Dick Tracy Monthly #22

This October 1949 Dell issue puts the square-jawed detective front and center in his signature yellow trenchcoat and green fedora, closing in on a frightened, heavyset suspect who's clearly running out of room — and excuses. A second figure lurks in the doorway behind Tracy, cards scattered on the floor adding a nice hint of shady dealings to the scene. Promising "all new pictures and stories especially written and drawn for this magazine," Dick Tracy Monthly #22 delivers the straightforward crime-busting energy that made this series a staple of 1949 newsstands.