The Hottest Comics gauge the rising stars of the collecting world, and it is easy to focus strictly on the top 10. Dig a little deeper, and you find some gems that give clues as to what could be the upcoming trends in the market.
And then there are those special issues that make you ask, “Who’s buying this stuff?!”
2. HERO FOR HIRE #1 (+15)
Just what in the sweet Christmas is happening here? For the past month, Hero for Hire #1 has been steadily climbing the Hottest Comics. This week, it leapfrogged the competition and found its way to the second overall position.
We all know this issue is famous for the first appearance of Luke Cage, but why is it suddenly gaining ground? Since April, the gossip sites have reported that both Luke Cage and his Heroes for Hire compatriot, Iron Fist, will be recast and reimagined for the current MCU.
Those rumors could be what is driving both of their first appearances after their Netflix cancellations caused the values to bottom out only three years ago.
7. GHOST RIDER #1 (+812)
Speaking of MCU rumors, Ghost Rider has been the subject of many theories for the past couple of years. At one point, the Rider was tapped to star in his own Hulu streaming series along with a host of other Marvel properties. Marvel, however, appears to have other plans for the Spirit of Vengeance. The studio has pulled the plug on several of those proposed shows, most notably Ghost Rider.
With the recent news of the Midnight Suns role-playing game on the horizon, it is leading to more speculation that the supernatural Avengers will be part of the live-action MCU, and that means Ghost Rider will ride again on the big screen. It has resulted in a frenzy for his early appearances.
14. FANTASTIC FOUR #48 (+644)
There is no argument that FF #48 reached holy grail status based on the first appearances of Silver Surfer and Galactus. As What If…? continues to impress audiences around the globe, it gives collectors yet another reason to want this issue.
Although the Watcher debuted in FF #13, this is by far his most famous cover appearance. The word is that he will get an origin story in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and fans are loving Jeffrey Wright’s voice acting for Uatu. That makes those classic Watcher issues more popular than ever before.
30. ETERNALS #2 (+883)
The latest Eternals trailer placed the spotlight directly on the Celestials, and that has fueled the interest in their first appearance. While their overall role in the story is not known, the inclination is that they may get some characterization (or at least audiences will learn their names).
At any rate, Marvel’s cosmic gods and creators of basically everything in the comic universe will play a more important part in the MCU than ever before, which is putting collectors and investors on notice not just for Eternals #2 but all the Celestial key issues.
ODDBALL OF THE WEEK
828. MARVEL SUPER SPECIAL #5 (+171)
How could this week’s Oddball of the Week Award not go to a comic with KISS on the cover? From the 1970s and past the turn of the century, KISS has commercialized and monetized their image to the point of being masters of the art of marketing.
This would not be the last time the band was featured in a comic. But it’s those odd, random appearances that have helped endure them to fans for decades.
