Those Marvel SDCC announcements were lighting the beacons on the secondary market, and Secret Wars #1 led the charge. Let's dive into this week's Trending Comics analysis!

It’s been another week, and that makes it another week that the San Diego Comic-Con fallout ripples through the secondary market. Whether it is Avengers: Secret Wars or Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, buyers were hunting down anything that could be an ingredient in The Multiverse Saga’s plot. It was like blood in the water this week, and the sharks were in a feeding frenzy for all things Kang and Secret Wars. Here’s more.

1. MARVEL SUPER-HEROES’ SECRET WARS #1 (+24)

We have a new number one this time around, and it is a frequent flier on the Trending Comics list. As collectors scramble for anything connected to the Phase Six Avengers movies, it is no surprise that the first Secret Wars comic got a sizable push. What was a bit unexpected was seeing it climb all the way to the top of the Hottest Comics.

If we get word that The Beyonder will move from the animated Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur into the live-action MCU, then we will really see the fireworks.

5. VENOM: LETHAL PROTECTOR #1 (+9)

Another familiar face among the perennial Hottest Comics contenders, Venom: Lethal Protector #1 flourished once again. After falling outside the top 10, the fan-favorite issue came surging back, and it landed inside the top five once again. Thanks to the cover art as much as the story, Lethal Protector #1 remains one of the most popular Venom keys.

With the rising costs of first appearances, a character’s first solo series is generally the next best option. That is never more true than it was with Venom, and this could be only the start.

Once we get some direction on that piece of symbiote left behind in Spider-Man: No Way Home, all those symbiote keys could hit new records.

58. MARVEL SUPER-HEROE SECRET WARS #10 (NEW TO THE LIST)

Secret Wars #1 may have gotten top billing, but Secret Wars #10 with its impressive Doctor Doom cover was making moves as well. The main culprit here is Avengers: Secret Wars. While it is unclear what direction the film will take, it has inspired buyers to roll the dice on the entire 1984-85 Secret Wars series nonetheless.

There remains gossip that Doctor Doom will make a cameo in Wakanda Forever, and that could be another factor in Secret Wars #10 climbing into the 58th spot.

70. AVENGERS #8 (NEW TO THE LIST)

Rounding out this week’s Trending Comics are two very hot keys, both featuring Kang the Conqueror. Kevin Feige made the big announcement at San Diego Comic-Con that Jonathan Majors’ Kang and all his variants will be the centerpiece of the MCU’s Phases Five and Six. That is quickly ushering Avengers #8 into a coveted spot once occupied by Thanos’ debut in Iron Man #55.

Ultimately, villain keys have a lower ceiling than heroes’ first appearances simply due to staying power. Before Kang bites the proverbial dust, Avengers #8 will continue to skyrocket.

86. AVENGERS #267 (NEW TO THE LIST)

Speaking of Kang, here is another issue from the time-traveling despot that is making waves. With all those Kang variants headed to the MCU, buyers are turning their attention toward this 1986 Avengers comic. What’s so special about it? It happens to mark the first appearance of the Council of Cross-Time Kangs. Whether or not they will keep the name remains to be seen, but all logic points to the Kang Gang making their MCU debut within the next three years.

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