A new Marvel show equals new contenders for this week’s Hottest Comics, but a surprising X-Men issue leapt into the top spot.

The power of the MCU was felt in two entries on today’s list, but that should not be a surprise. What should get your attention is the seemingly random X-23 #7 that overtook the #1 position in the Hottest Comics with almost 1,000 spots gained in a week. Nipping at its heels was a Man-Wolf key and the first appearance of Static. It has made for a huge shakeup in the top-10 Hottest Comics, which is good for us because it keeps things interesting.

Don’t forget that today’s list is not about dollar signs; it’s all about sales. The Hottest Comics is an index ranking the best-selling comics over the past week. Don’t confuse that with comics that have the highest fair market values because today’s post focuses on the comics with the highest sales volume.

With that in mind, here are your five biggest movers of the last seven days.

1. X-23 #7 ARTIST VARIANT (+998)

All your X-Men comics are hotter than ever. The Silver and Bronze Age keys are at the top of that list, but the X-franchise is so popular right now that even modern keys are getting the rub. Case in point: X-23 #7

What makes this issue special is it features the debut of the X-Assassin, a clone of X-23 (which I guess makes X-Assassin the clone of a clone, considering Laura Kinney’s origins). Here we have the variant cover by Mike Deodato. Why this issue has suddenly gotten this popular is a mystery to me. Could it be that she will make a grand return in the comics? That would help explain why this issue has suddenly taken off. There is a new theory from CBR that more clones will play a part in the MCU going forward, and that could be another reason for this issue’s sudden burst of popularity.

Typically when there is no good reason for a comic to get this hot virtually overnight, it takes a mighty plunge in the index the following week. On that note, I would be cautious about investing too much money into this issue.

We are seeing some gains in both the standard and variant editions of X-23 #7. A standard cover graded at a 9.8 has sold for as much as $68 this year, which is up $53 from last year’s average. The variant cover also graded at a 9.8 sold five times on June 1 for anywhere from $78 to as much as $95. 

2. MARVEL PREMIERE #45 (+997)

The Bronze Age was a weird time for comics. In the 1970s, Marvel Comics went all-in with classic monsters after the Comics Code Authority changed its rules to allow established characters from other literary works. During this period, Dracula was paired with Marvel’s superheroes in odd meetings with the likes of Spider-Man and Silver Surfer. Even Frankenstein’s monster became part of the Marvel family.

What Stan Lee and the Marvel editorial team really loved must have been werewolves. The Bronze Age gave rise to Werewolf by Night and Spider-Man’s own wolfman, Man-Wolf. After his debut in Amazing Spider-Man #124, Man-Wolf went on an absurd cosmic adventure beginning with Marvel Premiere #45 

While it is hard to imagine Man-Wolf flying through space in the MCU, this issue featured the first appearance of the Other Realm. That particular spot in the Marvel Universe could come into play in Loki, and that may be driving the sales for this comic. With all the cosmic stories happening in the MCU, there's a good chance Other Realm will be a setting in a future installment of Thor or Guardians of the Galaxy.

By no means is this a major key issue. Unless Other Realm or Man-Wolf make it into the MCU, this is barely enough to call it a minor key. That is why you can buy it even in a high grade for a fairly low price. The last 9.8 to sell online was for $385. Need something cheaper? Look at the 9.6, which averages less than $100.

3. STATIC #1 COLLECTOR’S EDITION (+995)

Collectors can’t decide what to do with the first appearance of Static. The collector’s edition, in particular, seems to be on a yo-yo, bouncing from the top 50 (and in today’s case, the top five) to the bottom 100 in just seven days’ time. 

The speculation stems from the impending Static movie in development. What lit a fire under the key issues came from Michael B. Jordan, Hollywood’s “it” actor ever since his star-making performance in Black Panther. Earlier this year, Jordan attached his name to the Static movie as a producer. That elevated Static in the eyes of most fans, and it confirmed that the movie would actually happen. 

The trouble is that we have not gotten anything new about the project since then, and that is what keeps Static #1 bouncing all over the Hottest Comics. Despite not having any news, this issue is commanding higher prices. The 9.8 collector’s edition last sold for $385, and it has a 90-day FMV of $316.

6. DOCTOR STRANGE #170 (+993)

There is plenty of mystery surrounding Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and it lends to ample amounts of speculation. The biggest question mark has hovered over the role of the movie’s villain. After numerous rumors and theories that Mephisto would play the antagonist, it appears that Marvel’s Satan is not bound for the MCU just yet. That sends theorists to the next best thing, Nightmare.

If you caught the series premiere of Loki, you probably caught the “nightmare” comment from Owen Wilson’s Agent Mobius. Whether or not that has anything to do with the character is anyone’s guess at this point, but it could easily spur more interest in those Silver Age Nightmare issues, including one of his early cover appearances on Doctor Strange #170.

So far, the highest grade sold online this month has been the 9.2. After averaging $105 in 2020, the most recent sale saw it bring a record-high $299 on June 5. Since this is not a first appearance, the prices are still relatively cheap for a Silver Age comic. At a 7.5, it last sold for $135. If you are willing to dip into the low grades, a 3.5 brought $45 on June 3.

7. THE DEMON #1 (+992)

We know that the Justice League Dark will be starring in an HBO Max series. Which characters will join the cast is still unofficial at this point, but we do know that it will feature Zatanna and Constantine. Who else could be featured in the show? An integral part of the DC animated JL Dark movies and in the comics has been the rhyming demon, Etrigan. 

With so many magical parts of the DCEU being opened up, it stands to reason that we will see Etrigan in the near future. Joanna Constantine will be featured in the Netflix adaptation of The Sandman, and that could mean Etrigan will also appear in that show. After all, he was part of the Sandman comics when Morpheus ventured into Hell. 

The surge in popularity has given practically every grade of The Demon #1 a boost in FMV. The highest grade to sell this month, the 9.2, already hit a record high of $565 this year. Below that, the 8.5 brought $310, and an 8.0 sold for $288. At the opposite end of the spectrum, the lowest grade to trade hands this month has been the 6.0, and that one earned a record $160 on June 3.