Ghost Rider #28 and Thor #1 tied for the Hottest Comics of the week as they each climbed nearly 60 positions thanks to trailers and rumors.

Wait. Shouldn’t the Hottest Comics be the ones with the heftiest price tags? Not in this case. These are the 100 best-selling single issues, and the data is pulled from the past 30 days of eBay sales, regardless of if the comics are raw or graded copies. The Hottest Comics rankings are based on sales volume rather than climbing fair market values. However, the two are not exclusive and the numbers tend to intersect. Take a look.

23. GHOST RIDER #28 (+56)

Now that Moon Knight is officially in the MCU, does that mean the Midnight Sons are forthcoming? After all, we’ve got Doctor Strange, at least some form of Ghost Rider (and possibly more on the way), Blade, and Morbius is tied in through the Sony-verse. Add MK to the mix, and it would seem like the perfect combination for a supernatural superteam. 

This isn’t the first time the rumor mill has churned out Midnight Sons gossip. When the Midnight Suns game trailer dropped last year, it sparked ample speculation that Marvel’s answer to Justice League Dark was taking shape. Once MK and Werewolf By Night were confirmed for the MCU, it was a logical conclusion that the team was forming.

All Midnight Sons/Suns roads lead to Ghost Rider #28. Although they were called the Nine, this is widely considered the group’s first appearance. Of course, the original lineup looked much different. There was Blade, Johnny Blaze, Ghost Rider Danny Ketch, Morbius, Frank Drake, Victoria Montesi, Hannibal King, Sam Buchanan, and Louise Hastings. Doctor Strange would join the team in their full debut in Ghost Rider #31. 

Prices for the graded 9.8 GR #28 spiked into the $400-$500 range last year, and they have since come back to reality. These days, you can find one for a little under $200. If you don’t want to pay the elevated prices for slabs, the raw copies sell for $20 or less.

41. THOR #1 (+56)

After a long wait, MCU fans were ecstatic this week with the release of the Thor: Love and Thunder teaser trailer. The footage gave us a look at Thor in two of his new costumes as well as the returns of Korg and Valkyrie, who now rules Asgard. What had internet audiences losing their minds was the reveal of Natalie Portman as Jane Foster. Only this time, Jane is following the Jason Aaron story and wielding Mjolnir, thus becoming the Goddess of Thunder.

The hype for this issue has been brimming for years. When Marvel first announced the fourth Thor movie, Kevin Feige and company confirmed that Portman would return to play Lady Thor. That sent ripples through the secondary market with the primary targets being What If…? #10 and 2014’s Thor #1. In What If…? #10, you witness the first time Jane Foster picks up Mjolnir in an alternate reality tale outside the Marvel-616. Canonically, the first cover appearance of the Goddess of Thunder was in Thor #1, and buyers do love their cover hunting. 

The teaser trailer had collectors and investors scrambling to the auction sites for their copies of Thor #1. On Monday alone, there were 22 graded 9.8s that were bought and sold online. Although none reached last year’s record high of $516, one did set a year-high at $400. Do those prices not fit your budget? Opt for a raw copy, where prices are staying closer to $130.

7. X-MEN, VOL. 2, #1 (+48)

Whether we’re discussing the Hottest or Coldest Comics, the second volume of X-Men #1 refuses to be left out of the conversation. Just last week, the collector’s edition of 1991’s X-Men #1 was one of the five Coldest Comics. On the other hand, the Magneto cover for X-Men #1 was gaining ground. Here we are seven days later, and that Magneto X-Men #1 continues to rocket through the rankings.

Maybe there was a world record number of copies published in '91, but the X-Men never looked as good as they did on those Jim Lee covers. It makes sense that the Magneto edition would be so popular simply because of that glorious artwork. With X-keys getting more expensive by the day, it makes this issue that much more appealing.

Given the record print run X-Men #1 had in 1991, it’s no surprise to see at least one of the numerous covers barrel through the rankings. After all, they are easy to come by. What does surprise me are the values. Considering the abundance of copies, I am not sure why buyers are willing to pay $100-$150 for even a graded 9.8. Yet this week saw a slab bring $120 on Monday. I guess the allure of that near-perfect grade is too tempting.

2. NOVA #1 (+38)

The Man Called Nova is back again. Two weeks ago, this was the single hottest comic on the market, and for good reason. When Marvel confirms that a character is getting his/her first movie, those sales figures hit the boosters. In the case of Nova, it’s been a long time coming, and that makes the news that much sweeter. It also propels the FMVs that much higher.

Audiences have been waiting for Nova to make his MCU debut for several years. If you recall, Thanos wiped out the Nova Corps in the events of Infinity War, though that battle was off-screen. It led to the theory that Richard Rider would arise to be the final and ultimate Nova member and mark the turning point against the Mad Titan in Endgame. While that would have made for good cinema, it didn’t transpire.

The culmination of the gossip and speculation came last year when a rumor spread that Nova was one of three franchises getting a movie. It sent buyers on a hunt across the auction sites, and Nova #1’s price tag grew three sizes that day. Now that the feature film has been made official, speculators and investors are all over this issue.

Last month, a 9.8 Nova #1 sold for a record $3,000. For those with less than four figures to spend on a graded copy, I suggest the 9.6, which has averaged $686 for the past month.

31. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #101 (+34)

The bloom is off the rose when it comes to Morbius. Although fans disagreed with critical reviews on the movie’s quality, scoring it a 71% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes compared to the critical 16% rotten, the box office numbers are a more telling sign. After owning the top spot in its opening weekend, Morbius has since dropped off the radar. It is a dooming sign for Sony’s latest venture into the Spider-Verse, and it could have implications for ASM #101.

Not surprisingly, sales for Morbius’ first appearance have peaked since last year. Leading into the film’s release, prices were on the high end. With the movie beginning to tank, that should soon bring values down to a more reasonable range. Whether or not Morbius will get a sequel will be a turning point for those prices. If you’ve been a Living Vampire fan wanting a piece of his history, then you should have your chance to get a copy soon.

The highest grade sold this month has been the 9.2, which brought $3,600 on April 3. All the way down the ladder, the prices have seen ample inflation. Even a 3.0 has been selling in $400 territory this month. I suspect it will be a different tale in about a month.

Which of these Hottest Comics do you have in your collection? Let us know in the comments!

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