The latest MCU news from Disney lit a fire under a number of Marvel key issues this week, but the lack of Namor and Darkhawk announcements put a damper on their popularity.

The weekly Hottest Comics rankings are the 1,001 best-selling graded comics according to eBay’s sales data as of the time of this writing. Where there are winners, there must be losers. Thus I present to you five comics that took notable hits in the rankings. 

973. SUB-MARINER #1 (-847)

All the Disney+ news shook up the Hottest Comics rankings this week. Virtually everything connected to Marvel’s upcoming lineup of movies and series performed well thanks to the speculation market. 

With all those comics getting a bump, something had to get pushed out of the spotlight. This week, it was the debut issue of Namor’s first self-titled series, Sub-Mariner #1. 

For years, Submariner has been the focus of countless rumors of him joining the MCU. Over the past year, there has been a new batch of speculation that he would invade Wakanda in Black Panther 2. Alas, Disney Investor Day and its numerous announcements made no mention of Namor. This leads many to believe Namor is not going to enter the MCU anytime soon. 

The end result is that Sub-Mariner #1 was the coldest comic on the market, losing more ground than any other issue.

481. THOR #2 FOURTH PRINT (-264)

The first full appearance of Black Winter, the cosmic entity that even Galactus fears, in Thor #5 and Thor #6 are both firmly inside the top 50. In fact, Thor #5 was the second-most traded comic on eBay last week. Then there is the third print of Thor #5 that is ranked in 45th place as of the time of this writing. Even the second print of Thor #4 with Black Winter on the cover is a top-100 comic. 

When it comes to BW’s other appearances, collectors are shying away. None of the other Thor #2 subsequent printings ranked inside the top 100 this week, and the fourth printing fell particularly hard this week, losing over 250 spots.

 

336. DARKHAWK #1 (-327)

Eventually, it had to happen. After weeks of ranking inside the top 10 and top 20, Darkhawk #1 took a polar plunge this week. This once-hot comic has now fallen victim to the fickle love of comic collectors, and I suspect the explanation is similar to Namor’s. 

Like the Submariner, fans were expecting Darkhawk to become a player in the MCU. There is nothing that says he won’t appear at some point.  However, it seems the rumors of him starring in his own Disney+ series were put to rest after the Disney Investor Day. Out of the huge slate of upcoming movies and series, Darkhawk did not make the cut. Now investors and speculators are backing off this issue until the next round of speculation begins.

427. VENOM #7 (-330)

Dylan Brock’s first cameo appearance was not popular among buyers this time. Following a week that saw Venom #7 inside the top 100, it is in danger of falling outside the top 400.

With Knull’s crossover taking over local comic shops, there has been plenty of speculation that Dylan would be a key factor in overthrowing the King in Black. If that comes to pass, speculators will return to this issue in the hope that Dylan will possibly inherit the Venom symbiote from Eddie.

 

 

292. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #299 (-271)

The Venom keys did not have the best of weeks, and Dylan wasn’t the only Brock to feel the sting of rejection. This week, the first cameo appearance of Venom in ASM #299 fell through the rankings after nearly moving into the top 20 in the last round of Hottest Comics.

Does this mean Venom is no longer a hot character? Not at all. In fact, I fully expect this issue to rebound very soon. After all, Venom is an enormously popular figure and has become the new face of Marvel Comics in the Disney era. Maybe it’s not ASM #300, but ASM #299 is still a coveted collectible, and it will rise from the ashes.

THE MCU EFFECT

While I don’t see Darkhawk regaining his heat in the collecting circles (not without more strong rumors, that is), Submariner #1 will inevitably rebound. What this presents is an opportunity for buyers. As you wait for the next wave of Namor rumors, prices should take a slight dip.