I wish my coffee table was clutter free. That way, I could leisurely flip through a few pages of the new (and anxiously awaited) issue of Tripwire Magazine and then casually toss it onto this coffee table. It could serve as a signal to all the important visitors to my home about my good taste and smart reading habits. And if I read a UK magazine, like Tripwire, with its fancy spelling of words like “endeavours”, it means I am smart, right? As it is, the coffee table is a bit cluttered lately, and we don’t seem to have as many heads-of-state and society icons dropping by as we used to.

Tripwire Magazine #63, the always-impressive labor of love from Joel Meadows and his merry gang, just appeared in my mailbox. It looks like so much fun. It’s a bit oversized for a magazine, by US standards, and the premium paper has a read weight to it. This issue’s striking cover admonishes and reminds readers that “Crime Does Pay”. It offers up a collection of illustrations from various series by creators Ed Brubaker & Sean Phillips.

As an aside – it might get lost in the sauce now – Crime Does Not Pay is both a nuanced and important phrase in the history of comics. Lev Gleason was the guy who published a best-selling comic with that title in the ‘50s. Even though the overt message was that crime wasn’t profitable in the end, – every kid and teen who ever picked up that one knew that Crime made for great stories. I still like to recco the book American Daredevil: Comics, Communism and the Battles of Lev Gleason by his grand-nephew, Brett Dakin. The Comics Journal reviewed it here.

They layout of this magazine lets everyone who holds it know that Tripwire is all about commanding a great deal of respect for the source material and showcasing it all in fresh and stylish ways. I also like that Joel Meadow’s design and layout uses my alma mater’s colors…but that’s just a “me” thing.

Some of my favorite parts of this issue include:

Criminal Endeavours – Senior editor Andrew Colman takes a deep dive into crime comics as a genre. He includes the usual suspects and sprinkles in some new ones, like DC’s The Shadow and one of my favorites, Nathanial Dusk by Don McGregor and Gene Colan.

Farewell to a True Comic Art Original – This segment focuses on the talented Michael Zulli, remembered for his lovely art on series like The Sandman and The Puma Bules.

Mad Cave Studios seems to be hitting all the right notes lately. Their Director of Marketing, Keith Davidsen, captivated us all at ComicsPRO in Pittsburgh earlier this year. This issues shines the spotlight on Mad Cave President, Mark Irwin, the new Editor-in-Chief, Mike Marts (he’s a great guy) and the CEO, Mark London.

• • • Of note, I really enjoyed the first issues of Mad Cave’s Sanction. Two detectives chase a serial killer in Leningrad. I have to make a point to search out the subsequent issues of this new series. And Dan Panosian’s cover (as usual) is simple but striking.

Crime Does Pay – And of course, the feature article is a deep dive into the entrepreneurial creativity of Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. It’s a must-read on so many levels.

101 Greatest Comics Artists of All Time – This issue’s installment is the final entry, listing – and elaborating on – artists who ranked from #20 to #1. You might not agree with the ranking (I change my mind every week it seems) but it’s a thoughtful celebration, nonetheless.

Ask your retailer to snag you a copy or visit their website here today!