The Get Along Gang and Captain Carrot square off for the title of Oddball of the Week while the return of Onslaught to the Marvel Universe fueled speculation for X-Men #53. Sometimes it pays to dig a little deeper. 

There are 1,001 issues listed in the ranks of the Hottest Comics. Most collectors don’t have the time to page through every single one of them week after week. Fortunately, I did that work for you. Here are a few standouts from my findings.

13. X-MEN #53 (+470)

It is hard to say whether or not X-Men #53 will ascend to key status or not. After shadowy cameos and hints galore, Onslaught - in all his excessive 1990s glory - made his grand entrance in this issue. Once the Professor X/Magneto amalgam finished his crossover event, he faded out of the spotlight.

Here we are almost 30 years later, and it seems Onslaught will be making his triumphant return to the comics. That is why this issue is suddenly spiking, though the prices are still reasonable. We will have to see if Onslaught hangs around in the current X-Men run or, if he’s just there for a short stay.

33. SANDMAN #2 (+967)

Ever since Netflix and Neil Gaiman announced that a live-action adaptation of Sandman was on the way, the first issue has been all the rage. Now that momentum is finally carrying over to the other issues from the classic series.

For the first time this year, Sandman #2  made huge gains to crack the top-50 Hottest Comics, and I imagine there will be other issues besides that coveted #1 that will be getting attention in the near future.

46. DOOMSDAY CLOCK #12 (+953)

Everything Watchmen has gotten a boost over the past couple of weeks. That comes from the latest rumors that HBO will renew Watchmen for a second season. If you recall, the original plan was for the critically-acclaimed series to be a one shot.

Of course, I can see where WarnerMedia executives would see dollar signs in Watchmen’s future and push for a second season. Whether or not that comes to pass is a different story, but the speculation alone is fueling sales for the keys, including their inclusion into the DC Universe, Doomsday Clock.

129. THE GET ALONG GANG #1 (+870)

Normally, I would have been taken aback by the Get Along Gang’s first comic ranking so high on this week’s index, but those kids’ show promotional comics are hot these days. Even before the Thundercats movie was announced, there was a gradual uptick in cartoon comics. Now that the long-awaited feature film is in the works, it has been open season on classic kid titles.

Here we have a piece of 1980s nostalgia that mixes well with the other cartoon keys. Who knows? With the state of the kids’ comics market, the Gang could be in for a modern reboot.

ODDBALL OF THE WEEK AWARD

966. CAPTAIN CARROT AND HIS AMAZING ZOO CREW #5 (+33)

Last week, there were so many oddballs that stuck out like the proverbial sore thumbs that I had a hard time narrowing down the list. This week was the opposite problem. Most of the comics listed in the index made sense, and just when I was thinking this might be a down week for the Oddball Award, lo and behold, Captain Carrot appears to save the day.

My guess as to how Captain Carrot and his Amazing Zoo Crew #5 ended up in the Hottest Comics is tied to the DC League of Super-Pets movie news. Captain Carrot is a DC property, and it would not be a shock to see him or one of the Amazing Zoo Crew appear in the movie, if only for an Easter egg or a gag.