The critics say that this is the beginning of Chester Gould's greatest period, and they're probably right, although I disagree with them over just how great said period really was. But this book introduces some particularly intriguing characters, such as Mrs. Pruneface, 88 Keyes, Laffy, Flattop and Vitamin Flintheart. We have some wartime espionage here, and a story with a young underrage girl who falls for a criminal (near child-abuse here), and a particularly egregious lack of judgement by Tracy when he strafes a tool shack (pg 152) because the baddie he is tracking is probably holed up inside. And Mrs. Pruneface tries to get revenge on Tracy for the death of her husband in a particularly gruesome manner. ( )