It will be a bittersweet end to the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy this weekend. James Gunn and the GOTG cast have said their teary goodbyes to the MCU, and it should have audiences weeping by the time the end credits roll. Next to The Flash, GOTG Vol. 3 is the most anticipated superhero movie of the year, and that hype is driving several issues in this week’s Hottest Comics. In the lead is an early Adam Warlock key. However, even the golden god himself took a backseat to a popular X-Man.
Before we get started, don’t forget that the Hottest Comics index is based on sales volume. While fair market values are the most eye-catching, it’s the actual sales numbers that show us where buyers are focused.
27. AVENGERS ANNUAL #10 (+57)
It’s been a few weeks since Avengers Annual #10 made the list, but it made plenty of noise on its way back to the movers and shakers. For a time, AA #10 could be found on either the Hottest or Coldest Comics on practically any given week. Then things calmed down, and this issue basically treaded water without making any major moves one way or the other. This time around, it’s come roaring back with a vengeance.
While Rogue’s first appearance is soaring at the moment, I wouldn’t be surprised to see it take a stroll onto the Coldest Comics next week. Such is the nature of comics that aren’t getting the rub from any MCU news or gossip. Over the past couple of years, it seemed that Rogue would get her time to shine in The Marvels. With Monica Rambeau gaining powers in WandaVision, fans speculated that she would become the next Captain Marvel. In the comics, that happened after Carol Danvers lost her powers to the mutant, Rogue.
Even after she joined the X-Men, Rogue retained the cosmic abilities, and it’s been a staple of her character ever since. That is precisely what her fans want to see in the MCU, and The Marvels appeared to be the path to get us there. However, the latest trailers don’t point to Rogue arriving quite yet, which stymied the sales for AA #10.
This week, buyers were grabbing as many copies as they could find on eBay. Whether or not Rogue will get a cameo or an Easter egg in The Marvels is still in the air, but she is practically a lock for the X-Men’s MCU debut. She will also be an integral part of the animated X-Men ‘97, and that’s not going to hurt sales, either.
50. MARVEL PREMIERE #15 (+49)
Between Charlie Cox, Jon Bernthal, and Vincent D’Onofrio reprising their Netflix roles, it’s got most fans thinking all the Defenders are on the table for the MCU. It’s even enough to help audiences forget the awfulness that was both seasons of Iron Fist and Danny Rand incessantly reminding us that he was, indeed, the immortal Iron Fist.
If nothing else, Iron Fist is a character highly deserving of a reboot. That doesn’t mean that Marvel Studios should recast Finn Jones; despite a bad show, he did a serviceable job in the part. With a better creative team in place behind the scenes, Iron Fist could have one of the better series on Disney Plus.
It would not surprise me to see him make an appearance in Daredevil: Born Again. In fact, that could be the gateway to reintroducing all the Netflix Marvel characters into the MCU. Who knows? Maybe we could finally get that Luke Cage/Iron Fist team up that fans everywhere were so anxious to see.
When we put it all together, it makes for a hot Marvel Premiere #15 market. At the moment, there’s no word on what will happen with the other former Netflix stars, but it’s hard to imagine Kevin Feige leaving all those characters on the shelf. At some point, we will see Iron Fist make his comeback, and that makes this a prime long-term investment.
51. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #101 (+41)
Could it be that Blade has a little to do with ASM #101 getting attention this week? Despite Morbius starring in one of the worst superhero movies of the past decade, his first appearance has been no stranger to the Hottest Comics. Sure, the fair market values took a beating after the dreadful response to Morbius, but that could be aiding in ASM #101’s sudden jump up the ladder. Given that prices are low and the possibility of Morbius jumping to the MCU in some fashion, this is an opportune time to buy.
That brings us to Blade and any chance of a monstrous team-up on the big screen. Although it’s a bit loose at this point, the Sony-verse is an established part of the MCU Multiverse. That means Jared Leto’s Morbius could appear in a Marvel movie, and many fans are wondering if that may come in the form of a team. There are plenty of options straight from the comics, ranging from the Legion of Monsters to Nick Fury’s Howling Commandos and several others.
30. THOR #165 (+37)
It wasn’t hard to see this coming. With Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 premiering this week, those GOTG keys will be on the move. Given the normal flow of the movie investments, this will probably last around two or three weeks before the dropoff begins. Yes, that will be the case with the Warlock keys, but this is a character with so much potential in the future MCU. What that role could be going forward, only Feige and the inner circle know for sure.
Suffice it to say, we will see more of the golden god man going forward. That will have his early appearances back in the hot seat on and off for years to come.
Here you have Warlock’s first full appearance and first cover appearance. Of course, he wasn’t called Adam Warlock at this time. That name didn’t come about until the Bronze Age. Initially, he was known as Him, and he sported slightly more than a loin cloth when he met the God of Thunder in Thor #165. Being those major firsts for Him, it’s easy to see why buyers favor this issue over his cameo reveal in Fantastic Four #67.
45. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #122 (+33)
There are some classic comics that will always be popular no matter what is happening on the silver screen. Iconic first appearances, impressive cover art, and heart-wrenching stories get top billing simply for the love of comics. Among the many favorites that proliferate such a list, the death of Gwen Stacey is one of the most deserving. Decades after the Green Goblin orchestrated Gwen’s demise, it’s a story that continues to shape the Spider-Verse.
That being said, it warms my heart to see ASM #122 climbing the charts this week. This is such a masterful story that matured Spider-Man in the most impressive fashion. After Gwen died in ASM #121, the emotional toll on Peter Parker was devastating. For one issue, he was no longer the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man; he was a man bent on revenge. Staying true to his character, he chose not to take the Goblin’s life, thus preventing him from becoming a murderer. However, it was Goblin’s attempt to impale Spidey with his glider that ended Norman Osborn’s life.
Over the years, Marvel writers have attempted to resurrect Gwen and Norman in many ways, some better than others. Where that typically dilutes a death story, ASM #121 and #122 are the exceptions to the rule. It retained the emotional impact despite those characters being written back into the comics, and that makes it worthy of its status as an all-time classic.
