Are Comic Books a Waste of Money?

Let me begin by stating that I am a comic book virgin. While I have never looked down at comic book readers, I have never been even remotely interested in comic books in my entire life. However, this weekend a friend took me to my very first visit to a comic book store. (I know, what planet am I from, right?)

Well . . .

Eight comic books and $50 later, and I was on my way home with a pile of colorful comic books and ready to dive into fantasy-land.

My comic book tastes were somewhat predictable, given that I grew up in the 1980s and had never read a comic book before this weekend. I snatched up two comic books on The Transformers, three Star Trek comic books and a Star Trek graphic novel, and some comic books on vampires for my wife (hoping to get one heck of a good eye roll out of the deal). I spent the next glorious hour immersed in my favorite fictional universes, Star Trek (both The Next Generation and The Original Series) and the Transformers universe.

Although it was not the same as seeing a new Star Trek movie or a new episode of The Transformers original television series, these were familiar characters that I loved, and it was good to see them again, even if it was in ink and paper instead of living color. I hadn't realized the extent to which my favorite fictional universes could still come alive for me as a thirty-something professional writer and former philosophy professor. For a single blessed hour, I was a kid again, cheering on my favorite robotic heroes and galactic explorers.

So there it is, folks. $50 spent on eight comic books and a total reading time of under two hours. What do you think? Are comic books a waste of money? You decide my fate as a geek and/or personal finance wannabe.