The Complete Dick Tracy – Volume 1

Clover Press/Library of American Comics; $59.99

When IDW Publishing rolled out the 9.5” x 7” first volume of The Complete Dick Tracy, it was the best treatment the strip had ever received. Black and white dailies, color Sundays, great articles for context. This went on for the first six volumes before their affiliate, Dean Mullaney’s Library of American Comics (LOAC), took over the project and increased the size to 11.5” x 8.5” beginning with Volume 7.

Over many years, we’ve been proven right repeatedly when Scoop said the LOAC books are the Gold Standard for comic strip reprints. They were and are like getting the best possible education in this aspect of pop culture history.

Now LOAC and Clover Press, after years of pent-up demand, are releasing the first six volumes in the larger 11.5” x 8.5” format. The first two have arrived already, and they are gorgeous. Once again, they have set a new benchmark for archival collections.

“The contents of these new editions will be exactly the same as the previous editions, with black and white dailies, Sundays, and all the same essays and interviews by Max Allan Collins. The first IDW volume included color scans of the pre-continuity Sundays, and we are happy to provide new color restorations for these stories!” LOAC said in their announcement, and the work is just superb.

According to their schedule, Volumes 3 and 4 will follow in November, and Volumes 5 and 6 will arrive in January 2024. I’ll be waiting for each of them.

– J.C. Vaughn