The P.I.'s

Written By Max Allan Collins
Pencilled by Joe Staton
Inked By Terry Beatty
3-Issues, Color Comic Format
First Comics, 1985

When this three-issue miniseries originally came out, it was something of an event, marking, as it did, a major crossover between two independent comic book companies. Sure, that sort of thing is commonplace nowadays, but in '85, it was notable.

In this case, the story was a head-on collision between First Comics' diminuitive, near-sighted detective, Michael "Don't call me Mickey!" Mauser, and Renegade Press' hardboiled lady dick, Ms. "My name is Michael, too!" Tree, in a murder mystery set in the world of comics fandom.

Now, from the beginning, this miniseries seemed a tricky proposition. After all, P.I. Mauser was a supporting character in E-Man, a humorous adventure series about a sentient blob of stellar energy-turned-superhero (E-Man) and "its" exotic dancer girlfriend-with-superpowers (Nova Kane), while Ms. Tree – despite Collins' penchant for pun-nish names – was a relatively grounded crime series that dealt with such real-world issues as pedophile serial killers, abortion clinic bombings and underage porn stars. As a fan of both characters, I was dubious about their pairing, despite my admiration for all of the creative talents involved.

But I shouldn't have worried. Max Allan Collins (Road to Perdition) manages to construct a temporary shared milieu that's slightly more realistic than usual for the Mauser character, while slightly more fantastic than usual for Ms. Tree. In fact, while E-Man and Nova do make clever cameo appearances – in costume, even – they're never shown using their powers, nor are their powers even referred to.

The story deals with husband and wife comics fans who are accused of murdering a sleazy comics dealer. Mauser and Tree are hired to clear their clients, and, working together reluctantly, soon uncover the true murderer, a mysterious, costumed killer who takes his hobby just a bit too much to heart. It's not quite as serious as most of the mystery stories that appeared in Ms. Tree's own title, but it's fun.

Staton's pencils are great, as usual, with clear, straightforward layouts reminiscent of Johnny Craig. Terry Beatty's inks, though not as accomplished as they would later become, still demonstrate the clean, crisp line that is his trademark, and lend themselves particularly well to the coloring and production methods of the era. It's good stuff.

Upon re-reading this miniseries a couple weeks ago, I marveled at the realization that it had been over 20 years since The P.I.'s hit comic shop shelves. In many ways, it still seemed fresh, and its observations about the comic book field – and comics fandom, in particular – still quite relevant and perceptive.

Just goes to show you that quality work will always hold up, and that great work is timeless.

Five out of Six Bullets.