Apocalypse was no match for the secondary market as X-Factor #6 held this week’s title of Coldest Comic.

Winter’s chill was spreading across the marketplace, and En Sabah Nur felt its wrath. At least he wasn’t alone, and that gives these comics a chance to huddle together for warmth while they wait for the inevitable pendulum swing to take them back to sunny days.

As a reminder, these rankings are based on the Hottest Comics, an index of the best-selling single issues across eBay. Factoring into account both graded and raw varieties, the list is all about sales volume, not fair market value. With that in mind, here are the five issues that took the biggest hits in the sales department over the past 10 days.

82. X-FACTOR #6 (-50)

Not even Apocalypse could defeat the fickle nature of the secondary market. The X-Men villain first appeared in the previous issue, though it was mostly in shadow, which is par for the course with comic book reveals. In X-Factor #6, he graced the cover and immediately made his mark on the X-Men’s corner of the Marvel Universe. 

He is a character that many fans feel deserves a do-over. Sure, Oscar Isaac is great in the right roles, but En Sabah Nur didn’t qualify as such. Overall, X-Men: Apocalypse was painfully bad, and Isaac’s turn as the titular antagonist was truly the icing on the inedible cake. Despite all the fervor for the casts of previous Marvel incarnations to enter the MCU, this is one exception to that demand. In fact, most Apocalypse fans would agree that the character could use a complete overhaul.

On the plus side, we’ll likely get the deep-voiced, comics-accurate En Sabah Nur in the upcoming X-Men ‘97. The showrunners have already shown artwork featuring the classic 1990s animated Apocalypse, so we know he’ll look the part. Odds are, he will return with the iconic voice that was sorely missing from Isaac’s performance.

Once the hype for the cartoon kicks off, it should give X-Factor #6 a modest boost. For the most part, the graded 9.8 has held steady in the $350-400 range for the past year, and I don’t see that changing drastically anytime soon.

80. THOR #337 NEWSSTAND (-44)

Over the past few years, the newsstand editions have become some of the most coveted variants in all of collecting. Not long ago, they generally weren’t considered variants at all. Then one fateful day, the comic community gave it the official designation, and now the right newsstand key issue can be worth a fortune in a high grade. That’s because finding newsstands in top-notch quality can be a challenge, since those copies were sent to non-comic shops and were handled with no more care than that afforded to a newspaper.

In the case of Thor #337, buyers were shying away from the elevated newsstand prices. In fact, buyers were not exactly keen on this issue in any variety. Here we have the first appearance of Beta Ray Bill, a character long teased for the MCU. However, he’s been a loose end in the many threads across the Multiverse. With every cosmic entry into the cinematic universe, there’s eagerness to see Bill arrive in live action. Then the feeling fades as it becomes clear that the horse-man is not in the cards, at least not now. 

Eventually, we will see a live-action Beta Ray Bill, and that’s exactly why Thor #337 remains on the Hottest Comics index week after week. Who can blame buyers for putting their dollars elsewhere when there are so many other keys to collect? However, this could be an opportune moment to invest. Despite a graded 9.8 earning $900 on January 10, it’s still averaging $720 for the past 30 days. Once Beta Ray Bill arrives in all his horse glory, that price should kick in the afterburners.

71. SECRET WARS II #3 (-40)

How quickly things change on the secondary market. It was only last week that Secret Wars II #3 was on the rise and getting the respect it’s long deserved. Ten days later, it dropped by a whopping 40 positions. What gives?

The driving force behind this issue’s sudden popularity is the Avengers: Secret Wars movie speculation. At this point, no one outside of Kevin Feige’s inner circle knows what the film’s plot will entail. Marvel Studios proudly ignores the comic storylines, so there’s no telling what’s in mind for SW. Of course, the comics told the story of the all-powerful, god-like Beyonder, who basically played the part of a kid throwing his favorite action figures into a sandbox and watching them wage war on each other. We know that he’ll be featured in the animated Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, and it’s leaving fans to wonder if Beyonder will transition from the cartoon to live action. It wouldn’t be the first time Marvel has made that happen, so it is a possibility.

That brings buyers to the doorstep of Secret Wars II #3. After having first appeared in Secret Wars #1 as a ball of light, The Beyonder gained his physical form in this issue. While it’s not considered his debut, it remains a nice addition to your Beyonder sets. Although the sales volume may be down at the moment, the prices are steadily climbing. Three months ago, you could have expected to pay $90 for a graded 9.8, but the current prices have been closer to the $150 range. 

46. INCREDIBLE HULK #340 (-28)

How can this be? One of the most iconic covers on the market featuring two of the most popular characters in all of comics taking a dive in the rankings? Surely there’s some sort of error with eBay’s calculations. 

Unfortunately, the data is correct. Indeed, Hulk #340 took a tumble down the ladder, but it’s still holding tight inside the top 50. Considering how much buyers love this issue, it’s unlikely to drop any further. My prediction is it will rebound by this time next week and be back inside the top 20. After all, we’ve got Hugh Jackman returning as Wolverine in the MCU, and that lends itself a potential live-action Hulk versus Logan brawl. Outside of Hulk #181, this will be the first comic to get the boost in that event. Plus, it’s one of Todd McFarlane’s all-time classic covers, and those are perpetually among the Hottest Comics no matter the state of the market.

As of late, the graded 9.8 typically sells in the $1,300-$1,500 range. If you want something a little gentler on the budget, opt for the 9.6, which sells for closer to $400-$450.

87. TALES OF THE TEEN TITANS #44 (-28)

What happened to all that Nightwing buzz? He’s arrived in live-action courtesy of the streaming/television series, Titans, and rumors of him getting his own film franchise persist. With so much hype surrounding Dick Grayson’s solo alter-ego, wouldn’t that cause a spike rather than a lull in sales for his key issues? In this case, it’s both, actually.

On one hand, prices are up slightly for Dick’s first appearance as Nightwing, complete with disco/figure skater outfit. After all, the 90-day average for a graded 9.8 fell below $400, but the 30-day FMV has lifted to $415. Since the end of December, it’s been consistently crossing the $400 mark and inching towards $450. At the same time, that lends to a lull in sales. Since there’s no official word or even a trademark James Gunn social media tease for Nightwing, many collectors and investors are more inclined to put that money towards a more popular key with short-term potential. 

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