John Romita, Sr. and the Green Goblin felt the love from collectors this week as Amazing Spider-Man #40 led the biggest movers with nearly 1,000 positions gained to become one of the Hottest Comics on the market.

ASM #40 was the lone Silver Age title on this week's Hottest Comics list as the 1990s and 2000s dominated the rest of the list. Among this week’s heavy hitters were minor Carnage and Deadpool key issues, as well as the first appearance of the Immortal Hulk. 

What are the Hottest Comics? These are the 500 best-selling comics of the week according to eBay’s sales data. Today’s list spotlights the five comics that saw the biggest gains compared to seven days ago. Bear in mind, this is not based on fair market value, though we typically see price hikes when the sales get a bump.

Let’s dive into the data with this week’s biggest movers and shakers.

7. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #40 (+992)

If you don’t have this comic in your collection, what have you been doing with your life?

This is the second ASM comic drawn by John Romita, Sr. In my humble opinion, Romita’s run on ASM far surpassed that of his predecessor, Steve Ditko. That makes ASM #39 and #40 staples of any Silver Age Spider-Man collection, and it is great to see it getting the respect it deserves on this Hottest Comics list.

Another part of this issue gaining traction is Norman Osborn. In ASM #39, it was revealed that he was the Green Goblin and that he knew Spider-Man’s secret identity. Then, in ASM #40, readers were given the full origin of Norman’s transformation into the Green Goblin. That gives you a milestone moment for Spider-Man and his most famous foe featured in a classic cover drawn by Romita with Stan Lee handling the scripting duties. How can a Marvel fan resist buying a copy?

ASM #40 has been doing very well in terms of FMV lately. The 90-day averages are all up, save for the 7.5. In 2020, there was a three-way tie for the most popular grade - the 8.5, 6.5, 5.5, and the 4.0. 

Starting at the top, the 8.5 currently averages $596 in the past 90 days after selling for $778 last year. The 6.5 also is doing well on the FMV side, and its three-month average of $271 is nearly $100 over its 2019 figures. 

Lower on the totem pole is the 5.5, which sold for $220 in November. Finally, the 4.0 brought $169 earlier this month after earning $117 on average last year.

16. LONGSHOT #1 (+983)

I expected to see X-Men spec comics in the top 100, but I was surprised to see that Longshot’s first appearance outdid all the other X-titles, at least for this week.

Still, I can see why collectors would want to get their hands on Longshot #1. We can assume that Marvel Studios will want to distance themselves from Fox’s X-Men movie saga, and incorporating Longshot into the franchise would do just that. He also comes from the Chris Claremont era of the X-Men, and this first solo issue was drawn by the legendary Art Adams. That just makes this issue even more collectible for old school X-fans.

Want to own a 9.8? That high grade has been rising lately. It sports a 90-day FMV of $206, which is up from last year’s $188 average. Unless you are insistent on a 9.8, think about grabbing a 9.6. That grade is averaging $76, which is nearly a third of the 9.8’s price.

If you are looking to add Longshot keys to your collection, don’t overlook X-Men Annual #10. In that issue, Longshot officially joined the X-Men. On a smaller note, it also gave readers their first look at the X-babies. 

20. X-FORCE #4 (+980)

Here it is - the infamous Rob Liefeld sideways cover.

Aside from it being a novelty in that sense, it also is the third appearance of Deadpool and part of an epic crossover with Spider-Man. Todd McFarlane did his own sideways cover in Spider-Man #16. That also happened to be McFarlane's last artwork for Marvel before co-founding Image Comics. 

Say what you will about Liefeld, but I was a huge fan in the early 1990s. I fell in love with his art on those early X-Force issues, pouches and all. Kevin Feige announced that Deadpool 3 has the green light and will retain the series’ R rating. Therefore, it is no wonder that fans were high on DP.

Like most of the early Deadpool and X-Force issues, X-Force #4 is a cheap buy. You can add a 9.8 to your collection for just $42 on average. That means that you can own a near-mint-plus slab for slightly more than the grading and shipping fees. If you want something a bit more special, there are 9.9 grades floating around. The last one sold for $175 in October 2014.

22. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #362 (+977)

A week after Carnage’s first appearance took a hit in the sales rankings, he came charging back this time around.

Here we have his second full appearance, and it hauled in enough sales to warrant a 977-position move up the rankings. While ASM #362 made the gigantic leap up the Hottest Comics ladder, its predecessor, ASM #361 did well in its own right, climbing back into the top 10 for the first time in weeks. 

For fans wanting to get a piece of Carnage’s history without paying the inflated first appearance prices, this is the perfect issue; however, it is getting more expensive. Consider this - two years ago, a 9.8 averaged $71. Over the past 90 days, that fair market value has risen to $112. Last year, one copy sold for a high of $250, which is only $13 from the record high set in 2015. As we get closer to a release date for Venom 2, look for this issue to surpass that $263 mark.

28. AVENGERS #684 (+972)

We wrap things up with one of my favorite versions of the Green Goliath, Immortal Hulk.

After being seemingly killed by Hawkeye in Civil War II, the Hulk came back with a vengeance in Avengers #684. From there, he starred in arguably the best Hulk run to date in Al Ewing’s epic Immortal Hulk. Ewing managed to put a horror spin on the classic Marvel hero with stellar Alex Ross covers. It all began in this Avengers comic. 

I have loved what Ewing has done with the Immortal Hulk. In an age when Marvel wants the comics to emulate the MCU, this incarnation is a stark departure from the Professor Hulk that was last seen in Endgame. While Immortal Hulk may be too rough around the edges for the family-friendly, action-comedy MCU, it is a nice escape from the movies to read about this almost-evil version of the Mean Green Machine. 

The standard edition has lost a bit of its luster in recent years. Back in 2019, it was a $120 comic on average. For the past three months, that FMV has dipped to $103, but the pendulum may be swinging this way after the last two sales brought $139 and $125, both on January 11. 

Meanwhile, the Skottie Young variant for Avengers #684 has been holding steady in the $60-$70 range for years now.  Currently, it boasts a $65 90-day FMV. That happens to be the same as the FMV for a 9.8 second print, which stands at $65 over the past three months as well.

While you are at it, I would advise snatching up the companion piece, Immortal Hulk #1, which is actually outselling Avengers #684 in terms of FMV. The writing, the art, and especially the covers are great additions to Hulk fans’ collections, and you can have your very own for $158 for a 9.8. 

I'll see everyone next week for another round of Hottest Comics!

Have you upgraded your GoCollect membership yet? Check it out!