Comic books, it seems, have never found favor with teachers and parents who would prefer youngsters to read “proper” books – those with lots of words.

However, if you dare ask your parents or teachers, they probably would confess they did have their favorite comic books too, though they would hasten to add that it was a long time ago, when they didn’t know better.

And if you further press them for their favorite comic book characters, they will probably spurt out names like Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash Gordon or Batman, imaginary superheroes that have been around for decades, their heroic deeds chronicled in countless comic strips, books, TV series and films.

Do you know these characters? Do you like them? Or do you find them outdated, like you sometimes find things from bygone generations? However, new movies made in recent years about these characters, most notably Superman and Batman, have successfully created a new generation of followers.

And from time to time, these comic characters even find their way into mainstream publications, like Forbes, a business and money oriented magazine. Recently, the magazine ran a list called “America’s Riches – The Forbes Fictional Fifteen”, listing America’s richest fictional figures, and Batman was on the list.

Dreams, not money

If you don’t already know, Batman is the crime-fighting altered ego of Bruce Wayne, a successful entrepreneur who heads a huge corporation called Wayne Enterprise. The 38-year-old bachelor runs his business by day and dons his cape and mask by night to fight villains such as the Joker, the Penguin or Two-Face, earning himself the nickname “The Dark Knight.”

Forbes estimated his net worth to be US$6.3 billion, which makes him the seventh richest fictional person (and, incidentally, the 28th richest among real Americans.)

Interesting as the list may be, true comic book lovers will tell you that viewing their superheroes in such a mundane light spoils the magic of the comic book world. They will fondly tell you of a time when television had yet to become popular and the Internet was not yet born, when comic books were what youngsters turned to for dreams and entertainment.