Somewhere out there, right now, there’s people searching for Strange Sports #1 and Plop! #4 as well as the first appearance of White Rabbit. It begs the question, who’s buying this stuff? Welcome to the most random comics of the week. Let's look at some odd comic trends from the last few weeks.

Odd Comic Trends

When we discuss trending comics, they tend to fall into two natural categories: hot and cold. No matter if a comic is seeing its stock rising or plummeting, the comics that land on the list are usually there for a reason.

Then there are the other guys.

Think of them as residents on the Island of Misfit Comics. Among the Hottest Comics rankings and alongside the likes of Holy Grails and key appearances, these oddities somehow found their way into the 1,001 best-selling comics on eBay. 

 Take a look at a handful who stuck out like the proverbial sore thumbs.

    #860. MARVEL TEAM-UP #131

What is up with White Rabbit? We asked this question in our most recent Week in Speculation video with RegieCollects on Youtube.

As a lifelong Marvel Comics fan, even I needed a second look at the Wal-Mart toy aisle the first time I saw her Marvel Legends figure. She looks like a Harley Quinn wannabe, but White Rabbit outdated Harley by ten years. Here we have her first appearance (and one of the few cover mentions of Frog-Man). Maybe there is something I don’t know. Of course, at the rate Marvel Studios is going, White Rabbit could have her own solo movie or Disney+ series at any moment.

#680. FAST WILLIE JACKSON #1

Who? I had to dig to understand the importance of this issue, but now I can see why this is on the list. The issue was drawn by prominent African-American comic artist Gus Lemione.  That gives this 1976 issue cultural significance, which is why it is suddenly in the rankings.

600. STRANGE SPORTS #1

This may be my favorite comic on today's list. Where did this even come from? The cover reads like an old issue of the National Enquirer: "Why did the Devil challenge a World Series team to a game of baseball?" and "What was the secret of the odd little man who always bowled perfect 300 games?" The best part may be the devil throwing strikes from the pitcher's mound. This is irreverent and completely random. I love it.

#853. THE LIFE OF POPE JOHN PAUL II #1

There certainly is a market for biographical comics, especially when the publisher and/or creative team have name credibility of their own. Still, it did catch me off guard as I was scrolling through the likes of Superman, Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four...and the Pope.  Then again, Pope John Paul II and his story were worthy of another comic in 2008, so it must have sold at least a few copies.

#617. PLOP! #4

If nothing else, I got an education on some classic titles with this week’s post. Back in 1974, humor magazines like MAD and National Lampoon had massive audiences. To get a piece of the action, DC Comics created their own off-beat comedic titles, like Strange Sports and Plop! While both of these fell short of reaching the mainstream, Plop! still has its fans who remember the Bronze Age issues. It just seems weird that issue #4 reached higher than #1. 

 

 

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