Double Identity

Here’s a second full volume excursion for the dog detectives Bergman and McBoo, whose crime fighting adventures feature regularly in The Phoenix comic. It’s been over five years since Good Dog, Bad Dog, Book 1 and this time there’s just the one long story.  It features the same mean streets of Muttropolis where the bumbling heroes frequently fall over each other (and other people) in their attempt to unravel a humorously Raymond Chandleresque series of events, with more than nod to classic American film noir (see the caper’s title). This time the duo are called to investigate threats to the life of Sam Wiener, who, with his twin brother Jack, runs one of the biggest movie studios in Collie-wood. There follows a lot of snappy dialogue, a femme fatale chanteuse, an embarrassing slip up at a funeral, a giant red alien crab pursued by our heroes through the studio lot, a night club dust up, a car chase, a denouement at Sammy (Oscar) Awards night, and a lot of doggy punning on film titles and film star names (e.g. Michael Canine and Angelina Collie, star of Laura Crufts, Tomb Raider). Dave Shelton carries it off with wit and enthusiasm.