There were some surprise appearances among the back end of the Hottest Comics rankings, and price inflation could be the culprit.

With all the movie news and rumors circulating in the Marvel, Star Wars, and DC waters, it is hard to imagine any first appearances falling short, even for a week. Yet, here we are. Let’s take a closer look.

Don’t forget that the Hottest Comics are based on sales, not fair market values. Besides that, this is a snapshot of one week’s worth of sales. Does that mean these comics are bound for the dumpster? Not at all, but I will be happy to take them off your hands if the news is too much to bear.

907. THOR: GOD OF THUNDER #2 (-853)

There is no way this issue will stay this low for long. It is an important modern key, for sure. Gorr the God Butcher, along with the Necrosword, first appeared in this comic.

Both Gorr and the Necrosword have been in the news aplenty for the past year. Christian Bale is officially Love and Thunder’s God Butcher, and with the Necrosword tied to Knull, it is bound to appear in “The King in Black” crossover. With two heavy hitters making first appearances, collectors will be all over Thor: God of Thunder #2  likely by next week. In fact, I predict that this issue will crack the top 100 in no later than two weeks.

844. STAR WARS: KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC #9 (-792)

What’s this? A Star Wars first appearance that has lost ground in the rankings? This could be a signal of Star Wars fatigue, given that the galaxy far, far away ruled the comics world in 2020. Still, it is odd to see the first appearance of what could be a major character if Disney ever gets a KOTOR live-action franchise off the ground. In KOTOR #9, Revan - the star of the original, amazing game - along with Haazen made their first appearances, but their debut has fallen flat for a week. Blame it on the inflated SW prices.

893. JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #1 (-695)

JL Dark has been rumored for a live-action movie or series as long - if not longer - than KOTOR in the Star Wars universe. Will it ever come to fruition? I think that depends on the DCEU’s current slate and fan reactions. At this pace, DC is making up ground, and a JL Dark movie is not out of the question. With implications of the MCU putting the Midnight Sons together, DC better step up its timeframe to beat Marvel to the punch on a magical and horror-themed superhero team. Either way, Justice League Dark #1 took a slide.

884. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #650 (-688)

Spider-Man has once again donned a new suit in the current run of Spidey-lore, Amazing Spider-Man #650, and it has received a lukewarm reception. Has that blasé response carried over to another costume that graced the pages of ASM? It would appear that fans were none too excited over the Spider-Man stealth suit, which looks tailor-made for video games and action figures. If that was the actual purpose, then it hit its mark. Otherwise, it fell into oblivion like so many other costume changes for Marvel’s elite.

1001. VENOM #155 LENTICULAR COVER (-2)

Just for fun, let’s take a look at the comic at the absolute bottom of the barrel, Hottest Comic #1001, the lenticular cover for Venom #155.

First of all, being the last comic on the charts is not an insult to that comic or its creators. The fact is it is selling while many other issues did not even rank that high. Still, when a modern comic reaches below #1000, it is saying something, and it is not necessarily positive. 

Like basically every other modern comic on the market, Venom #155 had its share of variants. For this issue, Marvel approved a 1990s flashback that has been making a comeback over the past five years or so: the lenticular. Remember those? Hold them in the light and move them back and forth and the image appears to change. And that, my friends, apparently is just gimmicky enough to earn the last spot in the Hottest Comics rankings.

Are your concert posters worth money? See for yourself!