I hit the cheapness aspect when I realized the first issue of 1602 was $6 for 32 pages =(.

I love Watchmen, but there's a limit to how often I can read it -- the entire nested story of the guy stranded on a desert island freaks me out every single time.

My first "grown-up" comic was probably... hrm, Dark Knight Returns, back in ninth grade. Found Sandman in 11th, and there was no turning back ;).