Disney sent shockwaves through the collecting community this week, and it caused a massive spike in sales for Black Panther #1.
Disney ruled the internet this week after its Disney Investors Day provided ample MCU announcements. Thanks to that, this week's Hottest Comics were all about Black Panther and Spider-Man. While BP occupied the top spot among the biggest movers in the rankings, Spider-Man appeared in the other four Hottest Comics.
The weekly Hottest Comics rankings are the 1,000 best-selling graded comics according to eBay’s sales data. Out of all 1,000 comics listed, these five showed the biggest upswing in sales volume since last Wednesday.
Black Panther, Venom, and More...
With Christmas looming, which comics made the biggest moves on collecting wish lists?
23. BLACK PANTHER #1 (+977)
Up to this point, Black Panther #1 has been all over the place in terms of sales volume. One week, collectors are buying up copies, and this is a top-100 Hottest Comic. By the next week, it can fall to the basement.
For the past seven days, this has been the hottest comic on the market in terms of gains. Why? I point toward the Disney Investors Day announcement as the culprit. After months of speculation, Disney and Marvel Studios made it official that the role of T’Challa/Black Panther would not be recast in the wake of Chadwick Boseman’s tragic passing. That has sent collectors on a spending spree for those Silver and Bronze Age BP keys.
What makes this issue a particularly good buy is its price. Compared to Black Panther’s Silver Age issues, BP #1 is a bargain.
Overall, the market for 1977’s BP #1 has been strong over the past 90 days, but the 9.8 has been particularly flashy. Two years ago, it averaged $951 before falling to $862 over the past 12 months. The past three months have seen it jump to $1,045. The last sale was for $1,200 on December 11. That is far from the record high of $1,803 set in 2018, but it is evidence of this issue’s booming popularity.
25. MARVEL SUPER-HEROES SECRET WARS #1 (+975)
The Secret Wars issues are getting hotter by the week, even though they are not getting major attention. Things are different this week as the first issue in the limited series kept pace with Black Panther #1 and sold 975 copies.
Besides being the kickoff of the original Secret Wars, Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars #1 also introduced the Beyonder. As I have written before in “Sleeper Pick: Secret Wars II #3,” he could have an outside chance of entering the MCU if a Secret Wars movie or series ever comes to life. With all the Spider-Man: Homecoming Part 3 casting rumors floating around the internet, there is speculation that Marvel Studios is readying for an onscreen Secret Wars adaptation.
This issue is on the way up in terms of fair market value. Two years ago, the 9.8 had an FMV of $122. Now, this is a $274 comic. What’s even more eye-opening is the new record high. The bar has been raised from last year’s $249 to November 30’s $610 sale.
The better deal is for the 9.6, which is selling for less than $100 on average. If you want to save even more money, anything from the 9.0 and below is selling for under $50 at the moment.
31. VENOM: LETHAL PROTECTOR #4 (+968)
It was not long ago that Venom: Lethal Protector #4 was on the Coldest Comics list. This time around, it has rebounded like a champion and established itself among the Hottest Comics on the market.
What is special about this comic? For one, it features the debut of Venom’s antagonist in his solo movie, Riot. He was not the only symbiote that premiered in this issue, and that is likely what is driving the sales.
Along with Riot came Scream, Agony, Lasher, and Phage. Before the Venom movie, Scream was by far the most important of those five characters. With Marvel’s “King in Black” crossover ramping up, the speculation is that every symbiote that has ever graced a comic will come together to challenge Knull. That could very well be why collectors were buying this issue in abundance this week.
The other thing to consider is, when the dust settles from "King in Black," will any of these characters get a bigger piece of the spotlight? If so, that will drive prices even higher, and investors want to get in on the ground level.
Despite the uptick in sales, Lethal Protector #4 prices are down for most grades. The 9.8 has dropped $20 on average over the past two years. That is good news for buyers because you can have a graded near-mint-plus for $79. In fact, three of the last four sales have been in the $60 range.
44. SPIDER-MAN #1 SCORPION COMICS FACSIMILE (+956)
Although this comic was just released in October, the cover art has helped it ascend to elite status. Scorpion Comics can thank Clayton Crain for that, but when is his artwork not impressive? It does not hurt that it’s Crain’s take on one of the most iconic of Todd McFarlane’s Spider-Man covers, which is saying something considering how many classic Spider-Man covers McFarlane drew in the late-1980s and early-1990s.
Think you need one for your collection? The 9.8 has already sold for as much as $110 in just two months, but the average is a modest $65. The better value lies in the Scorpion Comics virgin variant. At a 9.8, that edition sells for close to $150, though it last sold for $170 on December 6.
46. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #42 (+953)
Spider-Man may not have had the top spot in the movers category, but his presence is felt in four out of the most popular comics this week. Rounding out the top-five Hottest Comics is the first full appearance of Spidey’s better half, Mary Jane Watson. She may not have been his first love, but she has been the most iconic of Peter Parker’s romances. It was in the pages of Amazing Spider-Man #42 that readers first saw her face and when she delivered her famous line, “Face it, Tiger. You just hit the jackpot.”
Although this is a minor Spider-Man key, ASM #42 is a Silver Age key nonetheless. That automatically means higher prices. It also happens to be an early ASM issue, and anything from the Stan Lee era is going to be relatively expensive. In this case, M.J.’s full debut will cost you nearly $100 for even a 2.5.
The most popular grade over the past 12 months has been the 7.5, which has sold 14 times since last December. In that span, it has an FMV of $296, but it recently sold for over $400 earlier this month. That helps it achieve a 90-day FMV of $311.
THE POWER OF PERSEVERANCE
The recent Black Panther MCU news will continue to impact those BP keys for weeks, but I don’t foresee BP #1 keeping up this sales pace simply because it is not a major key. Panther has so many bigger keys that this one will fall to the wayside. The saving grace could be that BP #1 is significantly cheaper than those Silver Age key issues.
On the other hand, I see Secret Wars #1 remaining inside the top 100 if not the top 100 for at least a few more weeks as MCU rumors continue to swirl. The entire series has been trending lately, and it is not likely to cool significantly for a while. The more speculation that comes from the third installment of Spider-Man: Homecoming, the more in demand Secret Wars #1 will become.
