From Booklist
When "Dick Tracy" creator Chester Gould retired in 1978 after drawing the comic strip for 46 years, Collins was the logical choice to replace him. The successful crime-fiction writer was also an experienced comics scripter and a Tracy fan. Upon assuming command, Collins immediately jettisoned the science-fiction trappings that had infected the strip in Gould's last years and revived classic characters from its heyday as well as introducing new ones, such as Angeltop, daughter of vintage villain Flattop, who fit with Gould's most famous creations. Modern sensibilities precluded reviving the violence and grotesquerie that were Gould hallmarks, so Collins instead injected fast-paced plotting and a new topicality. In another change for the better, longtime Gould assistant Rick Fletcher took over the artwork, bringing a contemporary look while remaining faithful to Gould's classic designs and compositions. Fletcher died in 1983, and Collins left the strip a decade later, after which "Tracy" reverted to mediocrity. Its temporary revivification can be savored again in this volume and the future collections Checker promises. Gordon Flagg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Michael Vance, Suspended Animation, May 28, 2004
...intricate, innovative, and entertaining plots, characterization and dialog. Dick Tracy: The Collins Casefiles is highly recommended.
Book Description
First of several volumes collecting Collins' masterful yet controversial 15-year run, including the stories "Angel Top's Last Stand," "Return of Haf-and Haf," and "Big Boy's Revenge."
Dick Tracy: The Collins Casefiles, Vol. 1 FROM THE PUBLISHER
Dick Tracy Debuted in American Newspapers in 1931, a Revolutionary Cops and Robbers Strip That Drew its Inspiration from the Mobdrenched Headlines of the Day. Hero Tracy had Joined the Police Force in the Wake of a Personal Tragedy and Set out to Settle the Score with an Endless String of Underworld Figures. Acclaimed Mystery Author Max Allan Collins Took over Scripting Duties on Dick Tracy from the Strip's Creator, Chester Gould, in 1978 and Began an 11-Year Run on the Strip that was at Once Faithful to the Original and as Innovative as had been the Original on its First Publication.
Rick Fletcher, Long Gould's Assistant, Took over the Drawing at the Same Time Collins did the Writing, and was an Able Heir to Gould's Style. Gould Maintained a Byline on the Strip Throughout the Period Contained Here, and Consulted with Collins and Fletcher on the Plot Direction. These Would Turn out to be Among the Last of the Dick Tracy Strips to Carry Gould's Imprimatur. They are Rich with Classic Villains, Resurrected by Collins from the Earliest Days of Dick Tracy's War on Crime to Wreak Havoc on the Latter Days of the 20th Century. And Dick Tracy is There, as Always, to Administer His Unique Brand of Justice.
Art & Photography
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