The Spider-Verse rebounded in impressive fashion this week, and those Spider-Man and Spidey-adjacent keys ruled the Hottest Comics.

When you’re one of the single most popular comic book characters in the history of the industry, it goes without saying that your name is always a hot property. Along with a slew of projects featuring the web-slinger himself, the combination of Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios has turned him into an entire brand. As we’ve seen with the popularity of Venom movies, poor quality films or not, he doesn’t need to be in the story for it to rake in the box office dollars. 

With so much Spider-Verse content on the horizon for years to come, it’s no wonder that those key issues are en vogue. This week, our five biggest movers and shakers were all from the Spider-Man pantheon. 

What are the movers and shakers? These are the issues that gained the most ground in the Hottest Comics over the past week. Using the 10-day market data, the index ranks the 100 comics — be it raw or graded — based on eBay sales volume rather than fair market value. 

19. SPIDER-WOMAN #1 (+70)

It was only a week ago that Jessica Drew’s first solo title was struggling through the rankings. It limped its way to a 77th-place showing, having lost over 50 spots. Just when it looked like Spider-Woman #1 would fall to the collecting wayside for at least a few weeks, buyers put it back in their good graces. Now, it has reclaimed its secondary market heat and is rocketing toward the top of the sales charts.

Buyers have had an on-again, off-again relationship with this comic. It dates back to the first rumors that Spider-Woman would star in a female-centric Into the Spider-Verse spinoff movie. Once Sony began cranking out the live-action Spider-Verse movies and shows, it appeared the writing was on the wall for Jessica to get her spotlight. However, it seems that will happen in the animated Across the Spider-Verse and potentially the third Spider-Verse film rather than live action…at least for now.

Sporting the classic Spider-Woman costume, she is clearly seen in the latest Across the Spider-Verse trailer. The fact that she is voiced by Issa Rae suggests that we will see plenty of her in the movie. How big of a role Jessica will play has yet to be revealed. Even if she’s not a major factor in the upcoming film, she could very well be in the plans for the third movie. For that matter, no one has said the aforementioned spinoff isn’t still on the table, and these flicks could be laying the groundwork for that project.

All in all, it makes for a hot market for all things Spider-Woman. With her first appearance’s ballooning price tag, it naturally sends buyers on a hunt for Spider-Woman #1 as the next best thing. 

42. SPIDER-MAN UNLIMITED #1 (+54)

Why exactly this issue is gaining so much traction in the rankings is a mystery to me. In recent days, Spider-Man Unlimited #1 had been shunned and was in danger of dropping off the Hottest Comics index altogether. Here we are with it suddenly ranking inside the top 50.

This issue is a candidate to join the infamous Usual Suspects. We haven’t discussed them lately since so many fresh faces have been part of the rankings as of late. That made it overdue for one of them to rear its head. With SMU #1 being the start of perennial favorite storyline “Maximum Carnage” with classic Carnage cover art, it’s no wonder that buyers would keep this one on their wish list. Since it’s so easy to find, the price tag typically stays reasonable, even for higher grades.

When Venom: Let There Be Carnage was in theaters, collectors and investors had this issue ranking high. After all, it featured the debut of Shriek, Cletus Kasady’s love interest in the film. Although the happy couple didn’t make it past the end credits of that movie, there could be fan theories about her arriving in the MCU. At least, that’s my best guess as to why SMU #1 is on the move. 

45. SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #1 (+47)

With so many Spider-Man movies and cartoons having been made in the 21st century, the filmmakers are always on the lookout for clever titles. We’ve seen Amazing Spider-Man already, so the next evolution could be Spectacular Spider-Man. Of course, that happened to be the title of arguably the best Spidey cartoon ever made, one that deserves the X-Men ‘97 treatment, but I digress.

Although the story itself is not significant, Spectacular Spider-Man #1 has its name etched in Spidey history. Released in 1976, this was the second Spider-Man series to hit the market after the success of ASM. That alone is worth adding a copy to your collections. If Marvel or Sony uses Spectacular Spider-Man in a movie or series title, that will add value to the issue, and I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see that become a reality.

36. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #50 (+42)

Although the final two entries on today’s list are both ASM comics, the reason behind their surges is all about the Man Without Fear. More specifically, it stems from the excitement behind the recent news surrounding Daredevil: Born Again getting an official filming start date. 

The title comes from a classic Frank Miller DD storyline, but it is unclear how much his writing will influence the upcoming Disney Plus show. At the current pace of Phase Four and now Phase Five, it would appear Miller’s work will be watered down for a more kid-friendly audience. While comic book purists are at wits’ end with Marvel giving their favorite stories and characters the Disney treatment, the studio could have another mainstream hit in the making. As we all know, it comes down to profits, something speculators and investors can appreciate.

After being reintroduced into the MCU via Hawkeye, Kingpin was among the first characters confirmed for the DD reboot. He’s likely going to play a role in Echo as well, so get ready to see plenty of Vincent D’Onofrio in the near future. That is clearly having an impact on the secondary market as buyers are scrambling for ASM #50 featuring the Kingpin of Crime’s first appearance.

21. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #129 (+37)

After years of rumors and speculation, Marvel confirmed what so many fans had been anticipating: Jon Bernthal’s return to his most popular role as Frank Castle. Earlier this week, the studio made it official that not only would Bernthal be the MCU’s official Punisher, but the character will be part of DD: Reborn. That has Punisher fans celebrating in the streets while sellers were more than happy to quench that collecting thirst with plenty of ASM #129s up for grabs on eBay. 

There could be more than Reborn on Frank’s plate. As soon as Netflix announced that all its Marvel shows were being canceled, fans concocted ideas about where Punisher would fit into the MCU. He was hotly rumored to suit up as War Machine in Armor Wars, and there have been theories that he would join forces with Doctor Strange, Blade, and Ghost Rider as part of the live-action Midnights Sons/Suns. More recently, there’s been gossip that he will meet Deadpool and Wolverine in Deadpool 3 as the duo journey across the Multiverse. Now that Bernthal has been confirmed for Born Again, we can expect the rumors to intensify, which will keep the needle moving for ASM #129.

*Any perceived investment advice is that of the freelance blogger and does not represent advice on behalf of GoCollect.