they are leaning more on the realism in the telling. Arguably, they create a vignette that will please fans of writer Robert Kanigher, artist Joe Kubert, plus writer and artist Jack Kirby.
Unfortunately, the two scripts may bring to mind other popular movies or books featuring war to the point that both tales may feel derivative. Thus, readers may fail to connect the first title with a certain command, and the other may not play as biting commentary.
The covers are both high quality in execution and design. However, cover B by Scimonelli is definitely more original than Borges and Englert’s cover A.
Dick Tracy Veteran’s Day Special is released on 11th November from Mad Cave Studios.
