In Seduction of the Innocent , Wertham wrote about clear or hidden violence , sex , drug use , and other adult topics in `` crime comics '' . Wertham used the words `` crime comics '' to mean popular comics about criminals and murder that were popular at that time . Seduction of the Innocent described overt or covert depictions of violence , sex , drug use , and other adult fare within `` crime comics '' -- a term Wertham used to describe not only the popular gangster\/murder-oriented titles of the time but also superhero and horror comics as well -- and asserted , based largely on undocumented anecdotes , that reading this material encouraged similar behavior in children .