It wasn’t a good week for Nightwing as Tales of the Teen Titans #44 took home the distinction of Coldest Comic of the week. What other issues felt the chill from buyers’ cold shoulders?

Eventually, the law of averages comes into effect. Only a select few comics stay at the top of the eBay sales rankings, while the rest enjoy their time before the inevitable drop. Let’s be honest, it’s fun to see how low some flavor of the month issues can fall. 

Remember, the Hottest Comics rankings are not based on fair market values. Instead, it is all about that eBay sales volume. That goes for the Coldest Comics as well. Just because an issue wasn’t a top priority for buyers doesn’t mean the prices have necessarily plummeted. 

91. TALES OF THE TEEN TITANS #44 (-45)

A Nightwing movie is reportedly still on the table, but the lack of news on the subject is having an effect on the comic book market.

It wasn’t long ago that Titans #44 was on the way up. The hot gossip for months had been that Dick Grayson would don the Nightwing suit as a supporting character in the HBO Max Batgirl film. There’s been plenty of excitement for that one already, particularly since Michael Keaton is expected to be in action as Batman. Things began to grow quiet on the Nightwing front, and it has taken away from the rush for Titans #44, but that’s not a bad thing.

One day, I predict that we will have a Deathstroke the Terminator feature film, and that is another reason to want this comic. Besides Nightwing’s official introduction, Tales #44 delved further into Slade’s past. One of the important moments revealed his two sons, Grant and Joey. It was Joey who would become a member of the Teen Titans under the name Jericho. This issue happened to be his first appearance, and that could be a factor in either a Teen Titans or possibly a Deathstroke movie.

While the heat may have died down on Titans #44, this is still a worthy addition to your collection. Between Nightwing, Deathstroke, and Jericho, it is a speculative darling, so don’t overlook its future importance. With the sales dip, this could be a time to invest. In May, a graded 9.8 sold for as much as $700, but most copies have remained in the $500 neighborhood. The better purchase could be the 9.6, which has averaged close to $200 over the past 30 days. For $300 less, you get a comic that is virtually the same quality as the 9.8, at least to the naked eye.

75. X-MEN #1 COLLECTOR’S EDITION (-43)

If nothing else, we can say the X-Men #1 collector’s edition is an attention-grabbing issue. No matter what direction it moves, this issue always manages to land on either the Hottest or Coldest comics lists. 

This time around, 1991’s X-Men #1 saw a large drop in recent days. Much of this comes down to availability. There were a record number of copies printed and sold for the second X-Men title, and Marvel didn’t slack on its marketing campaign. At the time, the X-Men were the most popular team in all of comics. Add Jim Lee’s impressive artwork to those numerous covers, and you had the makings of an instant hit. 

For years, X-Men #1 and all its variants didn’t bring impressive FMVs. Why would it? Anyone buying comics in the 1990s likely owns one of each cover. If not, there are so many issues in circulation at higher grades that it wasn’t a challenge to get them all. Yet, the values have been rising, at least for the graded 9.8. Five years ago, the collector’s edition was about a $50-$60 comic for the near-mint grades. By 2020, those FMVs were close to the $60-$70 range. For the past year, it’s averaged around $100. In fact, a July 3 sale netted $128.

With all the X-Men MCU talk, I have no doubt this issue will rebound and be one of the movers and shakers in the near future. Fans are waiting for the impending announcement for the new Wolverine casting, and the cartoon reboot, X-Men ‘97, is in development as well. Since prices for the holy grails and other major keys are so expensive, it will send many buyers back to the 1991 series, which will put the collector’s edition back in the high life.

68. INFINITY GAUNTLET #1 (-38)

Infinity Gauntlet 1

A few months ago, Infinity Gauntlet #1 burst onto the scene with renewed interest from buyers. This came from two probable sources. The first was the untimely passing of legendary artist George Perez. As fans mourned the loss, many turned to his most famous issues, one of those being the 1991 Infinity Gauntlet limited series. The other factor most likely was tied to Thanos. Although he was dusted away in the Endgame finale, there was speculation that the MCU wasn’t quite done with the Mad Titan.

In a universe built on time travel and the Multiverse, it’s not hard to bring any character back from the beyond. Around that time, the comics introduced a black Infinity Gauntlet, leading to more speculation and theories. In the end, it created enough buzz around Infinity Gauntlet #1 that buyers elevated it well into the top 100 Hottest Comics.

The market lives and breathes by movie and streaming speculation, and the Thanos trail grew cold. Comic collectors turned their attention elsewhere, and the first appearance of the fabled Infinity Gauntlet was left out of the conversation. Thus, we have a drop in this week’s rankings.

Since this issue is out of the spotlight, that could signal a prime time to buy. The graded 9.8 has been getting gradually cheaper. After averaging $307 for the past 12 months, the last 30 days has seen that FMV fall to $275. Again, don’t overlook the 9.6. It’s a great copy that is nearly perfect, and it’s averaged $146 since the first of June. If you are looking to own a higher grade at a better price, it’s hard to go wrong there.

84. TMNT: THE LAST RONIN #1 (-26)

It took months between the last two issues, but the Last Ronin’s saga has finally concluded. This has been one of the best reads of the last year, and Last Ronin has earned a distinction as one of the best TMNT stories of all time. It’s not surprising that many fans are speculating that a movie, be it live-action or animated, will make it to production. For the time being, nothing has been said, and that could be part of why Last Ronin #1 took a fall this week.

Although nowhere near the number of copies for the previously mentioned X-Men #1 from 1991, Last Ronin is in a similar situation. There are just so many copies in circulation, and there are several variants to choose from. That’s not to mention the subsequent printings being churned out for each issue in the series. It translates into a comic that is easy to find either online or at your local comic shop.

Also like X-Men #1, there’s enough turtle talk in the mainstream media that Last Ronin #1 won’t stay down for long. Seth Rogen has a TMNT animated movie slated for next year, and there’s another live-action reboot in the works as well. Sooner or later, a Paramount producer is going to catch wind of Last Ronin and look to profit off it. On that day, prices will once again swell. Although there was a $176 sale for a 9.8 on July 1, the past month has seen it average $142. That is down from the 12-month FMV of $166.

78. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #363 (-25)

Out of all five comics on today’s list, ASM #363 is probably the least surprising. Besides this being the third appearance of Carnage, that’s not much to lure buyers to its shores. With Carnage’s movie status seemingly over, it doesn’t offer much incentive to specifically target ASM #363.

What likely caused it to knock on the top 50’s door is all the symbiote MCU speculation. Maybe more so than the actual movie, No Way Home’s concept art has kept fans talking. An image that made the waves in recent months featured Tom Holland being covered by the Venom symbiote in classic black suit Spider-Man fashion. Marvel Studios has remained quiet on the subject, but that hasn’t slowed the rumor mill. Fans want to see Venom and Spider-Man on the big screen together; an all-new symbiote for the MCU could create other openings as well. One of those could be a new vision of Carnage. 

Currently, the 30-day FMV sits at $108 for the 9.8, but recent sales have been close to the $75-$90 range. If you aren’t set on a slabbed 9.8, check out eBay. There you can find raw copies for as little as $5.

Keep up with the Movers & Shakers of all temperatures!

*Any perceived investment advice is that of the freelance blogger and does not represent advice on behalf of GoCollect.