Ms. Tree - Deadline (The Fourth Ms. Tree Graphic Novel)

Re-reading all of these Ms. Tree stories has reminded me just how much I truly enjoyed this series. I followed the book from the beginning at Eclipse, through its change in publishers to Aardvark-Vanaheim, then to Renegade Press, and finally to DC Comics, where her final stories were published (those were reprinted in the first two volumes of this graphic novel series from Titan).  I love the character, I love the art, I love the writing, I love the supporting cast, I love the stories - I love literally everything about this series (other than the fact that we are not getting any new stories!).  This collection of stories definitely reminded me of just how unafraid Collins and Beatty were to tackle some very adult, very topical subjects - such as child molesters, the porn industry, beauty pageant scandals, vigilante justice, and so much more.  While the style was very noir in a lot of ways, the stories were definitely dark and ripped straight from the headlines in many cases.  I think that's part of what I love about the character and the series - it was fictional, but it gave readers a true sense of justice that we many times don't get to see in the real world.

Ms. Tree: Deadline begins the stories from the Aardvark-Vanaheim run, but also throws in a couple of tales from the Renegade Press run (for reasons explained below).  Now one must realize that when I was first introduced to the character of Ms. Tree, it was in the first issue of Eclipse Comics' Ms. Tree's Thrilling Detective Adventures, which was a full-color comic featuring not only Ms. Tree, but also the Mike Mist Minute Mysteries and back-up stories of The Scythe (along with Frank Miller's detective pin-up centerfolds).  I had never read Ms. Tree's run in the Eclipse Magazine, which told of her marriage to Mike Tree, his murder, and her take-over of the detective agency.  Those chapter were in black-and-white, and since I missed that era, I was solely used to seeing Ms. Tree in full color.  Thus, when Collins and Beatty took the character over to Aardvark-Vanaheim, and the title switched from full color to what Collins called "duo-tone" (basically black and white with one extra color thrown in to highlight certain elements of the panels), it was a bit jarring for me.  However, that first issue published by Aardvark-Vanaheim (which was actually issue 10 of the ongoing series) was the perfect beginning to this new era for Ms. Tree.

Issue 10 begins the eight-part "Deadline" story, which was the perfect way to introduce readers to this new look to the series.  Not only was the first chapter aptly titled "Black and White and Red All Over" (a cute dig at the fact the book was not printed in black and white, with the first issues using red as the duotone color), but it also deals with a newspaper columnist who is intent on telling Ms. Tree's story - and ultimately snags her cooperation when he reveals the latest victim of the singles slasher was a witness ready to testify against Dominic Muerta!  (And, of course, anyone familiar with Ms. Tree knows the Muerta family is her life-long sworn enemy!)  The story takes Ms. Tree into an investigation into the singles slasher, to determine if the last victim's death was merely a copycat killing, or if there was another connection between him and the other victims.  The first two issues used red in the duotone process, but the third issue switched to blue, before returning to red for issue 13, containing the final two chapters of the "Deadline" tale.  Collins writes a fantastic murder mystery, and you have to really look close to pick up on the clues that lead to the identity of the killer (which is something I enjoy about Ms. Tree - not only do you get the written mystery, but you get the visual clues provided by Beatty's art that help lead you to the solution!).

Issues 14 and 15 tell the story of Lt. Rafe Valer's sister in "Skin Deep."  This one, although short (lasting only two issues, with four chapters), was a bit unique, in that we had Rafe coming to Ms. Tree for help, knowing full well her methods for getting things done - and perhaps, after all, that IS why he chose to go to her.  This tale somewhat mirrors the scandal that followed Vanessa Williams, who was crowned Miss America for 1984, when nude photos of her were released without her permission.  In Ms. Tree's story, Veronica Valer is being blackmailed with photos she had allowed a former boyfriend to take.  Needless to say, the ex-boyfriend turns up dead, and Ms. Tree has to not only find the killer, but track down those photos before Veronica's life is ruined forever.  These two issues also feature the first appearance of Harry Rynd, the publisher of King Leer men's magazine (who makes a few more appearances in the series).  These issues came out in December 1984 and January 1985, not long after the Williams' scandal broke, so even though the story is clearly taken from that real life situation, Collins weaves it into a wickedly good murder mystery.

The next two issues hit a bit closer to home for Ms. Tree, with the first "Runaway" story.  Ms. Tree is asked to track down a girl who ran away from home four years prior, but she turns it down, believing the trail is long cold.  But when her adopted son, Mike, runs away, she finds herself teaming up with a social worker, Glenn Harwood to try and find him (and also find the person who has been murdering young boys in the area).  The story is definitely one of the darker ones of Ms. Tree's career, dealing not only with runaway teens and the sometimes horrific consequences of those actions, but also with pedophilia, a topic few people really want to address.  But Collins and Beatty hold nothing back, which makes for a chilling read (and a loud cheer when Ms. Tree gives the rapist/killer the justice he deserves!).

Instead of continuing the stories sequentially, this collection jumps ahead to issues 32 through 34, which contains the six-chapter sequel to "Runaway," aptly titled "Runaway II."  In this sequel, a father asks Ms. Tree to help him find the person who killed his daughter - a runaway who turned to a life in porn.  It makes sense this story is collected her, as it sees the return of both Glenn Harwood (who is trying to convince a runaway-turned-pornstar to give up that life) and Harry Rynd of King Leer (who is actually helping the runaway-turned-pornstar start her own film company).  While not quite as dark as the first "Runaway" story, it does delve into the filthier side of the porn industry, including underage girls, drugs, and mob connections (let's remember, this is Ms. Tree, so the Muerta connections are never really that far away...).  These issues were originally published in 1986, which year also saw the release of the final report on the Attorney General's Commission on Pornography, which was allegedly researched and written for the purpose of determining "the nature, extent, and impact on society of pornography in the United States" and to recommend ways to contain the spread of pornography, "consistent with constitutional guarantees." (Attorney General's Commission on Pornography).  Thus, Collins and Beatty once again managed to tackle some very topical and timely issues with Ms. Tree

The final comic story reprinted in this collection is a two-chapter Mike Mist/Ms. Tree crossover titled "Death, Danger, and Diamonds."  Mist calls in Ms. Tree to help him track down the con-men who killed a woman he loved after she turned on them.  The case takes them to Hawaii, where they pose as a troubled married couple in order to trick the con-men (and their new female companion) into revealing themselves so Mist and Ms. Tree can take them down (and, of course, Ms. Tree doesn't just take them down, she takes them out!).  It's always fun to see these two characters interact, as Collins gives them a natural rapport that makes you smile as you read their banter.  This story is strictly black and white, having originally been published as a 3-D take in Ms. Tree 3-D (1985), and later reprinted without the 3-D in The Files of Ms. Tree, Volume 3 (1986).

I'm thoroughly enjoying re-reading these stories, and the only sad thing about it is that I know eventually all the Ms. Tree comics will be reprinted, and that will be the end.  I really, REALLY wish Collins and Beatty would get back together and put out some new Ms. Tree fare, as this character is just too great to fade into comic obscurity...

RATING:  10 unidentified bodies in the morgue out of 10 for continuing to share these classic tales of Ms. Tree with longtime fans and a new generation of readers who will, hopefully, keep her alive for a long time to come!