The biggest form of censorship in the industry is The Comic Book Code of Approval. The Comic Book Code of Approval was formed in the mid-fifties after the industry had been put under heavy strutiny by Dr. Fredric Wertham, who wrote "Seduction of the Innocent," a novel that accused comics of corrupting America's youth.
There are a lot of people who believe the Code was created by Congress to force various comic book companies to cut down on violence. In fact, the Code was created by comic book companies themselves, to run one of their major competitors out of business. William Gaines is arguably the best Publisher in comic book history. The Code was created to put him out of business.
Although the code was very important, there were a few brave men in both Marvel and DC that defied it. In the 70's, both Marvel and DC published controversial issues that went beyond the boundaries of the code. In The Amazing Spider-man, Harry Osborne, a close friend of Peter Parker, did drugs for several issues. Also, around the same time, it was revealed in Green Arrow that Arrow's side kick, Speedy, was a heroin addict.
As time went on, the code lost a great deal of it's power. Today, the code is only optional in an industry that has matured. In January of 1993 DC formed Vertigo. Vertigo, as many of you probably know, is directed towards adults. Vertigo began a new age in comics. An age that would soon lead to such companies as Image and Legend...both who do not use the code. Vertigo set the standards of the 90's. And those standards say, "We don't need the code anymore."
Currently, there are several mainstream DC titles that do not use the code. Lobo, The Spectre, and Book of Fate (I'm not actually sure about this one), among others. These titles are known for their creative freedom, and for their great stories. It seems that in today's industry, the code is no longer important.
But if that were true, then why is it that both DC and Marvel still refer to it? The reason that Marvel and DC still use the code is because there are many news stands in America that won't distribute a comic book that isn't code approved. That isn't the case everywhere, though.
The bookstore in the mall I go to now sells Image titles, a sign that things are changing. Once the news stands and bookstores of America can accept comics without the code, then the code will become useless and possibly even discarded.
There are also other forms of censorship. Although Vertigo doesn't use the code, DC does stamp a "Mature Readers" label on the cover of each title. Also, a lot of creators, such as John Byrne (Wonder Woman, Jack Kirby's Fourth World Saga, Next Men), puts a "Mature Readers" label on their creator owned titles, which is a surefire way to cut sales.
Do readers really care about a seal of approval? I don't. It shouldn't be the content that everyone bases their readership on, it should be the story itself. And sometimes in order to make the story realistic, the writer and artist have to step beyond the boundaries of the code, and go their own way. Some of the best stories are the best because they lack the code. They're good because they go all out, and are not held back.
In a just industry, there would be no code. There would be nothing to hold the writer back from giving his or her all. Maybe a "Mature Readers" label is necessary sometimes. Maybe the code can be a good thing. There are many parents out there who use the code to buy comics for their children.
In the end, it should be your choice as to what you prefer. Both a code or a non-code book can be entertaining, and before you decide that anything that isn't code approved has to be evil, maybe you should read a few Legend titles (such as Next Men, Hellboy, Concrete), or buy some Vertigo books, like Preacher (but only if you don't mind a little gore and swear words). The Spectre is one of DC's most popular titles, and as stated earlier, isn't a code book.
It's titles like these that show that the Code isn't necessary anymore. Titles like Starman, Preacher, Hitman, and Lobo. If you want an interesting reading experience, buy some books that aren't approved buy the Code. You'll be in for a ride.