Analyzing the Hottest Silver Age Comics of the last 30 days is a case study of both what lies behind us and what lies ahead. Two of the five books below are comprised of books speculating on news from the upcoming film Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. Another two books on the list are related to current and upcoming Spider-Man franchise films. These movies are still driving speculation and Silver Age books are rising because of it.

Here are the five highest risers among Silver Age books in the past month.

#13. Fantastic Four #46 (+76)

You know that a mega-popular comic film is fast approaching when the hottest comics list is filling up with speculative books from the characters of that movie. Fantastic Four #46 is a key book due to the fact that it is the second appearance of the Inhumans, but - more importantly - the first appearance of Black Bolt. In December, it was first reported that Black Bolt might appear in the film, and three months later, that rumor still has a lot of legs.

Could he be played by Vin Diesel? Could he be part of the Illuminati that was teased in the most recent trailer for the film? We won't know until May 6th, but people are buying up this book like it's a sure thing.

In the past five weeks, two CGC 6.5 copies (around the 50th percentile on the census) sold for over $500 each. That marked the first time in GoCollect's database that this grade sold for that much. It will likely continue to spike as we either get closer to May or the rumors are dispelled.

#24. Strange Tales #126 (+50)

It also won't surprise you to learn that ST #126 is also one of the hottest books in the industry right now. That Silver Age classic features the first appearance of two central characters to the Dr. Strange story arc. Both Dormammu and Clea (a future wife of Dr. Strange) show up for the first time here.

We have, of course, seen Strange take on Dormammu already. There is no major surprise that there would be a reprisal there. But it's the potential casting of a Clear character that was reported in January that has fans buzzing. Several outlets reported that Charlize Theron would be playing a significant character in the movie, with speculation falling into one of two camps.

The first would be Clea, a potential love interest for our universe's Dr. Strange or a multiverse spouse of a different Dr. Strange. Some are also speculating that Theron could be playing a more famous blond comic first lady. One who might have something to do with invisibility...

A CGC 6.5 copy of this book sold for an astounding $850 in early March when copies of this grade were selling for $400 less than one year prior. This double first appearance certainly is helping the rise here, but it remains to be seen whether Clea fans will be disappointed.

Hottest Silver Age Comics#49. Amazing Spider-Man #37 (+45)

On the surface, this seems like a rather random book to feature so highly in the Hottest Silver Age Comics list. But in reality, this book is still riding the coattails of the wildly popular Spider-Man: No Way Home. This book features the first appearance of Norman Osbourne, although we won't find out for another couple of issues that Osbourne is actually Green Goblin.

The first appearance of Green Goblin in Amazing Spider-Man #14 has shot up out of the price range of so many in the past year. With this book, collectors and speculators can capture the first real appearance of the man behind the mask, and do it for a fraction of the cost of ASM #14.

Even with it coming in much lower than ASM #14, a CGC 7.5 copy of this book recently sold for around $600, plus a copy sold in December for $825. This is in stark contrast to this same book selling for around $350 in January 2021. All copies 8.5 and above are now selling for well over $1,000.

#20. Silver Surfer #4 (+38) Hottest Silver Age Comics

If you're any kind of comic book chat or online forum with me, you will quickly realize that I do not understand the value of Silver Surfer #4 being so high. Let's go over the high points to try and figure it out.

First, it is the first time Silver Surfer and Thor battle. Alright, I mean I guess that's noteworthy, but hardly the first time either of them was matched up against a Marvel hero. Second, it's the second appearance of Mephisto. I guess that's noteworthy. We are seeing second appearances gain more and more value every year. Third, the unmatched cover art by John Buscema. This, I believe, is the selling point for many people, but Marvel has a lot of iconic art. Much of it doesn't drive books to these types of prices. Fourth, it's the first interior cover art by Sal Buscema where he does the inking.

All of that combines to push this book way up into the stratosphere of Silver Age classics. A 50th percentile copy in a CGC 7.0 has been ticking up close to $2,000 lately. One of the 73 copies of a 9.6 that exist recently sold for a bit under $30,000 on eBay. That buyer must be a big fan of the Buscema family because it was close to double from a sale of the same grade back in December. Even 5.0 copies of this book have multiple sales over $1,000 in the past several months.

Am I crazy to think this way about this book? Let me know in the comments if this is a book that is on your must-have list.

#46. Amazing Spider-Man #1 (+31)Hottest Silver Age Comics

What more can be said about arguably one of the five most iconic books of Marvel's Silver Age? It's the first issue of Spider-Man's long-running solo series. The book that set all kinds of Marvel records and has given us the introduction of countless characters, storylines, artists, and spinoffs.

Why is spiking right now? Sometimes, these books at the highest end of the market just have random points of inflation when new investors enter the market or some hot investment shop lists comics as a sure-fire way to make money. But this does have some speculative qualities to it as well. In this issue, we meet Chameleon, or Dmitri Smerdyakov. Smerdyakov is actually the half-brother of Kraven, we find out when Kraven first appears in Amazing Spider-Man #15.

Well, Sony's Kraven The Hunter movie is in full-blown pre-production right now and the role of Dmitri Smerdyakov has been cast with Fred Hechinger cast to play the half-brother. Does that mean we see a Chameleon in that movie? Who knows.  Does that mean that this book is even more out of your and my price range? Absolutely. A CGC 5.0 copy of this book sold just last week for a cool $22,800 at Heritage Auctions.

Which of these Hottest Silver Age Comics do you have in your collection?
Tell us in the comments!

Hottest Silver Age Comics

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