Dick Tracy Forever / Z-View
Dick Tracy Forever is a four-issue mini-series and paperback published by IDW. .
- Writer: Michael Avon Oeming
- Artist: Michael Avon Oeming
- Colorist: Taki Soma
- Letterer: Shawn Lee
- Cover Artist: Michael Avon Oeming
*** Beware – spoilers may be found below ***
I was never a huge fan of Dick Tracy. I’d read some of the comic strips and had seen the Warren Beatty movie. I knew that Dick Tracy was a straightlaced cop who had an interesting gallery of weird-looking villains. Oh, and he had this really cool video watch! That was about the extent of it.
When I saw the preview cover of Dick Tracy Forever by Michael Oeming, I knew I had to give the series a go. I’m a fan of Oeming’s art and thought his take on Tracy would be interesting. Thankfully, I wasn’t wrong.
Oeming created interconnected stories featuring Dick Tracy through the years taking Tracy from the 1930’s to the future. The tales are fun and show Tracy as being more than just a straight-laced cop (although at the core, he is a law and order guy). I liked that his girlfriend/wife was more than just a damsel in distress. Oeming introduces a couple of new characters that deserve to stick around. Oh, and let’s not forget that cool video watch! I was already a fan of Oeming’s art, now we can add his writing as well.
Taki Soma’s coloring perfectly supports the story. Dick Tracy newspaper strips and comics were known for the coloring limitations of their time. Soma gives Dick Tracy Forever the feel of the old stories but adds shading and subtlety when needed (at times leaving the art black and white in support of the story).
I really liked Dick Tracy Forever but wondered if true Dick Tracy fans felt the same way. They do! Amazon and Comixology reviewers gave it nothing less than 4 of 5 stars. So if you don’t take my word, you can take theirs. 🙂
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