Ryan Reynolds is a notorious social media troll, and his fans love him for it. While that makes us raise a few eyebrows whenever he drops a cryptic post or tweet, his latest Deadpool 3 set photos are no joke.
Days ago, Reynolds caused an online storm when he shared some fresh pics to his Instagram account. Wolverine fans were delighted to see Hugh Jackman rocking the classic yellow-and-blue threads, minus the mask. A couple days later, Reynolds posted behind-the-scenes photos of what appears to be Wolverine battling Deadpool.
All those pictures have been enough to excite the masses and send collectors and investors straight to eBay for some X-Men keys. It’s been such a buying wave that Marvel’s Merry Mutants have ruled the week on the Hottest Comics index.
What’s that, you ask? The Hottest Comics ranks the 100 best-selling issues across eBay. Including both raw and graded copies, these are the top buying priorities on the market. For the purposes of today’s blog, we will be focusing on the 10-day rankings. Keep in mind that these figures are based on sales volume, not fair market value, and the data is continuously updated. The two can influence one another, but the list itself does not take FMVs into account.
19. X-MEN ANNUAL #14 (+72)
There’s so much gossip surrounding Deadpool 3 and its possible cameos. Of course, this is a Marvel Studios production, and the guest appearances have become more of an attraction than the movie plots as of late. Besides all the Fox X-Men cast members in the flick, there’s talk that Channing Tatum has already filmed his scenes as Gambit.
It’s a dream come true for Tatum’s fans. Remember that he was set to star in a solo Gambit film before Disney acquired Fox and all its intellectual properties. Under the House of Mouse, Tatum’s X-Men film was canceled to the actor’s dismay. While nothing has been made official, the word on the internet is that audiences will get to see the actor in full Remy Lebeau form in Deadpool 3. No doubt that has pushed buyers to grab those Gambit keys.
Here we have Gambit’s first appearance in X-Men Annual #14. The character’s second appearance and first cover art on Uncanny X-Men #266 is still the go-to collectible for Gambit fans, but more buyers have been turning to XMA #14. Much of this is due to price. Even at a graded 9.8, it has a 90-day FMV of $264 compared to $738 for UXM #266.
34. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #362 (+64)
The second appearance of Carnage rode a rocket through the Hottest Comics this week, gaining an impressive 64 spots overall. While Carnage is the main attraction when it comes to collectability, there’s another factor at work: ASM #362 marked the first time Spider-Man teamed with his arch-rival, Venom.
Eddie Brock and his symbiote were still relatively new at this point, having debuted just four years prior, and anything with his face was a red hot commodity. Having him on the cover and the shock of him partnering with Spider-Man made this a must-have for Venom readers.
Spider-Man: No Way Home may be in the rearview mirror, but Venom fans are still annoyed with what could have been. Tom Hardy was relegated to a wasted mid-credits cameo, and that Venom/Spider-Man teased meeting was a joke on fans. However, Venom did leave behind a piece of the symbiote. With so many questions remaining, fans are still waiting on the payoff from that cameo. When that happens, ASM #362 should get a boost in popularity.
For the past year, the graded 9.8 has averaged an even $100. Over the past month, it’s risen to $130.
27. X-MEN #94 (+58)
Starting things out this week is a classic X-key, X-Men #94. When it comes to comic book history, this issue rubs shoulders with X-Men #1, Incredible Hulk #181, and Giant-Size X-Men #1 as a true holy grail issue. While X-Men #94’s prices may not be on the level as the aforementioned issues, it remains one of the prized books in all the X-Men fandom.
Of course, what makes this issue so famous is Chris Claremont. As the story goes, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s X-Men did not find its audience. Beginning in 1970, the title’s sales were so bad that Marvel reprinted X-Men comics with new covers and issue numbers rather than devote the time and effort to creating new stories. Just when it looked like X-Men would be canceled for good, Len Wein spearheaded the title’s revitalization. He put together a new team, adding Wolverine, Storm, Colossus, and Nightcrawler to the ranks in GSX #1.
After Wein set the stage, he handed the reins to Claremont, who stayed in the driver’s seat for nearly 20 years. It was his writing that took the team from afterthoughts to Marvel’s flagship team in the 1980s and 1990s. His epic run began with X-Men #94, thus making it a holy grail for X-fans everywhere.
At the top of the collecting heap is the graded 9.8, which last sold online for $36k in November. Traditionally, the most popular grade has been the 8.0. With 352 recorded sales, it’s averaged $875 for the past 90 days.
32. BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE (+49)
Alan Moore’s classic take on the never-ending battle between Batman and the Joker is a mainstay in the rumor mill.
Following in the footsteps of Frank Miller’s Batman opus, The Dark Knight Returns, Moore’s The Killing Joke was actually darker than its predecessor. Where TDKR rewrote the rules for Batman, Killing Joke offered a new, more sinister take on the Clown Prince of Crime. With a story that suggested Joker sexually assaulting Barbara Gordon after he shot and crippled her, Moore showcased the villain’s deranged genius and cruelty. If the goal was to forget the days of a rather non-threatening Joker from the days of the Comics Code Authority, mission accomplished.
Besides its established reputation as one of the best Joker stories ever written, Killing Joke is often rumored for a live-action adaptation. Sure, there’s the animated version that irks many Batman fans, but bringing the story to the silver screen is a different ballgame. For years, the word on the internet was that Ben Affleck and Jared Leto would continue their Snyder-verse roles and bring Killing Joke to life. With that speculation essentially dead, some viewers are curious if Matt Reeves could pull from Moore’s classic tale for The Batman 2. After all, we were teased with the Joker in The Batman, so this could be the direction Reeves takes his story.
At any rate, it’s kept buyers on the trail of the Killing Joke first printing.
If you want a majestic 9.8 in your collection, that grade has been averaging between $230-$240 as of late. There are copies that have graded 9.9 and even 10.0, but you best be prepared to cough up four figures at the least for one of those.
57. X-MEN #101 (+38)
X-Men #101 extends beyond the confines of simply being an X-Men key. This issue featured the debut of the powerful cosmic entity, the Phoenix Force. After Jean Grey seemingly died protecting her teammates, this issue saw her reborn as the Phoenix. Imbued with the entity’s powers, Jean became the deadliest mutant in Marvel at the time. It led to the staple of any X-Men collection, The Dark Phoenix Saga, with the cosmic force turning Jean evil.
With so much excitement for Wolverine returning to the screen in Deadpool 3, there’s gossip that all the principal cast of the Fox X-Men movies will at least have cameos. Considering Logan’s love for Jean, it stands to reason that she will somehow fit into the story.
The other factor is the Phoenix Force itself. Marvel has firmly established the Phoenix entity as being part of Avengers lore in the modern comics. That leads to speculation that Kevin Feige and company are planning on introducing the cosmic force into the MCU apart from the X-Men. Since its origin story has been retconned so the Phoenix is the Thunder God’s mother, that is enough to have collectors thinking she will debut in a future Thor flick. Don’t forget that Echo was chosen to be its new host, and she is still on track for her Disney Plus show.
Between the X-Men and the Avengers, it’s no wonder X-Men #101 has remained a hot issue. The most common grade bought and sold online has been the 9.4, which last sold for $1,100 earlier this month.
*Any perceived investment advice is that of the freelance blogger and does not represent advice on behalf of GoCollect.
