We are collectors in the age of movie speculation, and there’s no argument that the MCU rules the market with an iron fist. All five of this week’s movers and shakers can credit their sales boosts to movie news and gossip, not that you should be surprised.
Keep in mind that the Hottest Comics are based on sales volume and not fair market values. A single issue doesn’t need a hefty price tag to ascend the ladder. On the contrary, the affordable key issues typically make the most headway. With that out of the way, it’s time to check the data and see what issues buyers had their eyes on this week.
10. NEW AVENGERS #7 (+80)
Illuminati, we hardly knew ye.
After so much hype, the Illuminati appears to be dead in the water. That will have grave implications for New Avengers #7, but this week, buyers were scooping up copies as fast as they could find them. The team’s first appearance, which had fallen to #90 in recent days, catapulted through the rankings to land inside the top 10.
At some point in the near future, those Illuminati keys are going to fall off the radar. With their casual annihilation in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, there are many questions about whether or not they will ever return to the MCU. Could this be another prank on the audience as a means to lower fan expectations? Perhaps, but only Kevin Feige knows for sure. For the moment, New Avengers #7 remains the hottest comic in all the land, and it is no doubt from the MOM fanfare.
The fair market values are beginning to fall. The MOM excitement inflated prices well into the $400+ territory leading to the movie’s release. On May 5, one 9.8 sold for as much as $450. Since the premiere, those values have begun to deflate, and the three copies sold this week were all for less than $300.
35. SPIDER-GWEN #1 (+64)
Spider-Gwen, Spider-Gwen, does whatever a Ghost-Spider does. The character with three superhero names, Spider-Gwen/Spider-Woman/Ghost-Spider is returning to the silver screen in the animated Across the Spider-Verse: Part One. It would appear she has a large role in the Into the Spider-Verse sequel, and that will raise the Spider-Gwen awareness throughout mainstream fandom. That typically results in profits for those key issues.
The bigger moment will be when she comes to live-action, and that day is coming. There are no news or rumors on the subject, but my guess is that Sony has her on the radar. The company is continuing to build its own brand of Spider-Verse, but without an actual Spider-Man. That could be on purpose.
With the Madame Web and Silk projects fully underway, the next logical step would be a Spider-Gwen solo movie. Fans would rejoice if Emma Stone were to reprise her role as Gwen Stacey but from an alternate dimension.
Spider-Gwen #1 is not a first appearance. That happens to be Edge of Spider-Verse #2, which is a much more expensive comic. As fans look to collect her key issues, those high price tags for the debut comic would logically send buyers toward the budget-friendly Spider-Gwen #1, her first self-titled series. With the 9.8 Edge #2 averaging over $2k in recent weeks, it makes the Spider-Gwen #1’s $162 FMV all the more appealing.
20. SPAWN #9 (+48)
Once again, Angela’s first appearance has set the collecting world ablaze. It comes from the speculation that she will make her MCU debut in Thor: Love and Thunder. Remember that in the comics, God’s favorite assassin is also Odin’s daughter and Thor’s sister. That makes her a perfect candidate for the new movie, especially with Gorr the God Butcher’s mission to kill all of Marvel’s gods.
The latest images from the movie are inspiring more Angela speculation. A recent still shot revealed Valkyrie on the Earthly Asgardian throne seated next to Jane Foster’s Goddess of Thunder. What is causing a stir is the debut of Bast, the panther goddess that we last saw in Black Panther. No doubt, she is on Gorr’s hit list, which means he is targeting more than the Norse pantheon. That could lead to Marvel’s Heven sending Angela, who will aid Jane in her quest to rid the Multiverse of the God Butcher.
All this speculation is raising the stakes for Spawn #9. At a 9.8, it is averaging $166 for the past 30 days, but that number could climb higher very soon. Just this week, the last two copies sold brought $169 and $185.
37. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #252 (+45)
Those Venom keys are never a bad investment. Since he arrived on the scene in 1988, fans have been enamored with the muscle-bound symbiote and his rows of shark teeth. Although the films have received low marks from critics, audiences can’t get enough of Eddie Brock and his alien costume, so no doubt there will be more movies. That only adds to the investment speculation, which was already bustling.
With a piece of the symbiote left behind in the Spider-Man: No Way Home mid-credits, it has put a larger target on those pre-Venom symbiote keys. The prime candidate remains Secret Wars #8, but there’s no denying the collectability of ASM #252. Tied for the first appearance of Spidey’s black suit on Earth-616, what makes this one stand above the competition is the cover art. Paying homage to Steve Ditko’s work on Amazing Fantasy #15, the image of Spidey in his classic pose and wearing the black suit never tires.
The edition shooting through the ranks this week is no ordinary ASM #252. This happens to be the newsstand copy with its barcode indicating it was sold outside the local comic shops of the day. These are harder to find in higher grades, and that propels the FMVs. The 9.8 has averaged over $2,700 as of late. Meanwhile, the 9.6 sells for close to $500.
48. X-MEN #1 COLLECTOR’S EDITION (+44)
Like the villain from a slasher movie, those X-Men #1s from 1991 refuse to die. Whether they surface on the Hottest Comics or Coldest Comics lists, the numerous copies of the X-Men’s second volume find a way into the spotlight week after week. Of course, when you’re the record holder for the most comics ever printed, you tend to stay popular. Then there’s the rampant X-Men speculation that adds fuel to the raging fire.
Professor X may have bitten the MCU dust within minutes of his grand reveal in MOM, but that doesn’t mean we have seen the last of him. With the Multiverse on the creative table, anything is possible. The MOM Charles Xavier was intended to have a distinct X-Men: the Animated Series vibe with his yellow hover chair, the opening notes from the cartoon’s theme song, and the wavey air effect when he used his telepathy. While it’s hard to imagine his death being connected to the series reboot, X-Men ‘97, MOM should raise awareness for the coming show.
It all translates into a bump in sales for X-Men #1, specifically the collector’s edition. With so many copies available, it’s a wonder that these sell for $100 even for 9.8s. Head over to eBay, and you can take your pick of raw copies at higher grades for a fraction of the cost.
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