Mystery Comics

Mystery Comics was a series of comic books published in the early 1940s. Unlike many of its contemporaries, the characters did not have any superhuman abilities or powers. The stories focused on ordinary people caught up in peculiar circumstances and were always solved by the end of the issue. Issue No. 32 contains your favorite case: "The Missing Branch." On her deathbed, an old woman reveals that she had a secret child and demands that all of its descendants share in her immense wealth. Her estate lawyers are perplexed: Who are these new beneficiaries? Their only clue is a note they found on her dresser: "Look closely at the family tree; all will become clear." With only minutes to go before the will reading, her son-in-law decides to take her note literally and uses a powerful magnifying glass to scour the illustrated family tree in her mansion's library, revealing the missing branch. The woman had secretly hired an artist who specialized in tiny illustrations to make sure they were included, despite her evil father's attempts to stop her. You know the story is a bit far-fetched, but you can't help but love it.