l put off reading this final collection of Ms. Tree comics from Titan Comics because I knew that once I read this book, I would be done with the Ms. Tree series. I am so thankful for Titan for collecting this series, particularly since the original comics were published by four different companies - Eclipse, Aardvark-Vanheim, Renegade Press, and finally, DC Comics. I can't recall too many comics, if any, that managed to continue over the course of several decades through that many publishers. Most comics, when cancelled by one publisher, are rarely picked up by another - and even if by some chance they are, for it to then leave that publisher and go to a third and then to a fourth is nearly unheard of! Yet, the character of Ms. Tree persevered, which stands as a testimony to just how well-received and loved Max Allan Collins' and Terry Beatty's creation was, and still is, with fans.
Fallen Tree collects the final stories published by Renegade Press, including a short story that apppeared in a former collection of Mike Mist/Ms. Tree crossover tales. The stories are "New Year's Evil" (issue 35), "Like Father" (issues 37 - 40), "Coming of Rage" (issues 41-44), "Murder Cruise" (issues 45-48), "Music to Murder By" (from The Files of Ms. Tree, Volume Three), and "Fallen Tree" (issues 49-50). I had forgotten that as the Ms. Tree series progressed, it eventually contained less and less pages of Ms. Tree and included a number of reprint tales of Johnny Dynamite, a serial that I never did enjoy. I was thrilled when DC picked up the series and each issue featured a full length Ms. Tree story in full color. Yes, I enjoyed the serialized tales published by Eclipse, Aardvark, and Renegade, but getting an entire story in one sitting without having to wait months on end for the next issue to come out to continue reading the story (and let's face it, back in the day, the indy companies were not known for keeping a monthly or even a bi-monthly schedule very well). Thus, it was a pleasure to sit down with this collection and get to read these stories again in their entirety, without any delays between chapters.
The second story, "Like Father," finds Ms. Tree on yet another vendetta - this time, taking out a crazed crook who shoots Lt. Valer, and then hunting down the man (or woman) who murdered her own father. This story takes Ms. Tree back to her roots (no pun intended), as she must track down her father's killer, while also rebuilding her relationship with her younger sister. It's actually a rather touching story that reminds the reader that Ms. Tree is more than just a vigilante, and that she does have an emotional side to her when it comes to family and friends.
"Coming of Rage" once again turns the attention to Ms. Tree's adopted son, Mike Jr. This time, however, he's not in need of rescue. When she sends Mike to an exclusive, private school for the children of the wealthy elite, little does she know that Mike is going to meet and fall in love with a girl who is also the child of a killer - the daughter of Dominique Muerta! When two bumbling would-be kidnappers nab Mike and Lisa, unaware of who their parents are, it sets off an entire chain of events that read almost like a physical comedy - a story that brings these two families that have been sworn enemies for so long into a truce of sorts, all because of the Romeo/Juliet romance of the teenage children!
The next tale, "Murder Cruise," finds Ms. Tree working alongside private eye Mike Mist (from those famous "Minute Mist-eries") to solve the murder of a woman aboard the cruise ship they are sailing. Mist is there to do uncover the truth about a friend's death, while Ms. Tree and her employees are there for a vacation. Soon enough, a woman turns up death by a hit-and-run, Ms. Tree is nearly killed with poisoned wine, and an elderly woman who befriends them all may be at the center of all the violence! Collins tells this story in a way that each chapter is a day on the seven-day cruise.
The short story from The Files of Ms. Tree, "Music to Murder By," is an almost-full color, 14-page short story that showcases the combined talents of Mist and Tree, as they have to solve the murder of one of Mist's clients - a man in the music industry who has made any number of enemies because of his refusal to ever release a never-before heard album of songs from his old music group. It's a fun, quick read with Collins' typical twist at the end.
The final tale, "Fallen Tree," actually relates back to "Like Father," as a relative of one of Ms. Tree's many victims comes back for revenge - and very nearly succeeds! Ms. Tree is shot, left for dead, and must face down all of the people she has killed over the years while in hell, all the while her friends are praying the doctors can save her life. Ms. Tree gets unexpected help in the underworld, and just as the plug is about to be pulled, she awakens with a message for one of her friends - thus ending the initial 50-issue comic run of Ms. Tree.
While I truly enjoyed re-reading this series from beginning to end, it is a bit bittersweet, as I know that there are no more stories to be read. Yes, I do realize that these collection did not capture every Ms. Tree appearance. There was the three-issue crossover with Michael Mauser (from the E-Man comic by Joe Staton) called The P.I.s, published by First Comics; there was also Ms. Tree's appearance in the "Munden's Bar" back up story in First Comics' Grim Jack issue 11, published in 1985; and there was her appearance in the Word Warriors one-shot comic published by Literacy Volunteers of Chicago in 1987. There was also the one prose novel, Deadly Beloved, written by Collins and published by the Hard Case Crime series of novels. I was hoping that would have spawned a series of prose novels of my favorite female private eye, but alas, that was not meant to be.
Thus, I have once again reached the "end" of Ms. Tree, and sadly, if I want more of her exploits, I will hae to go back and re-read this same series yet again ... and again ... and again ... and again. If only Collins and Beatty would bring her back with new stories (hint! hint!)!
RATING: 10 borrowed sun hats out of 10 for hard-hitting, gritty, female P.I. action told with a twist of humor, a mix of emotion, and a whole lot of great storytelling!
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