10 Comics That Broke All The Rules
4. Snowbirds Don't Fly (1971)
In 1971, Marvel Comics was bucking the rules of the industry in a story that didn't feature the CCA seal. DC, on the other hand, put out a revolutionary story explicitly attacking the growing drug counterculture with full approval and support of the CCA. Ironically, this rulebreaking story got a pass pre-publication, which was ironically made possible by Marvel's story.
"Snowbirds Don't Fly" was featured in the pages of Green Lantern/Green Arrow #85 and #86. The book's tone was set on the cover with a tagline, which read, "DC attacks youth's greatest problem... drugs!"
In the story, Green Arrow runs into muggers who shoot him with crossbows oddly loaded with his own arrows. When he tracks them down with the help of Green Lantern, they find that the muggers are junkies looking to get their next fix, but that wasn't the surprising detail of the group that shocked readers (who didn't pay attention to the cover).
Roy Harper, otherwise known as Speedy, Green Arrow's trusty sidekick, was caught red-handed, trying to shoot up heroin. Not only was a well-known superhero doing drugs, but he was a child to boot. The books dealt with the dangers of quitting drugs cold turkey, the reality of overdosing, and the warning that anyone could fall victim to becoming a drug addict.