Last week, we left the criminal trio of Brains Baroni, Stiletto, and Bruiser scampering for the hills after being persuaded (just why we're not sure) that the champion of justice, Midnight had proven himself bulletproof.
Dave and Sniffer resume their debate over superlative crime-fighting methods even as they hop in the car to pursue Dave's would-be killers.
Unfortunately, our heroes are nearly-flattened when the fleeing thugs block the road with their sedan. With no time to brake, Sniffer is saved by another of Dave's last-minute-near-superhuman-heroics. Their car totalled, the latter-day paladins have naught recourse but to hoof it back to Dave's house...arguing all the way about whether Dave's "direct approach" was such a good idea after all.
When arrive home just in time to see Doc Wackey burst from his laboratory excitedly proclaiming the success of his latest invention: Solution Z.
The story then flashes forward a few days as both the heroes and villains are independently perusing the newspaper when they run across this audacious classified ad.
Brains Baroni claims (again, for reasons that don't really make sense), "Our troubles are over." Meanwhile, Dave notes (in his devil-may-care fashion), "Somebody else wants to kill me. I must be disappointing a lot of people just by staying alive." A suspiciously agreeable Sniffer Snoop merely replies, "Great detectives are bound to make enemies!" At this point the most annoying investigator proposes a toast to crime; because if there were no crime, there'd be no Midnight.
Instinctively suspicious of Sniffer's motives, Gabby rushes from the room to appraise Doc Wackey of the goings on. Moments after the magnificent monkey departs, we see this!
That's right, dear reader! Sniffer Snoop has drugged Midnight...but why?!
Sniffer dresses his unconscious host in the latter's signature fedora and domino mask before dragging him out to a waiting car and speeding out just before Wackey and Gabby are able to stop him. At a nearby pier, Sniffer makes his ultimate destination explicit.
Meanwhile, on a lonely darkened houseboat, Brains Baroni and company are awaiting the arrival of a "little guy" who claims to know how to find Midnight. Of course, it's only a moment before Sniffer and Hotfoot approach the houseboat in their little dinghy. Brains asks Sniffer if he's sure Midnight is dead, when the detective-turned-deceiver responds, "Oh yes--he's quite dead! He drank enough poison to kill an elephant!"
Stiletto is (apparently) dispatched to haul Midnight's corpse around the city so that "every gang leader in town" can certify the crime-fighter's demise. As he climbs down into the dinghy to commence his macabre mission, Sniffer peppers Brains for assurance that he will be receiving the agreed-upon compensation for this betrayal.
Unfortunately for Mr. Stiletto, Gabby and Wackey show up as he's about to leave...and they're itching for a fight!
Though they take out Stiletto, Midnight's would-be rescuers are easily subdued by his partners. Brains rejoices in showing off the dead Midnight to Wackey and Gabby. The distraught Wackey threatens to "get" Sniffer for his Brutus-like back-stab. However, upon turning to the lifeless form of his erstwhile savior, Wackey receives quite a shock!
Having picked up that there must be some sort of ruse in place, Wackey quickly changes his tune.
At this, our hero springs into action and takes out Bruiser using one of his signature (and anatomically and kinesthetically impossible maneuvers). Brains just sort of disappears from the final page. (I guess we're supposed to understand that somebody took him out.) Then we go into full-scale mad last-minute wrap up.
Dave and Sniffer resume their debate over superlative crime-fighting methods even as they hop in the car to pursue Dave's would-be killers.
Unfortunately, our heroes are nearly-flattened when the fleeing thugs block the road with their sedan. With no time to brake, Sniffer is saved by another of Dave's last-minute-near-superhuman-heroics. Their car totalled, the latter-day paladins have naught recourse but to hoof it back to Dave's house...arguing all the way about whether Dave's "direct approach" was such a good idea after all.
When arrive home just in time to see Doc Wackey burst from his laboratory excitedly proclaiming the success of his latest invention: Solution Z.
 |
| How enlightened of Wackey to be concerned about the sensitivities of guinea pigs. I gotta imagine that was pretty atypical in 1943. |
The story then flashes forward a few days as both the heroes and villains are independently perusing the newspaper when they run across this audacious classified ad.
Brains Baroni claims (again, for reasons that don't really make sense), "Our troubles are over." Meanwhile, Dave notes (in his devil-may-care fashion), "Somebody else wants to kill me. I must be disappointing a lot of people just by staying alive." A suspiciously agreeable Sniffer Snoop merely replies, "Great detectives are bound to make enemies!" At this point the most annoying investigator proposes a toast to crime; because if there were no crime, there'd be no Midnight.
Instinctively suspicious of Sniffer's motives, Gabby rushes from the room to appraise Doc Wackey of the goings on. Moments after the magnificent monkey departs, we see this!
Sniffer dresses his unconscious host in the latter's signature fedora and domino mask before dragging him out to a waiting car and speeding out just before Wackey and Gabby are able to stop him. At a nearby pier, Sniffer makes his ultimate destination explicit.
Meanwhile, on a lonely darkened houseboat, Brains Baroni and company are awaiting the arrival of a "little guy" who claims to know how to find Midnight. Of course, it's only a moment before Sniffer and Hotfoot approach the houseboat in their little dinghy. Brains asks Sniffer if he's sure Midnight is dead, when the detective-turned-deceiver responds, "Oh yes--he's quite dead! He drank enough poison to kill an elephant!"
Stiletto is (apparently) dispatched to haul Midnight's corpse around the city so that "every gang leader in town" can certify the crime-fighter's demise. As he climbs down into the dinghy to commence his macabre mission, Sniffer peppers Brains for assurance that he will be receiving the agreed-upon compensation for this betrayal.
Unfortunately for Mr. Stiletto, Gabby and Wackey show up as he's about to leave...and they're itching for a fight!
Though they take out Stiletto, Midnight's would-be rescuers are easily subdued by his partners. Brains rejoices in showing off the dead Midnight to Wackey and Gabby. The distraught Wackey threatens to "get" Sniffer for his Brutus-like back-stab. However, upon turning to the lifeless form of his erstwhile savior, Wackey receives quite a shock!
Having picked up that there must be some sort of ruse in place, Wackey quickly changes his tune.
 |
| Don't you kind of this this change of demeanor is a bit much? Ever hear of not arousing suspicion, Doc? |
At this, our hero springs into action and takes out Bruiser using one of his signature (and anatomically and kinesthetically impossible maneuvers). Brains just sort of disappears from the final page. (I guess we're supposed to understand that somebody took him out.) Then we go into full-scale mad last-minute wrap up.
 |
| Wow. Talk about your super-dysfunctional "family" dynamics |
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