Why do intelligent people read comic books?

A comic can be more entertaining than a movie telling the same story (Superman for instance) because the reader can stop and study the action at a whim without spoiling the continuity, and much of the art work is top notch. Serious subjects too can be well represented through this excellent medium, it doesn't have to be all cartoons. Perhaps one day books like War and Peace, or even Lady Chatterley's Lover will be published in comic form.