Oh, how I miss Ms. Tree. Michael Tree was probably the first hard-broiled, female detective that I ever "met," and when I first picked up issue 1 of Ms. Tree's Thrilling Detective Adventures at the Great Escape back in the early 1980s, I immediately fell in love with her. The art by Terry Beatty was so beautifully rendered, and the writing by Max Allan Collins was exceptional, drawing you into the story and making you really feel for the characters, as if you were actually right there with them. The stories usually had a dark twist to them, and the in most cases, it was the most unexpected, least likely characters who turned out to be the villains behind whatever crime Ms. Tree happened to be investigating. (And yes, I'm not ashamed to admit - it took me a bit before I caught onto the pun of her name - Ms. Tree = "mystery.") In any event, when her original series from Eclipse, then Aarvark-Vanheim, then Renegade Press ended with issue 50, I was extremely disappointed. Then, DC Comics picked it up, and it returned to full color stories! But sadly, that only lasted 10 issues before it was also cancelled back in 1993. Now, though, over 25 years later, Ms. Tree is finally back on the scene thanks to Titan Comics and their "Hard Case Crime" line of graphic novels, and I am getting the chance to re-read those wonderful stories and re-acquaint myself with the world of Ms. Tree.
Skeleton in the Closet is the second volume in this series of collected tales, and it not only features the rest of the DC Comics stories, but it features one of the earlier Renegade Press tales that ties directly into an issue of the DC run. While the first collection published by Titan featured an over-arching storyline involving Ms. Tree, the Muertas, and Ms. Tree's pregnancy, the stories in this second collection are not necessarily connected (other than the two Roger-centric tales), but are nonetheless some great reads. And, in true Ms.Tree-style, the stories feature some "pulled-from-the-headlines" tales.
The next two stories, "Skeleton in the Closet" and "Cry Rape" both focus on Ms. Tree's stepson, Mike. In the first story, Mike's homophobia takes the forefront, as his memories of a past story when he was kidnapped and forced to watch his friend sodomized and murdered come back to haunt him, triggering an anger in him that he did not know still existed. But who killed the publishers of "The Blade," a gay magazine known for outing people? In the second story, Mike is accused of raping a girl on campus, but he has no memory of the night. Did he actually do it, or is someone setting him up? Ms. Tree is on the case!
"Horror Hotel" was actually my favorite story in this collection. It is an off-beat tale, not your typical Ms. Tree fare! Ms. Tree is invited to spend the weekend in an old, supposedly haunted mansion, along with a parapsychologist, two mediums, and a man of the cloth to perform an exorcism, if necessary. What Ms. Tree doesn't know is that the press will also be present - the same rag that tagged her with the "Female Mike Hammer" line. But when the parapsychologist turns up dead ... and then Mr. Wicker, who organizes the event, is killed ... is it the ghosts that haunt the house, or is the monster someone more of the human variety? There are plenty of twists in this little mystery, making it a really great read!
The final two stories are connected - "Roger's Story" from the Renegade Press days (and republished here in its original duo-tone format), followed up by by "To Live and Die in Vietnam," takes a look into Roger's past when he served with Dan Green's brother in Vietnam. Roger made it back, but the rest of his troop - including Dan's brother, were left behind, presumed dead. But the past always has a way of coming back to haunt everyone in Ms. Tree's vicinity, and Roger (and Dan) are no different. In "Roger's Story," an old flame returns for Roger's help, but the secret she is hiding could get them both killed. "To Live and Die in Vietnam" follows up on the anger Dan harbors against Roger for leaving his brother behind, but a trip to Vietnam to uncover the truth about his brother's death leads to more than just a few surprises.
There is also a short prose story at the end of the collection, "Louise," which finds Ms. Tree tracking down a missing child who was abducted by her abusive father. Of course, she quickly learns that the truth is all a matter of perspective, and she does what she has to do to protect the child in a way only Ms. Tree can!
This second volume of the Ms. Tree collections finishes off the DC issues, and volume three will begin collecting the original run of Ms. Tree. I am really looking forward to future volumes and the opportunity to re-read this amazing run of stories. Max Allan Collins is a phenomenal mystery writer, his stories always providing just the right twist to keep you guessing. And Terry Beatty's art, while in some ways very simplistic, fits perfectly with Ms. Tree to create a unique style that no one could ever duplicate. That is why, despite how disappointed I am that we've had no new Ms. Tree comics for decades, I am happy that no other writer or artist has taken over and continued the series. Ms. Tree would just never been the same without Collins and Beatty at the helm.
RATING: 10 late night exorcisms out of 10 for reminding the world just how magnificent Ms. Tree really is!
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