As we reach the end of August, let’s take a look at the hottest-selling comics on eBay for the month.
This was a real surprise. Up 651 places in 98th, “Solar, Man of the Atom” #10 is crashing the party this month. This issue features the first appearance of the Eternal Warrior. Most casual fans won’t be familiar with this particular issue. I consider myself an avid collector, and while I own a couple of Solar comics, I’m not familiar with this one. But that’s the fun of the Hottest Comics list; it can bring attention to issues that you may not immediately think of.
Remember when Marvel took a cue from DC and started a run of edgier stories under its Marvel Max label? If you are a fan of the more adult comics along the lines of Image and Vertigo, then Marvel Max is a good pickup. And guess which comic was the first? “Alias” #1. With the “Defenders” having premiered to decent reviews on Netflix earlier this month, it makes sense that the first appearance of Jessica Jones would be popular. How popular? It leaped through the ranks by 433 positions and was the 31st hottest comic in August.
Ah, Frank Miller and his gritty detective stories. Miller has said in interviews that back when he wrote Daredevil comics for Marvel, he simply put together detective stories and threw in a superhero in spandex. It works. Here we have part one of a classic Miller detective story and one of his more famous works, “Batman: Year One.” Hopefully the Matt Reeves/Ben Affleck Batman movies will pull from Miller for source material. All the Batman talk surely is part of the reason “Batman” #404 moved ahead 414 places to crack the top 100 this month.
Here’s another mover that caught my attention: “Conan the Barbarian” #1 from 1970. Conan had a great run of comics with Marvel back in the bronze age, but the comic version of this character (he was originally created by Robert E. Howard in a series of short stories) truly hit his stride when Dark Horse picked up the rights. However, if you long for the days of Arnold Schwarzenegger in a loin cloth, then this Roy Thomas-penned story is for you. For the month of August, it was the 59th hottest-selling comic on eBay.
Marvel’s first family is getting love on eBay this month. First you’ve got FF #52 in 35th, but considering the Black Panther movie is on the horizon, it’s not a shock to see this one in the top 50. However, FF #48 went from being overlooked to the second hottest comic in the top 100 in a month. It sits in 38th position after skyrocketing up 509 spots. What’s special about this one is that you’ve got an iconic Jack Kirby cover and art with a Stan Lee script that gives the Marvel Universe its first glimpses of Galactus and Silver Surfer. What else do you need in a comic book?
