A lost Bernie Wrightson masterpiece took the prize in this week’s Trending Comics & Oddballs. Join us for a deeper dive.

The Hottest Comics rank the top 1,001 best-selling single issues on eBay. The attention-grabbers are usually those major keys with massive fan followings. However, it pays to dig deeper and see what other comics are trending upwards.

On that note, let’s do some exploring.

17. KA-ZAR THE SAVAGE #1 (+983)

What is happening here? An early Ka-Zar comic went flying through the index, landing inside the top 20. Over his extensive history, Ka-Zar and the Savage Land have been closely tied to the X-Men, and that could lead to fans connect him with the X-Men’s MCU future.

Personally, I think a Savage Land series would be an interesting departure from the usual family comedies of Disney/Marvel. With so many obscure characters being thrust into the spotlight, there’s nothing saying that we couldn’t see  Ka-Zar in live-action someday.

22. NEW MUTANTS #87 (+987)

The original “Old Man” Cable has returned in the comics to the delight of Cable fans everywhere.

Since Kevin Feige confirmed an R-rated Deadpool 3 is in the works, does that mean we will see Josh Brolin return to the role as the mutant from the future? The speculation and the excitement stemming from the comics is likely fueling New Mutants #87’s sudden rise in sales.

This issue tends to have a yo-yo effect, going up one week, but coming down the next. It will be interesting to see if NM #87 can maintain its stature for the next round.

26. DAREDEVIL #9 (+263)

This issue is destined to crack the top 10. DD #9 is famous among collectors because it marks the debut of Echo, and she is quickly gaining a following thanks to the efforts of Marvel Studios.

The character is set to debut in the upcoming Hawkeye series on Disney+, and there is an Echo solo show in development.

On top of that, she has gained a new powerset in the comics as the host of the Phoenix Force. Put it all together, and it means Echo is getting a major push into the mainstream, which means DD #9 is hot.

51. INCREDIBLE HULK #162 (+948)

Hulk #162 was an unexpected addition to the top 100 this week. There are plenty of gamma keys getting the rub from the She-Hulk Disney+ show, and it is opening the possibility for all sorts of villains to enter the MCU. Abomination is confirmed, and that could be leading to theories that Wendigo has a chance at being included in the series. Another factor is the recently revealed Wolverine for PS5.

With speculation that Wolverine and Hulk will recreate their Hulk #181 battle, that would leave room for Wendigo to make a sizable impact.

ODDBALL OF THE WEEK

642. THE GARGOYLE #1 (+357)

The first of a four-issue limited series, the Gargoyle comics are worth collecting for Bernie Wrightson’s hand-painted covers. The quintessential horror artist never disappointed, and this is one of his overshadowed masterpieces that would be a jewel of any collection. \

The Gargoyle #1 is a gem that many of us may have forgotten existed. While the character did not go on to superstardom, Marvel’s version of Etrigan the Demon has a horror appeal that could be tapped for a future MCU role. 

Do you own any of these trending comics? Tell us about them in the comments!