Hottest Comics: Takeaways 10/30

The shockwaves from Disney+ reverberated throughout the Hottest Comics index. Here are some key takeaways from this week’s rankings.

Hottest Comics: Takeaways

I've already written about the biggest movers from the Hottest Comics list. I also wrote about some comics that cooled way down (some will surprise you). There are plenty of other notable moves though. These are the ones I thought were worth writing about. Movie rumors and new series keep the market hopping, and this week was no different. The Mandalorian especially shook up the top 100, and the show’s second season even catapulted a familiar face into the top five. Take a look.

5. STAR WARS #1 (+8)

Once again, The Mandalorian has proven to be Star Wars’ saving grace. Last week, the convention edition of Star Wars: Forces of Destiny was the single biggest mover among the top 100 comics, climbing nearly 1,000 places. This time, the excitement from The Mandalorian’s second season premiere gave a mighty push to the original Star Wars comic.

It was only a couple years ago that collectors were staying far away from Star Wars investments. Who could blame them? After poor receptions for Solo, The Last Jedi, and The Rise of Skywalker, Star Wars found itself in unfamiliar territory: the franchise had turned cold. Then along came Jon Favreau, the director behind Iron Man, the first official MCU film that launched a box office titan. He masterminded The Mandalorian and effectively breathed new life into the dormant Star Wars franchise. 

Now Star Wars #1 has reaped the benefits. The 1977 debut of the series’ primary characters has climbed eight spots to nestle into the top five.

7. AVENGERS ANNUAL #10 (+34)

Rogue’s first appearance has been on a rollercoaster in recent weeks. One week, collectors shy away, and it takes a dive. Then the rumors heat up, and the sales turn upward. This week, Avengers Annual #10 made a huge move in the rankings, climbing an impressive 34 positions to move into the top 10. 

The rumors that have been floating around the internet claim that Rogue will be the first official mutant in the MCU. Staying true to her comic origin, the speculation is that she will appear as a villain in the Captain Marvel sequel. That could lead to her stealing Carol Danvers’ powers, thus setting the stage for Monica Rambeau to take up the Captain Marvel mantle.

While nothing has been confirmed, the fact that Monica is being featured in the WandaVision trailer does lend credence to the Rogue theory. If she is confirmed for Captain Marvel 2, this will be a top-five comic, easily.

9. SPIDER-WOMAN #1 (+14)

We can attribute Spider-Woman #1’s rise in popularity this week to another round of movie rumors. 

Ever since Into the Spider-Verse wowed audiences, the creative team behind the hit animated movie have been vocal about an all-female Spider-Verse movie on the horizon. Since then, a more recent rumor claims that she will star in Olivia Wilde’s mystery Marvel project for Sony. While nothing has been confirmed as of yet, most insiders believe Jessica Drew is bound for the big screen. Even if the Olivia Wilde film does not feature Spider-Woman, all signs point to her appearing in a movie in the near future. Judging by the sales push from the past week, other collectors tend to agree with that.

48. FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2020: SPIDER-MAN/VENOM #1 (+390)

Why would anyone pay for a give-away comic on Free Comic Book Day? If you did not get your hands on this issue at your local comic shop, then you missed an early appearance of Virus. Although fans have soured a bit on the new adversary, collectors do not stray too far from any of Donny Cates’ new creations. 

Back in September, this comic, graded at a 9.8, sold for as much as $110. Since the big reveal that Virus was, in fact, Mac Gargan in a modified Iron Man armor, those triple-digit sales have become a thing of the past. The 90-day average has fallen to $55, and the last two sales were both under $50.

72. STAR WARS: HEIR TO THE EMPIRE #1 (+928)

Another Star Wars issue getting the rub from The Mandalorian, this comic takes us back to the franchise’s glory days under the Dark Horse Comics banner. 

This particular story features the classic characters from the original trilogy. It was based on the novel of the same name. Once Disney acquired the rights to the franchise, the Timothy Zahn novels and the Dark Horse original stories were stricken from the official canon. However, The Mandalorian is incorporating non-Disney Star Wars characters from the Clone Wars cartoon series. It is not unreasonable to assume The Mandalorian will find inspiration from the Dark Horse days of Star Wars.

That's all I got for you this week. Check back in next week when the Hottest Comics list gets updated and I do this all over again.