Crime comics began in the late 1940s, around the time that film noir movies were spinning tales of complex crimes and tough detectives. The comic genre tells stories about petty thieves up to crime bosses and the investigators who attempt to stop their illegal activities. Real crime stories have been adapted in crime comics, some feature femme fatales, and they are filled with red herrings and misdirection. Since their inception, crime comics have pushed boundaries with tales about people who have no respect for laws and some who are downright evil.

The crime genre has long-held its own chart in The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide. Publisher Robert M. Overstreet analyzes crime comics to determine which issues are the most valuable, then reports his findings with a top 10 list in each edition of the Guide. Below is the list of the Top 10 Crime Comics as reported over 20 years ago in 2005’s the Guide #35.

#1 – Crime Does Not Pay #22 – $3,400
#2 – True Crime Comics #2 – $1,900
#3 – Crime Does Not Pay #23 – $1,750
#4 – Crimes by Women #1 – $1,600
#5 – The Killers #1 – $1,400
#5 – True Crime Comics #3 – $1,400
#7 – Crime Does Not Pay #24 – $1,375
#8 – True Crime Comics #4  – $1,225
#9 – The Killers #2 – $1,150
#10 – Crime Smashers #1 – $1,125