Gwen Stacy was back in the collecting crosshairs this week as ASM #121 made its way onto the Hottest Comics.
It’s time again to dig deeper into the eBay sales data and see what keys were proliferating the top 100 best sellers. As it turns out, there were Spider-Man comics galore picking up steam. Remember, the Hottest Comics isn’t based on fair market values. Rather, these rankings reflect the sales volume, and in that category, cheaper usually wins out.
What issues should have your attention this week? I’m glad you asked.
34. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #121 (NEW TO THE LIST)
Marvel Comics is issuing a new alternate-reality title that further explores this pivotal moment in the publisher’s history. This time around in What If…Dark: Spider-Gwen #1, the idea is that Gwen lived while Spider-Man died, which is not to be confused with Spider-Gwen’s origin story which saw her get spider powers instead of Peter. That is the likely culprit behind this issue gaining traction once again.
35. SHAZAM! #1 (+42)
When you can’t afford Captain Marvel’s first appearance for Fawcett Comics, the next best thing is to opt for his debut for DC Comics in Shazam! #1. With Shazam! Fury of the Gods debuting this weekend, you would think his keys would be getting a much more significant boost.
Instead, this issue is not even cracking the top-20 Hottest Comics. Of course, the Shazam keys peaked four years ago with the first film. It doesn’t help matters that Fury of the Gods is getting blasted by critics.
80. MARVEL TEAM-UP #141 (NEW TO THE LIST)
As always, those Black Suit Saga keys are scattered throughout the Hottest Comics. This week, we see Marvel Team-Up #141 making waves as it broke into the top 100 best sellers. Released days after Amazing Spider-Man #252, MTU #141 is tied with Spectacular Spider-Man #90 for the second overall appearance of the black suit that would later become Venom.
There are numerous rumors circulating about the symbiotes in the MCU, and it will keep these keys on the move for quite a while longer. If Marvel Studios officially unveils a black suit for Tom Holland, watch for the afterburners to kick in.
81. SINS OF SINISTER #1 ARTGERM VARIANT (NEW TO THE LIST)
Stanley “Artgerm” Lau has done it again. This time around, he penciled a beautiful sketch of Emma Frost for the first issue of Sins of Sinister. Being a variant, these were printed in smaller numbers compared to the main cover, and that makes them more collectible.
Artgerm also has an established audience that buys his variants, so it’s a successful recipe with a proven track record. Already, this comic is earning between $55-$65 for a graded 9.8, so it’s another hit for the famed cover artist.
99. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #18 (NEW TO THE LIST)
Another Spider-Man key made this week’s top 100, and it is a classic. Published in 1964, ASM #18 marked the first appearance of Ned Leeds. He would go on to become the first Hobgoblin, though that story was later retconned into a convoluted brainwashing plot to frame him.
Will we see a similar fate for the MCU’s Ned? There have been enough teases that it would seem inevitable, but Marvel is known for trolling its fans.
*Any perceived investment advice is that of the freelance blogger and does not represent advice on behalf of GoCollect.
5 comments
Matt – You may want to check those dates for the 1st black costume – even here on gocollect the release dates show ASM 252 as May 10, 1984 and MTU 141 as Apr 30, 1984 – that’s over a full week headstart on AMS 252, yet somehow MTU 141 typically gets labeled “Ties for first release”.
Here we go again. ASM 252 hit the stands and shops at the end of January of 1984, one week after MSH Secret Wars 1 came out. MTU 141 (and Spectacular Spider-Man 90) went on sale two weeks after ASM 252. I bought ASM 252 the week it came out. Two weeks later, both the MTU and SSM issues were on sale at the local convenience store where I bought comics, along with the other new comics for that week. I bought the SSM issue but passed on MTU because I wasn’t interested in the Black Widow character. To recap: The sales date for ASM 252 was end of January. The sales date for the MTU and SSM issues was two later in February. All three issues have a May cover date, which is not the same as the sales (or release) date, when they were actually available for purchase.
You can still get that Sins of Sinister for 5 bucks at unknown comics
This is a good writeup you have given out here.
Allow me to check if I understand the main take aways of your article here.
Great article! It’s interesting to see the different comics that are gaining traction in the market.
Thank you very much,
KDebbie
Yeah, pretty much that’s the idea. These are part of a weekly series in which I spotlight different comics that may have gone overlooked.