The top-10 Hottest Comics saw a mighty shake-up this week led by Strange Academy #1, talk of live-action debuts have given a Green Lantern issue its time to shine, and Deadpool climbs back into the Hottest Comics' top five.
HOTTEST COMICS BIGGEST MOVERS
29. GREEN LANTERN #59 (+971)
DC has been teasing us with a Green Lantern Corps movie for years now. Geoff Johns has said he would write the screenplay and possibly direct, which sounded great considering Johns’ pedigree with the Green Lantern comics. Now it seems the Green Lantern Corps is finally getting its day on HBO Max. The news is that the series will focus on the likes of Sinestro and his yellow lanterns, original Green Lantern Alan Scott, and Guy Gardner.
With Gardner getting his opportunity to shine on the small screen, it has catapulted this issue into the top-30 Hottest Comics. It is the biggest winner in the top 100, moving nearly 1,000 positions in only a week.
68. CONAN THE BARBARIAN #24 (+932)
In the last edition of the Hottest Comics, I spotlighted Conan #1’s boost in the rankings. This week, the debut of Red Sonja gets the honors. What has sparked a jump of more than 900 positions in seven days? I point toward the upcoming Netflix live-action series.
Since Netflix made the announcement that it was bringing Conan to the Barbarian to its slate of shows, collectors have been even more interested in his key issues than when Marvel announced Conan’s new comic series. Will we see Red Sonja in live-action for the first time since Brigette Nielsen brought her to life in 1985? That seems likely.
76. NAOMI #1 (+924)
Remember Naomi? A year ago, her debut in her own self-titled series had collectors scrambling. She was billed as the next big thing in DC, and prices inflated overnight. Then things got quiet, and Naomi gradually began to fall into obscurity. Just when her keys were on the way down, she suddenly popped back onto the scene. Her first appearance jumped an impressive 924 spots this past week, and she has once again become a hot character.
65. JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #83 (+925)
The recent Thor talk and anticipation for Love and Thunder has sent Silver Age collectors scrambling for this Holy Grail. While Jane Foster may be taking up Mjolnir for the next movie, Chris Hemsworth has indicated that Thor Odinson will get his hammer back in upcoming sequels. This has given a bump to JIM #83, not that a major key of this caliber needs one. Still, it has jumped an incredible number of spots, which is even more interesting considering the prices for even low-grade copies of Thor’s first appearance. After all, even a 0.5 is worth over $1k.
HOTTEST COMICS NOTABLE MOVERS
98. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #9 (+118)
Another batch of news this week centered on Jamie Foxx reprising his role as Electro from the ill-fated Amazing Spider-Man 2. While his interpretation of the classic Spidey villain was widely reviled, it has nonetheless brought attention to Electro’s first appearance in ASM #9. The bigger picture is that along with Michael Keaton’s role in Sony’s Morbius movie, bringing Foxx into the MCU signals that we may be seeing an Edge of Spider-Verse in the third Spider-Man: Homecoming installment. The latest rumor is that Disney/Marvel Studios has signed both Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire to reprise their takes on Peter Parker/Spider-Man for the third MCU Spidey flick. At this point, that is just a rumor, but it could prove true.
4. STRANGE ACADEMY #1 (+2)
Strange Academy #1 has been climbing for two weeks. Just seven days ago, it cracked into the top 10, and now it has graduated to the fourth position. Will it keep climbing into the coveted top three? Considering this issue’s rise, it just may continue going up.
What makes this issue of Strange Academy so special? It introduced Marvel’s version of Hogwarts, but more importantly, it marks the first appearances of several new additions to Earth 616. New characters are flowing like Niagara Falls these days, and many of the hottest comics are firsts. Having a single issue with a number of new faces is enough reason to keep this issue on the move. Even better is that they are all heroes, at least at this point, and heroes have a stronger upside than villains when it comes to key issues.
5. NEW MUTANTS #98 (+17)
One week, New Mutants #98 is in the top 10, the next week, it is clinging to the top 25. The rollercoaster continues this week as Deadpool’s first appearance powers back into the fray, capping the top-five Hottest Comics. Like Amazing Spider-Man #300 and ASM #361, this issue is a perennial favorite among collectors. Sure, there appears to be a love/hate relationship between collectors and Deadpool, and I expect this comic to continue its see-saw approach to the Hottest Comics index.
6. ETERNALS #1 (+11)
I pin Eternals #1’s stride into the top 10 on the Marvel Legends action figures.
A couple weeks ago, images of a Kro figure began circulating on social media, revealing the anticipated primary antagonist for the upcoming Eternals film. Where did Kro make his comic debut? You guessed it - in Eternals #1.
This was already an expensive issue, but prices had been dropping for most of this year. However, the attention on Kro has been giving the comic a boost in fair market value.
8. X-MEN #4 (+47)
You might say that Omega Red is...red hot.
Last year, rumors circulated that the Russian mutant and Weapon X experiment would be a villain in the Disney+ series, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. While nothing has been revealed concerning Omega Red’s live-action debut, it has been enough to keep this issue consistently in the top-50 Hottest Comics. This week, Big Red has cracked the top 10 with nearly 50 positions gained in the past week.
12. BATMAN #89 (+194)
A week ago, those Punchline keys were taking a hit in the rankings, and it seemed fans were falling out of love with the Joker’s new sidekick. Here we are seven days later, and Punchline’s first cameo appearance is knocking on the door of the top 10. Depending on what plans the DC editorial staff has for Punchline will determine its long-term appeal. The bigger the plans, the higher this key will climb.
