I've always had a problem saving my money, largely because I tend to spend all of it on comic books. Fortunately, there is finally something that can address exactly that problem: A comic starring Spider-Man and the Avengers designed to teach you all about how banks work! Okay, admittedly, it's meant for children and not full-grown slackers with impulse control problems, but the lessons are pretty sound, and thanks to a script by James Asmus and art by Andrea Di Vito, it's a hoot.

The premise of the story is that Spider-Man wants to buy Aunt May a birthday present, but before he does that, he needs to learn all about budgeting and saving so that he can get the things he wants:


At first glance, it struck me as a little odd that Spider-Man, a certified genius who built web-shooters in his basement, would be completely unfamiliar with the very concept of banking. When you think about it, though, it makes perfect sense: Thanks to J. Jonah Jameson's legendary skinflintery, Peter Parker's never really had enough money to necessitate a bank. Seriously, in the '60s, "pawning his microscope" was only behind "swinging around on webs" and "being sad about Uncle Ben" on the list of things Spider-Man did most often.

What's interesting, though, is who he goes to for financial advice:


A billionaire who's gone bankrupt three times, a Norse God with an infinite supply of magic dwarven gold, and an actual communist.



Even so, he gets some sound advice, and the actual super-hero story of a tiny Hulk battling the Mole Man is genuinely hilarious. And since it's available online to read for free, it's even a financially sound decision. If nothing else, it's given us a world where kids know how to budget for expenses like "spare costumes" and "repulsor repairs."