As excitement for The Suicide Squad boiled over on the eve of the film’s release, it launched two Squad keys to the top of the week’s movers and shakers list. Here are this week's Hottest Comics!

Welcome to the Hottest Comics! This week saw the Gotham City Sirens, led by Harley Quinn, and Peacemaker’s first appearances draw big sales ahead of The Suicide Squad premiere. Remember that the index is based purely on sales volume and not fair market values. However, the two typically overlap, making it a handy tool to look into the current buying trends.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the five issues that have had the most momentum over the last seven days.

22. Detective Comics #850 (+977)

With The Suicide Squad hype at its max heading into the movie’s world premiere, it is no surprise that a Harley Quinn key had the most heat. In one week, DC #850 gained over 970 positions to nearly crack the top-20 hottest comics.

Why would so many buyers target this specific issue? It just so happens this is the first appearance of the Gotham City Sirens, comprised of Harley, Poison Ivy, and Catwoman. There had been talk up until last year that the Sirens would get their own movie. The last anyone from WarnerMedia or DC spoke on the subject was January of 2020 when David Ayer, the director of 2016’s Suicide Squad, said the project was on hold. 

As of this writing, The Suicide Squad appeared to be heading for a huge opening weekend between streaming on HBO Max and the box office. If it is the crowd-pleaser most fans anticipate, then it could prod WarnerMedia into fast-tracking the Gotham City Sirens movie. What will be the icing on the cake is for Margot Robbie to have another show-stealing performance as she did five years ago. Surely that would be enough reason for WB to take the project out of development limbo.

Coming off the movie buzz, sales prices for the graded 9.8 have been increasing. For much of the year, values hovered anywhere from $60-$80. Since the end of July, the price tags have gotten more expensive, and a CBCS 9.8 drew a whopping $199 on July 31. The most recent sale from just yesterday netted $110 for a CGC slab.

27. Moon Knight #3 (+973)

According to the rumors, Marvel Studios has cast its Midnight Man for the Disney+ Moon Knight series. In the comics, the first Midnight Man was Anton Mogart, an art and jewel thief who committed his crimes at (you guessed it) midnight. Obviously, that would run him afoul of Moon Knight. The two fought, resulting in Anton having his face disfigured by sewage runoff. He then vowed revenge on MK, and the two would repeatedly clash.

Stricken with cancer, Anton would continue to plague Moon Knight until the villain finally died. Before his death, he taught his son, Jeff Wilde, all of his skills, though he asked him not to turn to crime. Instead, Jeff would serve as MK’s sidekick, but he eventually became a criminal anyway.

Anything connected to Moon Knight is hitting record highs due to the Disney+ excitement. Why would it not? Fans have been waiting years for MK to make his live-action MCU debut. Naturally, whenever a new character is added to (or rumored for) the show, collectors go on a spending spree to nab the key issues, sparking the inevitable price inflation. 

With the newfound popularity for Moon Knight #3 comes higher prices. In the case of the 9.8, the latest sale is insane. After staying in the $300-$400 range in July, one copy brought a ridiculous $950 on August 1. Whether or not that sale will prove to be an outlier remains to be seen, but it is worth your attention in case this is the trend.

40. Fightin' Five #40 (+959)

The only surprise with Fightin’ Five #40 picking up 959 positions in a week is that it didn’t happen sooner. This is the first appearance of Peacemaker, whom James Gunn and John Cena have taken from zero to fan-favorite practically overnight. Not only does Peacemaker have some of the best lines in the trailers, but he has gone above and beyond to promote the movie, doing interviews in full Peacemaker costume. As outrageous as the suit and helmet are, Cena makes it work, and the interviews are nothing short of pure entertainment.

The bigger picture is that Cena will star in a solo Peacemaker series on HBO Max. Clearly, WarnerMedia and Gunn saw dollar signs in Cena’s performance, and they are likely banking on The Suicide Squad’s momentum to carry over to Peacemaker. This could be just the beginning of the character’s ascension to household name in true Guardians of the Galaxy fashion. 

All of this has created a bonfire under Peacemaker’s debut in F5 #40. Practically every grade has obliterated its previous records. On August 1, a graded 6.5 jumped from a 2020 average of $799 to $1,149. Before that, the record had been $810, which was set in May. It doesn’t stop there. The last sale for a 4.5 saw it draw $720. 

And to think, hardly anyone had even heard of him before last year. And now here he is, featured on this week's hottest comics list.

43. Green Lantern #76 (+957)

Out of all five comics on today’s list, Green Lantern #76 may be the most surprising. Historically, this issue has so much going for it. First of all, it is widely recognized as the beginning of the Bronze Age of comics.

While that is not quite as major as the first Silver Age issue, it is, nonetheless, a milestone. Cover collectors have long appreciated the comic’s artwork, which was the first in a slew of iconic covers from Neal Adams at that time. 

Ever since DC put the green heroes together in a title, the two characters have been forever tied to one another in the fans’ eyes. With the Green Lantern show coming to HBO Max, could we see Stephen Amell’s Oliver Queen make an appearance?

[caption id="attachment_137602" align="alignright" width="300"] Green Lantern #76 Sales Trends - GoCollect[/caption]

In the Multiverse, anything is possible, and it would only heighten this issue’s overall popularity.

For the past couple of months, prices for GL #76 have been eye-popping. In June, a 9.6 sold for an astounding $18,000 after averaging $8,178 in 2020.

Then there is the 9.4, which brought considerably less than the 9.6, but that is not to say it is cheap. That 9.4 averaged $3,525 last year, and the most recent sale was for $6,900. Earlier this year, a 3.0 sold for $250.

49. Incredible Hulk #182 (+951)

Hulk #182 will forever be known as the consolation prize among the heavyweights of Wolverine keys, Hulk #180 and #181. Still, having the third appearance of Wolverine is a worthy addition to any collection. 

After Wolverine debuted on the final page of Hulk #180 before making his full first appearance and first cover appearance in #181, it is understandable why those two would be the top choices for his key issues. By the time #182 rolled around, Logan was seen on the first page as a means to put a cap on his short-lived story. If he had been on the cover of this issue, then we likely would be telling a different tale. 

Following a record-setting pace for much of 2021, Hulk #182 has slowed in the past month. Take the 9.8. In June, one copy sold for a record $6,500, but last month saw the price dip to $3,200. It is a similar story for the 9.6. On June 16, there was a record sale for $3,551, though it was followed by an August 1 price of $1,376. 

Got any guesses for what we'll see on next week's Hottest Comics list? Let us know your predictions in the comments!

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