Today’s list is all about the movers and shakers. The Hottest Comics ranks the 1,001 best-selling single issues across eBay. These five issues gained over 980 positions in one week, making them the hottest of the hot.
What makes these so special? Let’s dive into the deep end of the data stream and find out. Welcome to our Hottest Comics analysis!
9. MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE #61 (+991)
This week’s biggest mover comes courtesy of the classic Bronze Age title, Marvel Two-In-One. Throughout the 1970s, Marvel utilized series like Two-In-One, Marvel Spotlight, and Special Marvel Edition to showcase underserved characters on a team, such as The Thing, who was a regular in Two-In-One.
The more important role for these titles was being a platform for new and different characters. These series became a testing ground of sorts to gauge the fan response for the likes of Moon Knight, Ghost Rider, Shang-Chi, Werewolf by Night, and many other famous faces.
Marvel Two-in-One #61 happens to be the first appearance of HER, also known as Paragon and Kismet. Perhaps her most famous name is Ayesha as she was known when James Gunn added her to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. In the MCU, she created Adam/HIM in the closing moments of the film.
The comics gave her a much different origin. After the Enclave’s success in creating the perfect male specimen, HIM, they sought to create the perfect female, aptly named HER.
This has been a great week for Two-in-One #61. On August 21, a 9.8 came within $50 of setting a new record following a $250 sale. Meanwhile, a 9.4 reached a record of its own when a copy brought $99 on August 17. Even the 9.2 is approaching a milestone after a $50 sale on August 15, giving it four out of five sales at that price dating back to last year. What makes that noteworthy is that the record is only $65.
10. THOR #337 NEWSSSTAND (+990)
The Beta Ray Bill rumors will not stop until someone puts the intergalactic horseman in a movie. With so many of the Marvel movies and series taking place in the cosmos, not to mention the more absurd characters being brought to the screen, it seems like now is the perfect time for his live-action debut.
Fans have been waiting years for Bill, and Marvel chief Kevin Feige has said he wanted to unveil Bill as more than a cameo in Thor: Ragnarok. He was featured in the Grandmaster’s tower as a champion, which leads to the theory that he will appear in Taika Waititi’s Thor: Love and Thunder. Then there is GOTG Vol 3, which would be another perfect fit for Beta Ray Bill. It all adds up to rampant speculation about where everyone’s favorite horseman will end up. As unclear as his future might be, the one thing that is certain is that he is eventually coming to the MCU. That is precisely why his first appearance stays hot.
This week, buyers were not aiming for just any Thor #337; they wanted the coveted newsstand edition, which is much harder to come by in a higher grade. That explains why the 9.8 newsstand Thor #337 commands massive price tags. On August 16, one sold for $2,880. In July, another copy brought nearly $3,500.
Values fall dramatically for anything below a 9.8. At a 9.6, the prices drop to $400, while a 9.4 recently sold for $300. Once he is confirmed for an MCU movie, we can expect those prices to likely double in a very short time.
11. TALES OF THE TEEN TITANS #44 (+989)
HBO Max’s Titans is proving to be another streaming hit for the WarnerMedia service. Besides introducing Jason Todd/Red Hood to mainstream audiences, the series has featured the evolution of Dick Grayson.
In the first season, he was still Robin, fighting to escape the shadow of his legendary father figure, Batman. As the show has progressed, so has Grayson, and he has now taken on his most popular guise as Nightwing. That is why buyers were combing through eBay for deals on Tales of the Teen Titans #44, which was the first time Dick sported the original disco version of his Nightwing costume.
Two years ago, as high as a 9.8 averaged $230. By the end of last year, the fair market value had risen to just $247. This month has been a much different story. Tales #44 has skyrocketed. It currently has a 90-day average of $506, which is more than double 2020’s FMV, and it hasn’t sold for less than $400 since June.
18. IRON FIST #15 (+981)
Iron Fist’s first solo series is most famous for the first appearance of Sabretooth. That says a lot about the series' initial popularity (or lack thereof in this case), and that is despite it having the all-star talent of X-Men alum Chris Claremont, Dave Cockrum, and Gil Kane during the run. Over the years, he has garnered a larger fan base, and it was enough to carry him into his lackluster Netflix show. Despite the poor performance, there are still plenty of rumors that he will be featured either in Shang-Chi as possibly a cameo or in a likely Shang-Chi sequel. There are even whispers that Marvel is looking to give the power of the Iron Fist to another character who would be the MCU’s official Iron Fist as well.
Iron Fist #15 marked the final issue in his debut solo series. Along with being the last of the short-lived first volume, the comic features the debut of the villain, Bushmaster. He was brought to the MCU via Netflix in the Defenders show, though it is debatable whether or not that is still considered canon. In any event, Bushmaster’s first appearance fetched $1,250 for a 9.8 newsstand copy on August 21. While the direct edition is not hauling in those numbers, it still earned a respectable $800 on August 20.
The mid grades are holding their own as well, with a 6.5 selling for $89.99 on August 25.
19. MICRONAUTS #1 (+981)
For six years now, there have been rumors that Hasbro is developing a Micronauts movie. Around that time, the toy company had announced plans for its own version of the MCU with its different properties, such as Transformers, G.I. Joe, ROM, and M.A.S.K. Despite none of that coming to fruition, it has not perturbed investors from scouting the Micronauts’ first comic from 1979.
In the late ‘70s and into the 1980s, Marvel was the go-to comic publisher for toy companies. From Transformers to the Thundercats, the “House of Ideas” fleshed out the stories that would send the properties to kids’ shows stardom and beyond. The Micronauts was another of those toy tie-in comics, and IDW has breathed new life into the franchise in the 2000s. What is notable is that while Marvel does not own the rights to the Micronauts, their Microverse homeworld was featured in the MCU’s Ant-Man movies as well as Endgame.
Although there is no new information about a potential movie or a cartoon, there remains plenty of interest in Micronauts #1. Much of that likely comes from the Microverse being connected to the MCU. Either way, this issue commands respectable prices. This year, the 9.8 has seen its highest ever FMVs with a new single high of $699 from June. More recently, it has been selling in the $350-$400 range, though that is still above last year’s $197 average.
