Love and Thunder caused an uproar for 2015’s Thor #1, and buyers were spending boatloads of cash to add this Jane Foster key issue to their collections in this week’s Hottest Comics.

Below you will find the five single issues that made the biggest moves on the Hottest Comics index. Based on the past 30 days, this list is comprised of the 100 best-selling issues across the world’s most famous auction site, eBay. While many of the comics featured command hefty price tags, the Hottest Comics are all about sales volume and are not an indicator of shifting fair market values.

On that note, let’s explore this week’s top five.

3. THOR #1 (+53)

Between the Thor: Love and Thunder trailer and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness premiere, it was a toss up between the two over the Hottest Comics. Those two MCU powerhouses have captured the world’s imaginations, and the keys for these movies are on fire. Naturally, the single Hottest Comic would come from that enthusiasm.

This week, Thor #1 took the top prize as it moved up 53 spots in the rankings to crack the overall top five. What makes this issue special is that it is the first cover appearance of the Goddess of Thunder, aka Lady Thor. Although Jane Foster first took up Mjolnir non canonically in What If…? #10, we didn’t get our first glimpse of the canonical Thunder Goddess until 2014’s Hawkeye Versus Deadpool #0. Despite appearing on the cover art for Thor #1, she was not fully revealed until the second issue.

If this isn’t her first appearance, why is Thor #1 such a hot seller? It all comes down to the front cover. Buyers put a premium on the cover debut oftentimes over the first appearances, whether those are cameos or full. With the Thunder Goddess’ face plastered on the cover art for Thor #1, which has pushed it to new heights since Love and Thunder was first announced.

For the past year, the 9.8’s FMV has been $324. Although collectors and speculators are buying those high-grade Thor #1s in droves, the past 30 days have seen the average take a minuscule dip to $313. However, May 1 did produce a $369 sale.

46. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #4 (+49)

There hasn’t been anything to report on the Silk streaming series as of late. The most recent news was that her live-action show would land on Amazon Prime and that filming supposedly started in August. Whether or not the cameras are rolling or who will play Cindy Moon is anyone’s guess.

Despite the lack of news, buyers were combing the auction sites for her key issues, beginning with ASM, vol. 3, #4. Cindy first appeared in ASM #1 as a cameo before revealing that she could produce organic webbing in the following issue. By ASM #3, Marvel began to tease a new Spider was coming. That led to the full first appearance of Cindy Moon in her superhero costume as Silk. 

What could be causing this issue to crawl up the rankings? Everything Spider-Verse is hot thanks to Spider-Man: No Way Home and the trailer for Across the Spider-Verse: Part One. There’s also plenty of buzz surrounding the Sony-verse’s line of Spider-characters. With both Kraven and Madame Web getting their own movies, it would not be a stretch to suggest Silk will cameo in one or both of those films. At some point, all of Sony’s Spider-Man and Venom properties will come together, and that will draw massive box office numbers. 

In the meantime, collectors are getting their hands on those Silk keys in preparation for her live-action debut. Once the first trailer hits, it could send prices through the proverbial roof. At the moment, the 90-day FMV for a 9.8 stands at $356, and a recent sale netted $385 on April 30.

27. SPAWN #9 (+42)

Once again, Love and Thunder’s market influence gave a push to one of its key issues. Although the teaser trailer has been released, there is much we don’t know about the fourth Thor movie. Sure, there’s Jane wielding Mjolnir, Thor rocks a 1980s vest on a mission to find himself, and Gorr the God Butcher lurks in the shadows, but questions abound as to what other characters could be featured in the movie. One prevalent theory is that Angela will be making her MCU debut here.

The former Image Comics intellectual property was created in 1993 by Neil Gaiman when he guest-authored an issue of Spawn. At that time, Image co-founder and Spawn creator Todd McFarlane was teaming with comic legends for single issues of the title. Along with Gaiman, McFarlane teamed with Alan Moore, Frank Miller, and others for a tour de force of comic creators. Gaiman came aboard and created Angela, the assassin of Heaven. Years later, the character rights were contested between Gaiman and McFarlane, with both claiming ownership. In the end, Gaiman won the legal battle, and Angela’s IP was sold to Marvel, where she became Odin’s daughter.

With Love and Thunder exploring other realms, including Olympus, many are wondering if either Thor or Jane will venture to the not-so-subtly-named Heven, the home of Angela. That speculation is putting a premium on high grades of Spawn #9 just in case it happens. Already this week, a 9.8 has sold for $136.50, though it is well below the one-year FMV of $198.

28. NEW AVENGERS #7 (+36)

The Illuminati has been confirmed for Multiverse of Madness, and it immediately caused a spike for New Avengers #7. 

For the past year, there was speculation that Marvel’s shadowy overlords would be a major part of MOM’s plot. Then came Patrick Stewart’s voiceover in the Super Bowl ad, and sales inflated beyond recognition. The Illuminati’s first appearance set a record-breaking pace for several weeks despite their presence in the movie being questionable. Those beefy price tags coupled with the lack of news caused a slow down in the sales department for a brief time. Then came the latest round of trailers and television spots.

The newest footage fully confirms the Illuminati. In fact, they are specifically named when an imprisoned Doctor Strange is brought before the council. There’s also speculation that Captain Carter, Mister Fantastic, and Black Bolt are all members. It’s been enough to jettison New Avengers #7 back up the rankings with even higher prices. 

So far, we are not seeing the record-breaking prices from February, but the 9.8s have averaged $402 over the past 30 days. On May 1, there was a $513 sale, which has only been the second $500 price in that span.

38. THE LAST RONIN #1 (+35)

Not everything in this week’s top-five Hottest Comics comes from Marvel. At least, it doesn’t directly come from Marvel. Instead, it’s the publisher’s satellite operation, IDW.

The final entry on today’s list is The Last Ronin #1, the futuristic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles story that has a more serious tone than fans are accustomed to seeing. Ditching the comedy for a brutal and heartbreaking story, this tale finds Michelangelo as the last turtle left standing after the Foot Clan wipes out the Splinter Clan. Forced to mature, Michelangelo embarks on a quest for revenge against the Shredder’s grandson, who has totalitarian control over his city. 

The series has been hugely successful and revered by fans. The only problem was how long it was taking IDW to publish the issues. After two years, the fifth and final installment reached store shelves last week, which is why sales for Last Ronin #1 saw another peak. It currently averages $160 for the past month.

Want more?

THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER FIRST TRAILER: MARKET REACTION
THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER – ANGELA AND THE MCU
SPOTLIGHT ON THE ILLUMINATI: APPEARING IN MOM?

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