I don't get this.

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A thousand words is worth a picture topic

In my opinion I treasure the printed word over comics because I turn words into images, In other words, I create my own visuals from print of what I am reading, which is why I read slowly. I like the visuals. From more scholarly books I must draw diagrams, charts, and arrows that help me to fathom very abstract thought until I am more comfortable with the subject and the author.

The only comics I have read over time are Peanuts and For Better or For Worse, and perhaps some of the unigraphical ones in the daily papers like In the Bleachers or Born Loser.

Unlike me, you seem to be a very bright person and may not understand comic books for different reasons. I am not "into" some of the music, art and litrerature that many of the younger generation cannot do without. I do not understand the need for videos, on MTV or youtube. When I listen to music I create my own "video" or visual in my head, personal and private. I have done this for as long as I remember being alive (at least fifty years).

I hope you are able to eventually solve your problem to your satisfaction.

Ah but the comics I read are reprints of the early 1950s!

Those very comics caused an uproar. Here comes a history lesson.

A child Psychologist wrote a book concerning comics of the time. Because of it comic books nearly disapeared. If it wern't for the continued popularity of Superman on TV I think comics would have been snuffed out.
The book was called "seduction of the Innocent" , I can't remember the Doctors name.Werthiem maybe. Growing up I heard the mans name cursed the comic shops. Because of him a "comics code authority" was formed. It was censorship.

Fast forward fifteen years and I found the comics he was criticizing , and read them. Then I found a copy of his book in the rare out of print archives and read it.
And I agree with him. The young men who retruned from the Hell WW 2 werent interested in fairy tales and supermen anymore. It was the realistic crimes of passion gore of titles such as "True Crime Suspensestorie" that entertained them. Blood, sexuality, evil.

Theyre good stories. As frightening and entertaining as Poe, Lovecraft, or Bradbury, all of whom had stories adapted in the books.
The thing is they were not meant for children. At the time televison, radio, and movies were monitored for content. However when you mentioned comics parents thought thier kids were reading something harmless like Little Lulu or Aquaman.

More to your point, you're right. Comics do stifile a story. Everything the doctor wrote about comics then applies to TV and related media today. In a comic you are given the visuals which limits your imagination. Today children are given the visual , saound and with video games even the vibrations of an experience.
I wholeheartedly feel Comics, TV , etc can stifle creativity.
So it's important to me to have a steady diet.

I cut out TV and fast foods . But I read a few comics on occasion as a side dish to my instructional books, and true literature.
Most of my time is spent reading. The visual element of comics helps me as a filmaker.

An interseting thing. As an exercise in one of my text books I had to come up with a book that I had read that I felt was impossible to adapt to a film. I chose "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" I later read that not only was that book adapted into a movie but in the authors opinion it was better.
I alwyas like to read the book in addition to watching a film. I just saw "To kill a Mockingbird" for the first time so I could study the acting . It was a great film. I read the book this week and can't imagine the author being disapointed.
One thing I will say with so many authors exposed to TV and films now I think it's hurting thier ability. I read "Angels and Demons" ( the Davinci Code prequel) and it read like a screen play. Modern authors seem to be negelecting to get inside the characters thoughts and moods becuase I think they're satureated by TV.

I wasn't sure about your age. I thought about it and was going to recommend getting started in comics like I did. I was 5, saw Star Wars and picked up the book. Then my friend started collecting GI Joe so I did as well and began reading that comic book tie in as well. In the fantastic world of comics you pick up on a lot of things quickly. I first learned about Hitler, the moon landings , The invisible Man, Submarines . . . all in comics. This was back before cable or vcrs so I became curious about things like War of the Worlds, or Frankenstien, and I checked the books out of the library.
Comic were always intended to be a bridge between childrens picture books and actual storybooks.
If you really want to try them out pick up something you already know about. Theres been comics eritten about nearly everything. An easy example for me was my experience with Star Wars. In 1977 no kid my age could escape knowing EVERYTHING about it. So when I got the comic it was already a place I was somewhat familar with.

Do you like westerns? comedies? War stories? Romance ? The easiest way would be if there was a film or show you were already familiar with and break into it by finding its companion book.
But really comics are a bit like junk food. Theyre escapism, and fluff.

"Maus" has been cited as the best literary accomplishment in comics, but it doesn't compare at all with Hugo or Hemmingway.