10 Things You Didn't Know About Newspaper Comics

By David Oxford /

7. Dick Tracy And Batman Share The Same Universe

Well, sort of. At the very least, it can be said that Chief of Detectives Dick Tracy lives in the same world as some form of Batman. After taking over the strip in 2011, Joe Staton and Mike Curtis have reinvigorated the Dick Tracy comic strip in numerous ways, including crossovers and guest appearances from names such as Scott Shaw!, George Takei, and Jerry "The King" Lawler, among others (including one we'll get to further up the list). In a recent storyline, however, the head of the Major Crimes Unit was able to add Batman to the list of famous names he shares a universe with. Though not explicitly stated, the creators of the strip strongly implied the connection by having longtime Tracy villain "Broadway" Bates reveal he has a similar-looking brother named Oswald in "another city," one where "cops don't wear masks and capes... and that blasted signal isn't in the sky!" Silhouettes of Oswald, of course, bear a striking resemblance to Gotham's own Penguin, to say nothing of another pointy-eared silhouette appearing behind Tracy. Broadway's girlfriend also references her friend, Harley, and her boss, "Mr. J." With any luck, perhaps a full-blown crossover between these two great detectives will arrive in the future.