Comic Sans is generally considered a generic font within typography. While it is true this font is used everywhere, there is a good reason which is how simple it looks. the use of this font within mangas certainly influences my bias towards it.
Although
I am also a fan of the italic font as well. There is a serious contract in moods between the two fonts that i enjoy, with the comics sans bringing a joyful mood while italic brings a more serious one. The italic font as well appears more professional than the comic sans.
Respect to the face used for mangas and comic books. That noted, as a professor with no sense of humor, I hope to provide less generic options for you during the semester.
When you note that you appreciate the italic because it brings a more serious mood, I’m perplexed. Comic Sans Italic is not very formal. Do you mean the italic font of a typeface different from Comic Sans?