The first full week of October was a frigid one on eBay, and some once-hot comics felt more than a chill in the air.
What are the Coldest Comics? Using the eBay sales data, these are the five issues that lost the most ground over the last 10, 30, 60, 90, and 180 days. Keep in mind, this is based strictly on sales volume. Certainly, those fair market values are the bottom line in the secondary market, but it's the sales volume that tells the full story.
10 DAYS
91. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #101 (-54)
Only 10 days removed from ranking among the Hottest Comics on the market, Morbius' first appearance did a swan dive into deeper waters on eBay.
It's hard to be surprised with this development. Where some of the jump through the rankings could be based on movie speculation, there's nothing guaranteeing that we will ever again see Jared Leto as the Living Vampire. For many fans, that would be just fine. Still, the near universally detested Morbius has its fans, however slight that might be. There are also those who adore the sheer absurdity of Sony's Spider-Man-less multiverse and wouldn't mind seeing Leto grace the screen one more time. That could be enough to keep this issue among the bestselling issues.
Whatever the reason, ASM #101 did serious business a week and a half go, and it's certainly capable of pulling the feat again. In all likelihood, it will continue to bounce up and down the rankings until Sony gives some indication as to where Morbius is headed. That could be toward Venom: The Last Dance...or the trash heap. At this point, no one knows for sure, and that keeps buyers guessing.
With prices down compared to the pre-Morbius hype, this might be a case of investors getting deals while they can. Sooner or later, he will reappear either in the Sony-verse or possibly the MCU, be it live-action or via the upcoming cartoon, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. Once that happens, ASM #101 will see at least a slight rebound, so now is a prime opportunity to invest.
30 DAYS
69. MARVEL SUPER-HEROES SECRET WARS #1 (-43)
The Beyonder was dropkicked into the great beyond. After an impressive showing that saw it ascend into the top-30 bestselling comics, buyers turned their noses up to Secret Wars #1. That sent this popular key careening into 69th position.
What made this issue such a noteworthy addition to any collection is The Beyonder. While we do not see him in physical form, he does make his first appearance in the pages of SW #1. As a ball of light with dialogue balloons, he is revealed as the mastermind behind Secret Wars, which was Marvel's toy-marketing scheme. Back in the mid-1980s, the company needed a comic series to help sell their newest line of action figures. Jim Shooter was assigned the task, and the sandbox known as Battleworld was born. No doubt it worked as Marvel has made plenty of retro Secret Wars figures and comic book covers in recent years.
With Avengers: Secret Wars set to close out The Multiverse Saga, comic fans are wondering if The Beyonder will be part of that adaptation. Whether Marvel Studios/Disney decides to even loosely base the movie on the source material is anyone's guess. As of late, the studio seems determined to steer as far from the comics as it can, which is partly to blame for Marvel's box office dip, but I digress.
In the event that Kevin Feige and company nix the idea of Beyonder appearing in the film, Secret Wars #1 will plummet across eBay. On the other hand, if he's confirmed or heavily rumored, this key will reach new heights. It's that uncertainty that has it on a sales roller coaster week after week.
60 DAYS
Sabretooth, where have you gone?
It wasn't long ago that you were flying high, and Iron Fist #14 was making outstanding gains across the secondary market. Here you are, clinging to the 96th spot and in danger of leaving the Hottest Comics altogether. What happened?
The most likely culprit is Deadpool & Wolverine. Yes, the silver screen giveth and the silver screen taketh away. When Tyler Mane's Sabretooth was first spotted in the trailers, fans plunged into eBay for that all-important first appearance. The nostalgia of seeing Mane reprise his role from the original X-Men films had collectors and investors seizing the opportunity for massive sales. The trouble is he didn't last long at all. One short fight scene (I won't spoil the exact details for the, like, five blog readers who haven't seen D&W), and that was it for Mane's X-cellent return.
Given this occurred in a movie centered on the Multiverse, there's nothing that says Sabretooth can't return in a multitude of fashions. We aren't likely to see Mane back as Victor Creed, but Liev Schreiber may be on the Marvel Studios wish list. For that matter, with Wolverine hanging around the MCU for what appears to be future appearances (like Deadpool said, Hugh Jackman will be making superhero movies until he's 90), we could be in for an all-new, all-different Sabretooth. That would ignite the fires for Iron Fist #14 in a flash.
90 DAYS
95. ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #1 (-66)
For a time, this was a darling among collectors and climbed the ranks. Then came the inevitable dip after the novelty wore off, and USM #1 took a nosedive in the sales department. Just when it looked like the popularity was gone, it would rebound and shoot toward the top. From there, the yo-yo effect was in full swing. One week would find it reaching the Hottest Comics followed by a stroll down the Coldest Comics. Here we are again with USM #1 rising all the way to 29th only to slip 66 positions and land in 95th over the past 90 days.
No doubt, this will not be the last time we see the issue on either the Hottest or Coldest Comics. In fact, it would not be out of the question to see it jump back into the top-30 bestselling issues...right before it tumbles toward the dreaded 100th spot.
180 DAYS
Dazzler #1 is getting closer and closer to that dreaded 100th position. It's only 16 places away, and there's not much to get buyers to suddenly jump on the bandwagon. Maybe it's not Dazzler's first appearance, but it's her first self-titled comic, and it was one of the hottest issues on the market six months ago. These days, it's been struggling across eBay.
This wasn't the only Dazzler key hitting the skids this week. Her first appearance in X-Men #130 was dumped from many wish lists, losing 25 spots to land in 79th. Of course, when that's the case on the 180-day list, it's been a trend for quite some time. With nothing Dazzler-related on the MCU horizon, there's no indication that either of these keys will be on the rebound in the foreseeable future.
It doesn't take any deep insight to understand why we are seeing Dazzler comics dropping. The reason they were so popular to begin with was Taylor Swift.
Going all the way back to 2016's X-Men: Apocalypse, there have been rumors she would don the disco gear to bring Dazzler to the silver screen. That talk quieted for years until it resurfaced with the ample gossip surrounding Deadpool & Wolverine. Among all the whispers about cameos coming to life for the flick, Swifties were ready and waiting for Taylor to join Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman on the screen. Then came the movie's premiere, and the pop queen was nowhere to be found. Ever since, there's been nothing but negatives when it comes to those Dazzler keys.
Like any issue on the Coldest Comics, Dazzler #1 has the potential to make a turnaround. The day will come when the character is introduced into the MCU, and that will spark a flurry of sales. That could be years away, but if you are patient enough for the long game, now could be a good time to buy while the prices are down.
