Red She-Hulk led the pack, making a Hulk #15 variant the single hottest-selling comic on the market. Welcome to this week's Hottest Comics coverage!

Whether it was rumors or a surprise guest appearance in a movie advertisement, the MCU showed the way across the Hottest Comics index. Time to dive into the data and see which comics were the biggest movers and shakers of the week.

WHAT ARE THE HOTTEST COMICS?

Based on sales data for the past week, the Hottest Comics are the top-1,001 comics ranked by sales volume. The index can shift dramatically in a short amount of time, and it is a barometer of where collectors are investing their money. While this is not an indication of a comic’s fair market value, the two usually go hand-in-hand.

8. HULK #15 VARIANT EDITION (+991)

This 2009 issue gained plenty of momentum in a matter of days. A week ago, it barely ranked inside the top-1,000 comics, and then Hulk #15 Variant Edition suddenly stormed the gate and landed in the coveted eighth overall position. 

What makes this issue so special? It is the first appearance of Red She-Hulk, and there is speculation that she will be part of the She-Hulk Disney+ show. Keep in mind that nothing on that topic has been confirmed or even hinted at, but collectors and speculators alike are gunning for anything that could be tied to She-Hulk

For years now, fans have wondered if the MCU’s Thunderbolt Ross would follow his comic roots and transform into the Red Hulk. Since She-Hulk was announced, theories have abounded that Red Hulk would make his debut as part of that show. Following that logic, it would stand to reason that if there are rumors of Red Hulk, perhaps Red She-Hulk could be in the cards as well. In the comics, Red She-Hulk is Bruce Banner’s eternal love and Thunderbolt’s daughter, Betty Ross. However, the story could easily be adapted to give the Red She-Hulk persona to Jennifer Walters. After all, look at how many Hulk personalities Banner has, and the same could be in store for She-Hulk. However, the rumor is that Liv Tyler will be part of the show. That could mean she will get the nod as Red She-Hulk.

No matter the outcome for She-Hulk, fans want to see Red She-Hulk in the MCU at some point. The variant edition for her first appearance gained nearly 1,000 positions. At the moment, prices are down for this issue, which makes it a buyer’s market for now. At a 9.8, the variant edition last sold for $115 after selling for $188 on average last year. 

While we are on the subject, don’t forget about the standard edition. Last month, a 9.8 brought $261 after a May sale netted a record-high $375. If you are looking to save money, the variant is your best bet.

13. NEW MUTANTS #98 (+987)

Breaking from Marvel Studios tradition, Deadpool has officially joined the MCU, but in a style all his own. As a promotion for Ryan Reynolds’ new movie, Free Guy, the actor appeared in his famous red and black costume alongside Thor’s Korg. Normally, new characters debut in a Marvel movie or series. Deadpool’s grand entrance in an advertisement for a non-Marvel movie is just more of the fourth-wall breaking that fans expect from the Merc with a Mouth. 

The other part of the story is that it further shows that Marvel is not so quick to recast parts that were featured by competing studios. Alfred Molina and Jamie Foxx’s castings in Spider-Man: No Way Home and now Reynolds’ Deadpool are proof that fan-favorite characters may live on in the MCU. 

[caption id="attachment_135103" align="alignright" width="300"] New Mutants #98 Recent 9.8 Sales - GoCollect[/caption]

With all the hoopla over Deadpool’s MCU premiere, naturally it caused a flux in the market for New Mutants #98. Traditionally, this is one of the most inconsistent comics in the index. One week, it is battling for a top-five position, only to be flung to the bottom of the rankings seven days later. At the same time, prices have been fluctuating as fans waited for word of Deadpool’s impending arrival.

Two years ago, values were down to $723 on average for a 9.8. They went up slightly last year to $863. Then Kevin Feige announced that, indeed, the Fox Deadpool franchise would live on in the MCU with Deadpool 3 being produced by Marvel Studios. Since May, that same 9.8 has consistently sold for $2k or more. It will only keep ascending the Hottest Comics list.

29. SPIDER-MAN #1 SCORPION COMICS FACSIMILE NEGATIVE VARIANT (+971)

Those facsimile editions of classic comics have been huge sellers for both Marvel and DC, though the former gets most of the attention. They have become commonplace in local comic shops, and we are even seeing variants for these facsimiles. Case in point: the Spider-Man #1 negative variant.

This particular issue is a carbon copy of Todd McFarlane’s modern - classic take on Spider-Man from 1990. The cover art has become one of the most duplicated in all of comics. This makes the original and all its variants forever among the most popular on the secondary market. It makes sense that a unique take on the McFarlane artwork would attract plenty of attention from collectors, particularly the cover hunters. In this case, you get another cover mainstay, Clayton Crain, giving his take on “the Todd Father’s” work.

Over the past year, there have been 32 graded 9.8 negative editions to trade hands online. While averaging $156 in that span, it reached a high of $232 in February.

31. KAMANDI, THE LAST BOY ON EARTH #1 (+969)

There will come a day when Kamandi makes his DCEU debut, and it will be glorious. This is from Jack Kirby’s era at DC, and its roots in the Planet of the Apes is evident from the first issue. Yet, it stands on its own as a great addition to the DC Universe, and the story would play out well either in a tongue-in-cheek, live-action or even animated series. When the day comes that Kamandi gets his moment in the spotlight, Kamandi, The Last Boy on Earth will take off up the Hottest Comics list.

I must not be the only person with high expectations for Kamandi. Two weeks ago, a 9.8 reached a record $960 on July 6. Before that sale, the highest had been $540 achieved last year. That is not the only grade raising the FMV bar. A 9.2 recently sold for $170, while an 8.0 brought $80 earlier this month as well.

40. X-FACTOR #1 (+960)

For the past two years, the X-Men franchise has undergone a serious makeover. It began with Jonathan Hickman’s House of X. It has morphed into the latest version of the X-Men’s flagship team after the Hellfire Gala. In recent issues of X-Factor, Scarlet Witch is dead. That moves the franchise into its newest crossover, “The Trial of Magneto.” 

The fallout from the attention on the X-Men is escalating prices for those key issues. My inclination is that the sellout for last month’s X-Factor #10 has renewed interest for the team’s first appearance in X-Factor #1 from 1986. After the success of the X-Men lineup established in Giant-Size X-Men #1, Marvel decided to put the original X-Men together in their own title, X-Factor. Since then, the team has undergone many changes, but collectors still eye this issue since it is the team’s premiere.

Already this year, X-Factor #1 is setting new records. The 9.8 has sold for as much as $375, while a 9.6 sold for an astounding $232 earlier this year. On the plus side, that 9.6 doesn’t normally sell for quite so much, and it last sold for $91 on July 20.

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