This latest Hottest Comics rankings are live, but which X-Men issue rose through the ranks to be crowned this week’s single hottest issue? This is a weekly update from the Hottest Comics list that is updated based on quantities of sales every week. If you missed last week's check it out and be sure to check out tomorrow's that will be looking at the losers from the list. All data shown here is valid at the time of writing 12/2/2020.
THE BIGGEST MOVERS - X-MEN?
The Punisher’s old nemesis, Jigsaw, fought his way to the top of the sales list this week, amassing nearly 950 spots in the course of seven days. However, the bigger story belongs to the X-Men. Between three different X-related titles, the franchise owned four of the five Hottest Comics.
The rankings are based on eBay sales data as well as auction house sales, so these five made the biggest moves in terms of sales volume.
See for yourself in this week’s breakdown.
65. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #162 (+934)
This week, Punisher is beginning to trend. Not only has ASM #162 cracked the top 100, but his first solo comic, Punisher #1, picked up 873 spots and ranked #127 this week.
For the Punisher fan on a budget, this is a great choice. While it does not contend with Frank Castle’s major keys, it is a worthy consolation prize since it features Jigsaw’s premiere. Compare prices. Even the lowest grade of ASM #129 to swap owners this year, the pitiful 0.5, last sold for $450. For that same amount, you can have a much nicer copy of ASM #162. In fact, the 90-day fair market value for a 9.8 is only $453, and Punisher is front and center on the cover along with Spidey and the X-Men’s Nightcrawler.
An even better value is the 9.0. This is a near-mint comic that will present very well in a graded slab. The best part is you can have one for less than $100.
67. X-MEN #121 (+933)
Kevin Feige and company are making us wait for X-Men news, and that could be on purpose. The tension and excitement are building, and that fuels the speculation by raising more questions. How will mutants be introduced? Will the X-Men be the first team introduced? Could Marvel Studios throw a curve and position Alpha Flight as the top mutant team?
In the comics, the modern Alpha Flight went full intergalactic defense by replacing S.W.O.R.D., and that interstellar organization has already been established in the MCU. It does not take too much brain power to connect the dots and assume that Alpha Flight may be introduced alongside the full reveal of S.W.O.R.D. in the upcoming WandaVision Disney+ series. That puts a premium on those Alpha Flight keys ahead of a team that appears destined for a live-action debut.
Technically, this is the team’s second overall appearance, but it is credited as being Alpha Flight’s first full appearance. Even though the prices are ascending, they have yet to enter the truly ridiculous phase. Granted, a 9.8 has a three-month average of $816 at the moment, and one sold for a record-breaking $1,020 in August, but it is the other grades that are the best values despite the increase in popularity.
Although the 9.6, which looks virtually identical to the 9.8 to the naked eye, last sold for $405, it has a 90-day average of just $313. That is reasonable for a comic with so much potential. If you are willing to drop the grade to a 9.4, which is still a good looking copy, you can have one for less than $200 on average.
68. X-MEN #129 (+932)
Just behind Alpha Flight’s first appearance, X-Men #129 climbed over 900 positions to secure itself inside the top 100. What is special about this issue is it features the debuts of major characters, two of whom are odds-on favorites for the MCU: Kate “Kitty” Pryde, aka Shadowcat, and Emma Frost, who premiered alongside Sebastian Shaw and the rest of the Hellfire Club.
In the current pages of X-Men, Emma Frost and Shadowcat have been positioned as leaders among the mutant island of Krakoa. Of course, they had both been elevated for years, and they amassed respectable followings in that time. The other thing to consider is that while Kate and Emma have been seen in live-action, neither received ample screen time. That puts them as prime candidates to be part of the MCU’s first X-Men lineup, which makes X-Men #129 a must have for X-fans.
At first glance, this issue may seem unaffordable for most collectors. It is hard to ignore the 9.8’s $1,781 average over the past three months. The last sale was for a jaw-dropping $2,000 that set a new single-sale record. That leaves the near-mint-plus grade out of reach for many of us. Thankfully, there is the 9.6.
For less than a quarter of the price of the 9.8, the 9.6 has a 90-day average of $468. That means you can save a significant amount of money and have a comic that will present equally as well as that elusive and expensive 9.8. If you are looking to save even more, drop down to the 8.5. This is another grade that will look good in a slab, and it has a 90-day FMV just under $150.
72. ALPHA FLIGHT #1 (+928)
Again, I point to the MCU rumors as the culprit for Alpha Flight #1’s surge in popularity. There are so many potential scenarios for Alpha Flight to join the live-action fray that these Canucks cannot be ignored. It doesn't hurt that Captain Marvel herself is a member of Alpha Flight, and she could possibly lead an onscreen version of the team.
At the moment, their key issues are very much affordable for any budget. Need a 9.8? The 90-day FMV is a modest $167. Not low enough, you say? Aim for the 9.6, which is averaging less than $60.
73. NEW MUTANTS #14 (+927)
Say what you will about the New Mutants movie, but it has made Magik an even bigger star than before. Certainly, the consensus for New Mutants has been negative or mediocre at best. However, it is doing quite well in the streaming market, and that is helping those NM key issues. None are benefiting more from that than NM #14.
While Ilyana Rasputin, sister of fan-favorite Colossus, was yet to be officially dubbed Magik, NM #14 is when she truly ascended into the role of superhero and joins the New Mutants. That makes this a hot issue for New Mutants and Magik fans.
With that popularity comes inflated prices. Two years ago, the 9.8 was a $190 comic. Now that pop culture has discovered Ilyana, it has jumped to a $338 90-day average. Once again, the saving grace for smaller budgets is that beautiful 9.6. You can add that near-mint copy to your collection for about $100. If you dip to the 9.0, that price drops to under $50.
PREDICTIONS
Of all five comics on today's list, X-Men #129 has the most potential, especially when the grades outside the 9.8 are still affordable. Next to that, X-Men #121 could stay at least within the top 200 comics as the rumors of Alpha Flight continue to circulate. Magik has been gaining popularity and getting more of a spotlight in the new X-Men run, but she would need to become a major player for her key issues to truly have staying power.
