Dick Tracy Monthly #20

Dell's Dick Tracy Monthly brings the square-jawed detective front and center in this August 1949 issue, subtitled "Dick Tracy and the Black Cat Mystery." The cover sets an intriguing scene: Tracy, in his signature yellow trenchcoat and green hat, studies a dazzling gemstone held up by a blonde woman in red, while a nervous-looking man in a plaid jacket clutches a black cat nearby — a wonderfully composed tableau that hints at jewels, secrets, and trouble. Promised as "all new — pictures and stories especially written and drawn for this magazine," it's a solid slice of late-1940s crime comics at its most entertaining.