GoCollect Blog: Hottest Comics 9/23 (hottest-comics-9-23 )

What do Kang the Conqueror, the X-Men, What If…? and Star Wars have in common? They dominated this week’s list of biggest movers among the 100 Hottest Comics. This is a weekly post so be sure to check in every week!

Hottest Comics Top Ten

You can check out the full list on the GoCollect site.

Hottest Comics Biggest Movers:

Fandome may have put DC Comics back in the public spotlight and fueled some comic speculation, but the MCU is always a hotbed of rumors. Whether it is Disney+ or the silver screen, speculators are closely following the Marvel millings, and it is evident in the Hottest Comics list. From Star Wars to Kang and What If...?, Marvel remains the top dog in the speculation world. Let's dive in.

48. STAR WARS: KANAN THE LAST PADAWAN #6 (+952)

Of all the comics on today’s list, this one caught me the most off guard. While The Mandalorian has helped boost interest in the waning Star Wars franchise, collectors tend to shy away from most SW titles. Yet suddenly, Kanan made leaps and bounds and is now inside the top-50 Hottest Comics.

Why is this one so popular? That is due to Sabine Wren’s first appearance and The Mandalorian’s upcoming second season.

The latest Mandalorian trailer features a mysterious woman that many believe will be Wren. For those not in the loop, she was a prominent character in the animated Star Wars Rebels, and fans have been awaiting her live-action debut. Once she is officially confirmed for The Mandalorian, the news will push this comic possibly into the top 20.

51. WOLVERINE #10 (+949)

As a major X-Men fan, it makes me happy to see two of the biggest movers in the Hottest Comics index from the X-Men mythos.

Wolverine #10 has long been a minor key issue. Personally, I love the Bill Sienkiewicz cover art, and I am a sucker for anything Sabretooth from the 1970s, ‘80s, and the ‘90s. While not the chronological first fight between Wolverine and Sabretooth (who at that time was being written as Logan’s father), it is a flashback story that reveals the two’s initial brawl and established the torment Victor Creed imposed on his rival.

I have two theories on why this issue is selling so frequently. First, could this be repercussions from the debut of Solem in Wolverine #6? He is rumored to be taking Sabretooth’s place as Logan’s most-feared rival, and that could be spurring Sabretooth fans to collect the classics. Secondly, there are numerous Wolverine MCU rumors. Could we see this scene play out on movie screens (and make us forget about X-Men Origins: Wolverine)?

69. WHAT IF…? #1 (+931)

Longtime Marvel fans have been waiting for a return of the fabled What If…? series from the Bronze Age and it is on the way in animated form.

The title collected some of the best one-off stories from the Marvel Universe. Obviously, these tales are not meant to be canon, but they are intriguing looks at the possibilities for many characters and story arcs. Several issues laid the groundwork for future versions of characters, like Jane Foster wielding Mjolnir to become Thordis in What If…? #10.

With the animated What If…? Disney+ series on the horizon, it has beefed up prices and popularity for the initial issue for the Bronze title. If the animated series gains enough traction, there is a possibility that it will spawn a revamped comic title, which fans have been wanting for years.

96. X-MEN #138 (+903)

Maybe it is just me, but this John Byrne cover has an abstract Jim Steranko presence to it, and I absolutely love it. It is just another testament to the temple that is Byrne’s legendary run on X-Men.

This issue was post-Dark Phoenix, which saw the fateful death of Jean Grey. A heartbroken Cyclops walked away from the X-Men, and he would later star in Bob Layton’s X-Factor. At this point in the X-Men mythology, Jean Grey has died so many times in the comics and on screens both big and small that it has become a cliche, but this was the aftermath of her first death. It left an indelible imprint on the title, and Chris Claremont had wanted it to be permanent, which would have given it a more lasting impact.

As far as this issue’s rise in popularity, my inclination is that it is tied to the X of Swords event and Jonathan Hickman’s current X-Men run. Those two factors put fresh attention on the X-Men and their legendary leader, Cyclops.

47. SPIDER-MAN 2099 #1 (+894)

The 1990s comics were known for many things. Flash, over-the-top physiques, metal foil covers, excessive print runs - and Spider-Man 2099 gloriously encapsulates it all.

In the early part of the decade, Marvel published a line of futuristic versions of its classic characters. There was Punisher, Doom, and Hulk 2099, but the only one to stand the test of time has been Spider-Man. What’s not to like? He boasts one of the best costumes in all of the Spider-Man lore.

After being featured in a hilarious end-credits scene in “Into the Spider-Verse,” it was all but a sure thing that he would be coming to the sequel. That has made this a hot issue in recent years. There also is the recurring speculation that Spider-Man 2099 will be starring in his own live-action Disney+ series. Will this ever come to fruition? With the popularity of the Spider-Man franchise, it is a distinct possibility.

4. AVENGERS #8 (+631)

Out of all the comics on today’s list, this is the least surprising. Why is that? If you have not heard, the third installment of the Ant-Man film franchise has cast Jonathan Majors in a still-undisclosed role. Majors is the star of HBO’s hit “Lovecraft Country,”. This could catapult him into superstardom. Much like Black Panther and Thor did for Chadwick Boseman and Chris Hemsworth, respectively.

Again, Marvel Studios has been mum on Majors' MCU role. The rumor mill claims he will play the time-traveling villain, Kang the Conqueror. There has been speculation for years that Kang would be the next linchpin for the MCU in the vein of Thanos. If Majors is indeed confirmed as Kang, then this is significant news for Marvel fans.

The casting rumors swirling around Majors have pushed Avengers #8 into the top-five Hottest Comics with the inflated prices to match it. At this point, it seems likely that Marvel will put Majors in the role of Kang. Once that is made official, this could become the single hottest comic on the list.

Hottest Comics 9/23