Is it time to give up on Sony-verse spec? Judging by how hard those Venom: The Last Dance keys have fallen, the answer is yes.
When will we learn to stop getting excited for Sony's live-action superhero movies? Granted Last Dance exceeded the low standards set by Madame Web and Morbius, but not by much. Its 41% Rotten Tomatoes score isn't exactly critical praise, but it's better than both Morbius' 15% and Madame Web's 11% combined. Is it any surprise, then, that fans have already lost interest in the Venom three-quel and, in turn, the related key issues? That's precisely what we are seeing in the 10, 30, and 60-day Hottest Comics sales categories.
At this particular blog series, we take a closer look at the biggest movers and shakers across the 10, 30, 60, 90, and 180-day sales charts. Today, it's not about the comics making impressive gains. Rather, we're focused on the ones that got the cold shoulders from buyers.
10 DAYS
86. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #252 (-54)
This week's Coldest Comics is defined by the aftershock of Venom: The Last Dance. In any case with movie keys, we see the same roller coaster of events. From the early rumors to the first trailer and on to the movie premiere, collectors and investors flood the auction sites for the most popular tie-in comics. When it comes to Venom, ASM #252 sits high atop that list. As we are seeing with The Last Dance, those movie keys take a tumble after the film premieres and becomes old news. That's precisely what is happening here, just a little quicker than normal.
What makes ASM #252 so collectible is the first appearance of the black suit, which would become Venom. This is a perennial favorite among fans, and it always gets a bump from Venom news. That interest was doubled with the persistent rumors and theories that Marvel Studios will retell the Black Suit Saga in the MCU. The only problem is Last Dance negated the infamous Spider-Man: No Way Home post-credits scene, which saw Eddie Brock briefly arrive in the MCU just for laughs. What was intriguing was him leaving behind a piece of the symbiote, sparking theories that Tom Holland would be getting a black suit. Thanks to Last Dance, it's looking like Sony wants to forget that moment took place, helping to explain ASM #252s drop over the past 10 days.
Whether or not Marvel Studios works a deal with Sony to incorporate its own version of Venom into the MCU, ASM #252 will return to the collecting high life. Venom is one of the company's most enduringly popular characters despite a string of bad movies. Like the character, ASM #252 will survive and be on many fans' Christmas lists this holiday season.
30 DAYS
50. VENOM #3 (-42)
It was a rough 10 days across the board for the Venom keys. Like most Sony superhero movies, Venom: The Last Dance brought in a respectable gross its opening weekend. Then things started to wane, and the movie has been sinking. The secondary comic market has emulated that same progression. When the movie was being hyped, those related keys were on the move. After weeks since the premiere, the interest has dipped and so have the sales.
Anytime a new character is getting a grand silver screen debut, it triggers a sales landslide. When Knull was first revealed in the Last Dance trailer, fans jumped on the bandwagon and fired up their eBay apps. The first order of business was collecting those first appearances.
As the sales volume and the prices spiked with the movie's premiere, it sent the first print of Venom #3 toward the eBay summit. Then reality inevitably came crashing down. That standard edition has been rolling down the mountainside, and it isn't the only Venom #3 to make this week's list.
60 DAYS
70. VENOM #3 THIRD PRINT (-49)
And so the dip continues. After weeks of popularity among the eBay crowd, that Venom #3 third print has begun its descent through the rankings. How hard will it fall? We will see in the days to come.
Knull's first cover art was all the rage when audiences initially learned that the God of the Symbiotes would get his silver screen debut. The problem is that it's a Sony live-action movie, and that always leaves doubts as to how the character will be used. Be that as it may, Venom: The Last Dance caused an uproar in the collecting community, and it had buyers combing the auction sites for those Knull keys, beginning with the third print of Venom #3.
When it comes to Knull's first appearance, the waters a bit murky. Before Donny Cates wrote the all-powerful god into his famed Venom run, the character that would become Knull was featured in Thor: God of Thunder #6. That makes it the actual first appearance, but he wouldn't evolve into Knull until Venom #3. Then there comes the argument over his first cover art. Many collectors feel that since Venom #3 is a variant, that does not count as his first cover appearance. However, the market has spoken, and this particular third print is viewed as a worthy first. Collectors adore those first covers, and coupling that with Knull's debut makes this the go-to collectible.
90 DAYS
78. IRON FIST #14 (-41)
Ever since Wolverine decapitated Tyler Mane's Sabretooth in Deadpool & Wolverine, collectors and investors have shied away from Iron Fist #14.
Prior to the the movie's massive premiere, this was a hot issue to own. Fans were enthusiastic to see all the returning Fox castings, and there were plenty of villains being thrown into the mix. Being that Wolverine was officially joining the MCU, it made sense that Sabretooth would be waiting for him in the Void. What most fans didn't expect was for the fight to be so short lived. The two had a samurai-movie showdown, and Wolverine made quick work of his arch-nemesis. And so Iron Fist #14 lost all its momentum.
As I have written before, it's highly unlikely we won't see Sabretooth in the MCU. There's plenty more adventures waiting for Wolverine, and surely Marvel Studios will give us some version of Victor Creed. Whether that will mean bringing Liev Schreiber back as his Sabretooth from X-Men Origins: Wolverine or Kevin Feige casts a new actor in the role is anyone's guess. Either way, there's plenty of options to use the character, so don't abandon ship on Iron Fist #14 just yet.
180 DAYS
60. SILVER SURFER #1 (-22)
In the fast-paced world of superhero cinema, the constant news and rumors creates mighty peaks and valleys on the secondary market. When word starts to spread of a major casting for a potential blockbuster movie, buyers pounce on those key issues within minutes. Just as quickly as a comic catches fire, the heat dies down as soon as something new comes across the ticker. Such is the case for Silver Surfer #1.
Back in February, Marvel announced its casting choices for The Fantastic Four. While the Silver Surfer wasn't in that initial newsbreak, rumors swirled that not only would the Surfer be in the movie, but it wouldn't be the traditional Norrin Radd. Not long afterwards, Marvel Studios confirmed that, indeed, Shalla-Bal would be the MCU's Sentinel of the Spaceways. That had buyers not just looking for the Surfer's first appearance in FF #48 but her debut in Silver Surfer #1.
With the FF premiere still a ways off and so much other news impacting the secondary market, it's taken the focus off Shalla-Bal for the moment. As always, things should change once the first trailers roll out, and we get a look at the all-new Silver Surfer.
