Where there is fire, there must be ice, and this week’s blog is all about the comics that got the cold shoulder from buyers. There were some surprises on the list, and the big question is, why? For that answer, we need to take a deeper dive into these five issues.
What are the Hottest Comics? These are the best-selling single issues on eBay. The data is calculated based on the past 30 days worth of sales, giving us a list of the top 100 comics over that span.
92. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #299 (-45)
Those Eddie Brock key issues have been hit or miss lately. On one hand, the early appearances of the symbiote costume that would become Venom are red hot. From Secret Wars #8 to Amazing Spider-Man #252 and all points in between, those symbiote keys are on the move thanks to the No Way Home mid-credits scene and some leaked concept art with Tom Holland being consumed by the black suit. On the contrary, that same mid-credits scene is also the likely culprit behind Eddie Brock’s diminishing keys.
After Let There Be Carnage’s bonus scene in which Eddie and Venom are brought into the MCU, sales for all things Venom went through the roof. Fans were salivating at the prospect of having Tom Hardy invade the MCU and confront Spider-Man. There were even rumors that he would be part of the final battle scene in NWH. That turned out to be half true. Eddie appeared in the mid-credits scene, getting the entire history of the MCU from a bartender. Just when audiences were ready for Venom to confront Spider-Man, a disappointing groan reverberated across movie theaters worldwide. Eddie was caught in Doctor Strange’s spell, and he was sent back to the Sony-verse, but not before leaving a piece (or possibly spawn) of the symbiote behind.
While the mid-credits scene and the intrigue of the black suit saga playing out in the MCU has collectors stoked for those symbiote keys, the Venom issues are another matter. This week, Venom’s second appearance in a last-page came in ASM #299 has the honor of being the Coldest Comic. Looking for a copy? A raw ASM #299 recently sold for $75 while the last graded 9.8 brought $750. That happens to be down from the $882 average from 2021, so now may be a good time to invest.
54. SPIDER-GWEN #1 (-34)
Once again, a Spider-Gwen key issue has fallen on hard times. It defies logic in many regards. After all, she is one of the stars of the much-hyped Across the Spider-Verse. There’s also the MCU appeal for her character, and that always adds value to those coveted keys. All that being said, why would her issues be on the backslide?
It was only weeks ago that Spider-Gwen’s first appearance in Edge of Spider-Verse #2 made the Coldest Comics list. In fact, that issue didn’t rank inside the top-100 bestsellers over the past 30 days this time around. This week, her first solo title fell on hard times, plummeting by more than 30 spots to fall outside the top 50.
By no means does this indicate the market has collapsed on Spider-Gwen. With so much potential surrounding her ascension into the mainstream spotlight, there is no reason to abandon ship in this situation. There’s a good chance she will star in her own animated or live-action movie at some point in the future, and that will raise the stakes for her key issues. Where the problem could lie is in the prices. A 9.8 sold for $185 this week after having an average FMV of $103 in 2021.
71. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #55 (-29)
Collectors have a love/hate relationship when it comes to ASM #55. On one hand, it remains one of the most popular variants of the past 10 years. Patrick Gleason masterfully created the negative art style with this issue, and it was an instant classic among cover hunters. Since then, it has infiltrated the mainstream with t-shirts and art prints.
On the other hand, there isn’t a sense of urgency as far as collecting is concerned. This issue was so popular that it spawned several subsequent printings, each with its own virgin variants. It gives collectors plenty of options to choose from, and that may also contributed to buyers taking the issue for granted. At the moment, the prices have plateaued, and there’s no reason for collectors to snatch every copy they can find since there are no profits to be made, at least not at the current prices. Recent sales have been in the $80 range for the standard edition graded at a 9.8.
72. MARVEL COMICS PRESENTS #72 (-28)
This time last year, Marvel Comics Presents #72 was beginning to catch fire. It all came from the numerous theories and rumors surrounding Wolverine and his debut in the MCU. Starting with the speculation that he would appear in WandaVision, collectors turned their attention to more than just his holy grail key issues. Then came The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and their adventure to Madripoor that led to Wolverine’s very own drinking hole from the comics, the Princess Bar.
It didn’t stop there. Soon after Madripoor was featured in FAWS, a rumor began circulating the gossip sites. This tidbit claimed that Marvel Studios would introduce Wolverine away from the X-Men in a solo anthology series on Disney+. It would revolve around Logan’s early life and his transformation into Wolverine. That meant that his history with the Weapon X program would be a major factor, thus collectors began scouring the auction sites for those Weapon X keys, starting with Marvel Comics Presents #72.
Since then, the Wolverine speculation has calmed down. There are rumors that Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart will appear in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but that is taken with a grain of salt. After all the miscues for the X-Men’s introduction so far and the sheer volume of MOM rumors, it’s hard to take any of them too seriously, especially X-Men gossip. That could be the reason MCP #72 has fallen down so many rungs on the Hottest Comics ladder.
Two years ago, you could have owned a graded 9.8 for $123 on average. These days, it’s hauling in over $400.
93. VENOM #3 FIRST PRINT (-19)
The real test for any new character is longevity. Since the dawn of comic collecting, injecting a new face into a popular title is the recipe for instant sales. It freshens up the title and gives the hero an opponent that readers haven’t seen time and time again. As long as the newest villain has a good look and story, fans buy in, and they want to see more.
The trouble is that many debut characters don’t stand the test of time. Once their gimmick is played out, they fall to the wayside and become another face in a line of supporting characters. While Knull is a standout in the Marvel villain pantheon, his time apparently expired last year, and that has ushered him to the back of the line, at least for now.
Going on four years ago, Donny Cates took Venom’s reins and gave him the best solo run he’s ever had. One of the key ingredients to that success was giving Venom his own unique villain in the form of Knull, God of the Symbiotes. Instantly, Knull’s first appearance in Venom #3, particularly the third print with the symbiote god on the cover, became the hottest comics in collecting. From there, Knull climbed the ladder, eventually starring in a crossover that pitted him against all of Marvel’s elite heroes.
Like all villains, Knull was destined to lose his fight. Since then, his key issues have taken the polar plunge. Odds are, we will see him return in the future, and that should impact his key issues. For now, it’s definitely a buyer’s market. Where once the graded 9.8 for the first print was selling for as much as $669 a year ago, it hasn’t surpassed $375 so far in 2022.
