GoCollect Blog: Coldest Comics: Two Heavy Hitters Make the List (coldest-comics-two-heavy-hitters-make-the-list )

This week’s Coldest Comics should have your attention after two X-Men holy grails made the dubious list, but that could mean it’s an opportune time to invest.

Whatever Marvel Studios does, they do it in epic fashion. When they teased us all with the X-Men’s introduction in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, they flipped off those X-fans with gusto. The result is a stark decline for two of the biggest X-Men keys on the market, Hulk #181 and Giant-Size X-Men #1. Let’s get into the data and see if this is indeed time to open your wallets for one or both issues.

As always, the Hottest Comics are based on eBay sales volume. These are the top-100 ranked single issues that have sold on the grandfather of all auction sites over a 30-day span. The data changes daily, so take this as a snapshot. Without further ado, let's jump into this week's Coldest Comics!

**92. MARVEL SPOTLIGHT #28 (-64)**

We knew it was coming. After the Marvel hype has faded, those key issues’ popularity always sees a drop in the weeks following a new character’s premiere. Whether it’s a movie or a streaming show, the Disney-Marvel machine pumps up the excitement like no one else. They have made it an art form at this point, and the trailers are beginning to outshine the feature attractions in some cases (cough, Multiverse of Madness, cough). That insane level of hype translates into record-setting prices on the comic book market, and the Moon Knight sellers benefited from the enthusiasm.

One of the keys to get the biggest dose of steroids was Marvel Spotlight #28. Well before anyone talked about Moon Knight in the MCU, his first appearance was difficult to find in a higher grade. Once the hype train left the station, it fully established its holy grail status with the price tags to match. That sent buyers on a scavenger hunt to find a more affordable alternative. In this case, it led to Moon Knight’s first solo adventure in MS #28.

Practically overnight, the fair market values experienced a huge spike. Two years ago, the mythical graded 9.8 averaged $1,252. In 2021, the FMV jumped to $2,500, and for the last 12 months, that average has been over $3k. Now that Moon Knight is old news, those prices are taking a nosedive. For the past month, the FMV has slipped to $1,808. Of course, that’s welcome news to MK fans. We know there’s more coming for the Fist of Khonshu even if we don’t know when that will be. Once his return is confirmed, that should help the prices move upward once again. In the meantime, investors are keeping their distance from those MK keys. On the bright side, that should keep the prices falling.

**82. INCREDIBLE HULK #181 (-50)**

This is an attention grabber. Seeing Moon Knight keys take a drop is one thing. After all, it’s been over a month since the streaming series came to a wrap. When Hulk #181 takes a huge decline by 50 spots, that is worthy of further investigation.

What would cause such a dramatic dip for one of the perennial favorite buys? This is one of the most popular and best-selling holy grails year after year. Yet here it is in danger of falling outside the top 100. My inclination is that it is a combination of high prices and Marvel dropping the ball on the X-Men.

We were all ready for the mutants to finally make their grand entrance into the MCU. We got it from Patrick Stewart’s arrival in MOM. There he was, Professor X, riding his yellow hoverchair and looking like a combination of the cartoons and the Fox movies. Before the movie, the rumor was that other X-Men could appear by his side, most notably Wolverine.

Then came MOM, and Marvel let us down in epic fashion. The Illuminati was dispatched in short order, and Professor X had his neck broken. With that died the hopes and aspirations of X-Men fans all over the world.

This isn’t the end of the live-action X-Men, so things will turn around. For now, this may be an opportune moment to invest in a complete Hulk #181. The best litmus test for a holy grail is the low grades, and Wolverine’s debut doesn’t disappoint. In January, the graded 2.5 consistently sold for over $3k. Since February, the prices have stayed under that mark. The most recent sale from May 12 was for $2,150. That is the lowest it’s sold for since February 2021.

**96. MS. MARVEL #1 (-43)**

What is going on here? Ms. Marvel’s streaming series premieres this week, yet the sales volume has taken a hit. How can that be? Once again, we can blame this coldest comics placement on the hype inflation, courtesy of Marvel.

There doesn’t seem to be as much buzz surrounding Ms. Marvel as we have seen with the other MCU streaming shows. So far, the early reviews have been positive. Why would Ms. Marvel #1 be on the decline?

What this indicates is not that Ms. Marvel isn’t a hot property. In fact, it’s the contrary. The difference is that buyers have been steering toward the Kamala Khan keys rather than the Silver Age Carol Danvers early issues. While Ms. Marvel #1 may be falling down the rankings, Kamala’s first appearance as a superhero in All-New Marvel Now! Point One #1 is moving up the charts. As of Tuesday, it had climbed 49 spots to reach the 47th position.

Prices could be an issue as well. Despite not being nearly as pricey as they were three-to-four years ago, getting higher grades will easily cost you three and four figures. The 90-day FMV for a graded 9.8 stands at $1,276, which is down from the 12-month average of $1,611. The highest grade sold in the past month has been the 9.6 that brought $240 on June 3. That happens to be the lowest sale price since 2020.

**79. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #362 (-39)**

You can’t keep a good symbiote down. Despite Carnage being eaten in the second Venom movie, buyers are still taking aim at his early appearances. ASM #361 is the eighth-best seller on eBay, and his second appearance moved ahead by almost 40 spots this time around. It is a clear indicator that no matter how badly Sony handles Carnage, the fans love him and want to see more.

There are no signs pointing to Cletus and his trusty symbiote partner returning for another adventure in the Sony-verse, and that is a good thing considering how badly the first round went. Since there is a piece of the Venom symbiote left behind in the MCU after the underwhelming Tom Hardy post-credits scene from Spider-Man: No Way Home, that has left a sliver of hope that the other sentient costumes could appear in a Marvel project. It’s just enough light at the end of the tunnel to keep Carnage fans crossing their fingers for a triumphant return.

With buyers hopping aboard the Carnage Express, how much is a ticket to ride? For a 9.8 ASM #362, the 30-day FMV has hovered near $150. It had been earning $187 for the past 12 months, but naturally, that would drop after Carnage was eaten in Let There Be Carnage.

**88. GIANT-SIZE X-MEN #1 (-37)**

Like Hulk #181, another holy grail is seeing a price drop in the MOM fallout. This one is nearly on the level as Wolverine’s first full appearance, which makes it another surprise addition to the Coldest Comics.

Again, let’s take a look at the lowest of grades to gauge where those FMVs lie. The 9.8 is still selling for $40,000+, and it could eventually hit the $50k mark when the X-Men officially reach the MCU. Most collectors are on a smaller budget than that, and the lower grades get more appealing with every rise in FMV. The graded 1.8 is the lowest complete grade sold this year, and it brought $1,125 last month. Anytime a 1.8 earns four figures, it is impressive in itself, but the eye-opener is that it was earning as much as $1,800 just last month. Before that, it had set a record with $2,300 in January. That’s a drop-off that can’t be denied.