Crime Does Not Pay

Last week, I read Next Men Premiere Edition Volume 1, which was classic science fiction as only John Byrne could do. This week, I finally read a book that I have been eagerly anticipating for months: CRIME DOES NOT PAY: BLACKJACKED AND PISTOL WHIPPED, edited/written by Charles Biro and Bob Wood; illustrated by Rudy Palais, Dick Briefer, Bob Montana, George Tuska and many more; published by Dark Horse.

I wanted to read Crime Does Not Pay (CDNP) because it is one of the most influential comic book series ever published. For those who don’t know, CDNP was the first crime comic ever published and at the height of its popularity it was outselling Superman by millions of issues per month. The trade paperback collects stories published between 1942 and 1948, and includes stories about high profile criminals such as Charles “Lucky” Luciano as well as lesser known criminals like the undertaker who cut off the heads of his clients and mounted them on his wall. All the stories are real and all of them are incredibly violent. EC Comics got blamed for the creation of the CCA, but CNDP was just as bad, if not worse.

The one thing that immediately jumps out at you in this book is the level of violence. It is incredible how much damage one person can do to another and Biro and gang weren’t shy about showing it on panel either. For example, a man smothers his mother with a pillow on one panel and then sets her on fire to cover up his crime in the second. Then there is the splash of a man with a bullet hole in his head dripping blood, not to mention the cover! By today’s standards the violence isn’t very graphic. There are plenty of scenes of violence but it isn’t like the graphic detail of Superboy ripping people’s arms off.

The stories themselves are entertaining as only true crime stories can be. If you thought life was simpler and people were nicer to each other back in the day, this book with disabuse you of that impression. This TPB contains 24 stories about people doing some truly mean and awful things to other people for nothing more than a whim. Biro keeps each story under 10 pages and makes sure to describe the most lurid aspects of each person’s crime. Luckily, as the title implies, crime does not pay and all the criminals are either sent to the electric chair or killed in a shoot out with the police.

Dark Horse is publishing Crime Does Not Pay in a couple of different formats. For the completist, there is a deluxe hardcover, a la the Masterworks or Archives format, for $50. But, those that really love true crime and just want to read the stories, Dark Horse has published a TPB for $20. But be warned: the TPB is 222 pages of real life violence that will surely corrupt your mind. Just like it did to all those innocent children so long ago. You’ve been warned! So, if you looking for some true crime stories this is the book for you.

- David Lee