The list has been updated so it's time for another speculation on the biggest movers from the Hottest Comics list! An overlooked issue of Batman may have shown the most gains in this week’s Hottest Comics rankings, but it was not the only book making moves. This is a weekly update so if you missed last week - check it out.
HOTTEST COMICS BIGGEST MOVERS SPECULATION
What do Cassandra Cain, Cable, Negan, Hulk, Wolverine, and Morbius have in common? Their key issues all were high on collectors’ wish lists this week. Between all four comics, they averaged 960 positions gained, which is impressive in itself.
What made these issues so hot? More importantly, how has that translated into fair market value? The data tells the tale.
On a side note, you may notice the exact numbers may be different from one day to the next. That is because eBay’s sales data is constantly changing, and that impacts the index. Also, GoCollect's Hottest Comics data is derived from the quantities of comics sold, not the value. On with the list!
THE BIGGEST MOVERS
20. BATMAN #567 (+980)
Collectors have watched this issue take off in recent weeks. Now what was once a comic on the decline has skyrocketed in popularity, and it even reached a new record-high sale this month.
What makes this issue special is it is the first appearance of Cassandra Cain. She would go on to become Batgirl in 1999, and she was featured in the movie Birds of Prey.
Two years ago, a 9.8 for Batman #567 averaged $343 only to drop to $220 in 2019. Over the past 12 months, its fair market value dipped all the way to $156. If you grabbed one for that price, you could get rich as a fortune teller. The last 90 days have seen its FMV rise to $206 on the back of a $404 sale on November 1. Outside of that, the price tag had been in line with that 12-month average, so this was a significant increase.
Why the big jump? All of this may be coming from The Batman movie rumors that has given many in the Bat-family a boost. We could see her take on a bigger role in the comics or in the newest Batman video game, and that is possibly helping this issue’s climb in sales. However, I expect this issue to take a massive drop by next week’s Hottest Comics rankings.
28. NEW MUTANTS #87 (+972)
Buyers can’t seem to decide how they feel about New Mutants #87. One week, Cable’s first appearance falls outside the top 100. Seven days later, it rebounds. Then it nearly falls off the list entirely only to bounce back into the top 30.
As I speculated last time, much of the roller coaster effect can be blamed on Kid Cable. While he is being positioned as a major player in the new X-Men comics, overall, fans don’t seem enamored with him, judging by the low prices of his first appearance. For those you who are missing the original Rob Liefeld Cable, fear not. This is the world of comics, so we can rest assured that Old Man Cable will return, and that may be why this issue has suddenly spiked in sales volume. Whenever the original Cable is resurrected, it will trigger interest in his first appearance, which will spur FMVs for NM #87.
When it comes to price, this issue already has been on the rebound after a year of falling off the proverbial wagon. The 9.8, for one, has regained much of the value lost in 2019. Over the past 90 days, it has averaged $427 after earning a $390 FMV last year. Still, it has not rekindled the fire from the Deadpool 2 hype when it averaged nearly $500 in 2018. While those values from two years ago are out of reach, the FMVs could at least outdo the 2019 figures.
34. NEGAN LIVES #1 (+965)
There was a time when The Walking Dead was a powerhouse in the collecting world. With the comic series and the show coming to an end and the lackluster performance of Fear the Walking Dead, those TWD issues don’t hold the same clout as they once did. Case in point: Negan Lives #1.
Despite the increase in sales volume, this issue has been on the decline in 2020. Every grade of every variant has been losing value all year.
Even the red foil edition has felt the sting of 2020. After averaging $919 in the last 90 days, the most recent sale of $622 on November 8 was far below that number. Keep in mind, this was a comic that consistently sold for over $1k from August to September, and one 9.8 brought $1,700 in that span. That is a monumental drop off, and it represents the plight for all the copies of Negan Lives #1.
This drop could explain the rise in popularity. With prices so low, collectors may be buying up relatively cheap copies and crossing their fingers that another spike will come. However, I suspect this is a momentary influx and will not last for long.
40. INCREDIBLE HULK #340 (+960)
Cover collectors never lose interest in Todd McFarlane. The king of 1990s - and possibly all time king of - cover art is a constant in the Hottest Comics index every week. Love him or hate him, McFarlane’s body of work is iconic, and his covers are always popular in the collecting circles.
Of all the McFarlane masterpieces, this may be his opus. He captures the raw, animalistic nature of both characters, and the Hulk’s reflection in Wolverine’s claws is a subtle preview to the bloody battle to come. What makes it even better is that Wolverine is wearing his cool brown and yellow costume.
Besides it being a fantastic cover, this issue also benefits from all the Wolverine MCU speculation. Despite values being on the rise, most grades are still affordable - except the 9.8. The near-mint-plus grade has more than doubled in FMV in the past 90 days; a grade that averaged $386 in 2019 has jumped to $796 in the last three months.
This issue will really take off if the much-rumored Hulk versus Wolverine fight ever happens on the big screen.
35. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #101 (+925)
After Jared Leto’s poorly received turn as the Joker in Suicide Squad, it is a bit surprising to see fans excited for his take on Morbius. At any rate, the living vampire’s first appearance has remained hot particularly after the teaser trailer was dropped earlier this year. In typical movie hype fashion, once the new wore off the trailer, the buy rate slowed. As we see this week, things have picked up again and in grand fashion.
For the most part, prices are up with few exceptions. Of the 17 grades that have sold in the past 90 days, only four have slight decreases in FMV - the 1.8, 2.0, 3.5, and 4.0 - with the average loss between them at just $8.75.
The best selling grade has been the 7.5, which has sold 14 times since September. With the increased popularity, the prices are increasing as well. Two years ago, the 7.5 averaged $499 over 31 sales. By the end of 2019, it had sold 36 times for a $623 FMV. Since last November, this grade has exploded to 61 sales, and its 90-day FMV sits at $656. On November 1, it was just one dollar shy of matching its all-time high sale of $800, which happened to have been reached in January.
HOTTEST COMICS BIGGEST MOVERS: THE BOTTOM LINE
Out of all five comics on today’s list, I see ASM #101 having the best potential to keep climbing, especially with the Morbius movie on the horizon. Hulk #340 will remain a coveted collectible, and I predict it will stay at least in the top 100. Cable's debut will bounce in and out of the top 100 like it normally does. As for Negan, and Cassandra, their appearances in the top-five biggest movers are more likely to be short lived.
